Work out how large an image can print, how many pixels a print needs, or what DPI you will actually get. Load an image to read its pixel size, or type the numbers in. A chart shows the pixels needed for 4x6, 8x10, Letter, A4 and more.
Calculation mode
Image dimensions
12 megapixels · aspect ratio 1.33 : 1
Print resolution (DPI)
Maximum print size
(33.9 × 25.4 cm)
Print quality: Excellent (about 300 dpi)
Sharp even when viewed up close. Suitable for photo prints.
Print size at each DPI (this image)
Pixels needed by print size
Pixels needed to print at 300 dpi. The right column shows the DPI you would get if the current image (4,000×3,000 px) filled each page. Click a row to use that size.
How Pixels, DPI and Print Size Work Together
How sharp a print looks depends on three numbers: the image's pixel dimensions, the DPI (pixels per inch), and the print size. Know any two and you can calculate the third.
This tool has three modes. Pixels → Print size shows the largest print an image supports at a given DPI. Print size → Pixels shows how many pixels you need for a given print. Check actual DPI takes an image and a print size and tells you the DPI you would get, with a quality label.
Load a JPEG or PNG and the tool reads its pixel dimensions and any DPI value stored in the file. The chart at the bottom lists the pixels needed for common US sizes (4x6, 5x7, 8x10, Letter, Tabloid) and ISO sizes (A4, A3), and shows the DPI your current image would reach on each one.
When to Check Your Image Resolution
Before ordering photo prints or a photo book
Load a photo from your phone or camera and see the DPI it reaches at 4x6, 8x10 or 11x14. You find out before you order whether it will look soft.
Preparing files for print-on-demand and print shops
Enter the finished print size and the DPI the shop asks for to get the exact pixel dimensions to export from your design software.
Finding the largest print an old or small image allows
For a low-resolution download or an old scan, see the print size at 300, 200 and 150 dpi, then pick the biggest size that still looks acceptable.
Deciding whether to change a file from 72 dpi to 300 dpi
Compare the embedded DPI with the pixel count and print size to see that print quality comes from pixels, not from the DPI tag.
How to Find Print Size or Required Pixels
- Pick a mode: Pixels → Print size, Print size → Pixels, or Check actual DPI. Choose inches, cm or mm for the units.
- Load an image, or type its width and height in pixels. Enter a print size or tap a common size such as 4 × 6, 8 × 10, Letter or A4. Set the DPI with the presets or the input box.
- Read the result card: print size, pixels needed, or actual DPI, with a quality label from Excellent to Too low.
- Scroll to the chart to compare the pixels needed for each print size. Click a row to calculate for that size.
Note: The calculations run in your browser. Typed numbers and loaded images are not sent to a server.
How the Results Are Calculated
- Every DPI value here means pixels per inch of print, which is how most print services use the term.
- In Check actual DPI mode, the quality label uses the lower of the width and height DPI, which is what you get when the image fills the page and the extra area is cropped. The whole-image-inside-the-page value is shown below the result.
- Quality labels are guidelines: 300 dpi and above is Excellent, 200 and above is Good, 150 and above is Acceptable, 100 and above is Soft, and anything lower is Too low. Real results vary with paper, printer and viewing distance.
- Embedded DPI is read only from JPEG (JFIF or EXIF) and PNG files, using the first 512 KB of the file. Other formats show pixel size only.
- Print services set their own minimum resolution and file requirements. Check their specs before you upload.
- Formats your browser cannot open, such as HEIC, will not load. Type the pixel dimensions instead.
Pixels Needed for Common Print Sizes at 150, 300 and 600 DPI
Minimum pixel dimensions for popular US and ISO print sizes. Use the chart in the tool to see how your own image compares.
| Print size | Dimensions | 150 dpi | 300 dpi | 600 dpi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wallet | 2.5 × 3.5 in | 375 × 525 px | 750 × 1050 px | 1500 × 2100 px |
| 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 in | 600 × 900 px | 1200 × 1800 px | 2400 × 3600 px |
| 5 × 7 | 5 × 7 in | 750 × 1050 px | 1500 × 2100 px | 3000 × 4200 px |
| 8 × 10 | 8 × 10 in | 1200 × 1500 px | 2400 × 3000 px | 4800 × 6000 px |
| Letter | 8.5 × 11 in | 1275 × 1650 px | 2550 × 3300 px | 5100 × 6600 px |
| A4 | 210 × 297 mm | 1240 × 1754 px | 2480 × 3508 px | 4961 × 7016 px |
| 11 × 14 | 11 × 14 in | 1650 × 2100 px | 3300 × 4200 px | 6600 × 8400 px |
| Tabloid | 11 × 17 in | 1650 × 2550 px | 3300 × 5100 px | 6600 × 10200 px |
| A3 | 297 × 420 mm | 1754 × 2480 px | 3508 × 4961 px | 7016 × 9921 px |
| 16 × 20 | 16 × 20 in | 2400 × 3000 px | 4800 × 6000 px | 9600 × 12000 px |
| 24 × 36 | 24 × 36 in | 3600 × 5400 px | 7200 × 10800 px | 14400 × 21600 px |
Formula: pixels = print size in inches × DPI (millimeters ÷ 25.4 for ISO sizes), rounded to the nearest pixel. At 150 dpi you need half as many pixels in each direction as at 300 dpi. If your printer needs bleed, add it to the print size before you calculate.
