What focal spot size is used with magnification?

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Magnification increases geometric unsharpness because the X-ray beam has to travel a longer distance to the detector, so any blur at the focal spot shows up more in the image. To keep the magnified image as sharp as possible, you use the smallest focal spot available. A tiny focal spot reduces penumbra and preserves edge detail, which is crucial for visualize fine structures like microcalcifications and subtle lesion margins in magnified views. The larger focal spots would blur more under magnification, diminishing the benefit of the magnification technique. While using the smallest spot can mean higher technique factors and dose, the priority in magnification is maximum detail, hence the smallest focal spot.