  The total infrared (TIR) luminosity from galaxies can be used to examine both
star formation and dust physics. We provide here new relations to estimate the
TIR luminosity from various Spitzer bands, in particular from the 8 micron and
24 micron bands. To do so, we use 45" subregions within a subsample of nearby
face-on spiral galaxies from the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey
(SINGS) that have known oxygen abundances as well as integrated galaxy data
from the SINGS, the Local Volume Legacy Survey (LVL) and Engelbracht et al.
(2008) samples. Taking into account the oxygen abundances of the subregions,
the star formation rate intensity, and the relative emission of the polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons at 8 micron, the warm dust at 24 micron and the cold dust
at 70 micron and 160 micron we derive new relations to estimate the TIR
luminosity from just one or two of the Spitzer bands. We also show that the
metallicity and the star formation intensity must be taken into account when
estimating the TIR luminosity from two wave bands, especially when data
longward of 24 micron are not available.