DPI vs. PPI and Choosing a Print Resolution
The basics behind the numbers, and how to pick a DPI for the job.
One formula covers all three modes
Print size (in) = pixels ÷ DPI.
Rearranged, pixels = print size (in) × DPI and DPI = pixels ÷ print size (in).
The three modes in this tool solve the same equation for a different unknown.
Pixel dimensions set the detail, DPI sets the size
A file's pixel dimensions decide how much detail it holds. DPI only says how many of those pixels go into each inch of paper.
Changing a 72 dpi tag to 300 dpi without adding pixels does not sharpen the image. It just makes the print smaller. To get a sharper, larger print you need a source image with more pixels.
Typical DPI by use
Photo prints and photo books viewed up close are usually made at 300 dpi.
Large posters and banners seen from a distance can often use 150 dpi or lower.
Line art and scanned text are often handled at 600 dpi or more.
Images that are only shown on screens depend on pixel width and height, not DPI.
What to do when the image is too small
Enlarging a small image in an editor (upsampling) adds pixels, but it cannot add real detail, so the print can look soft.
Better options are to re-shoot or re-scan at a higher resolution, find the original file, or print at a smaller size that matches the pixels you have.
Common Print Resolution Mistakes
Printing a social media download at poster size
Images saved from social media are usually resized and compressed. Printed at 8x10 or larger, they look blurry or blocky.
💡 See the solution▼
Setting the file to 300 dpi but not adding pixels
A shop asks for 300 dpi, so you change the DPI field in your editor. The pixel count is unchanged, so the file is still too small for the print size.
💡 See the solution▼
Mixing up web and print resolution
Seeing 72 dpi on a web image and assuming it cannot be printed is one mistake. Putting a huge 300 dpi print file on a web page, which slows it down, is the opposite one.
💡 See the solution▼
Ignoring the aspect ratio and orientation
A landscape photo sent to a portrait print loses large strips on the sides, or leaves empty margins, and the DPI you calculated no longer applies.
💡 See the solution▼
DPI and Print Resolution FAQ
Q.What is the difference between DPI and pixel dimensions?
A. Pixel dimensions are the total number of pixels in the image, such as 4000 × 3000 px. DPI is how many of those pixels are printed per inch. The same 4000 px wide image is about 13.3 inches wide at 300 dpi and about 26.7 inches wide at 150 dpi. The pixel count sets how much detail the image holds. DPI only links that pixel count to a print size.
Q.What is the difference between DPI and PPI?
A. Strictly, DPI counts printed ink dots per inch, while PPI counts image pixels per inch. In everyday use, and in most print upload instructions, people say DPI when they mean pixels per inch. This calculator does the same: every DPI value here means pixels per inch of print.
Q.Does changing an image from 72 dpi to 300 dpi improve its quality?
A. Not if the pixel count stays the same. Changing only the DPI setting in an editor, without resampling, just changes the print size stored in the file: the image gets smaller on paper. To print larger at 300 dpi you need more pixels. Use the "Print size → Pixels" mode to see how many.
Q.How many pixels do I need for a 4x6, 5x7 or 8x10 print?
A. At 300 dpi, a 4x6 inch print needs 1200 × 1800 px, a 5x7 needs 1500 × 2100 px, and an 8x10 needs 2400 × 3000 px. The formula is pixels = inches × DPI. The chart on this page lists more sizes at 150, 300 and 600 dpi.
Q.How do I calculate print size from pixels?
A. Divide the pixel count by the DPI to get inches: print size (in) = pixels ÷ DPI. For a 4000 × 3000 px image at 300 dpi, that is 4000 ÷ 300 = 13.33 in wide and 3000 ÷ 300 = 10 in tall. Multiply by 2.54 to convert inches to centimeters. Enter the pixels and DPI in this calculator to get the result automatically.
Q.How do I know if my image has enough resolution for a print size?
A. Use the "Check actual DPI" mode. Load your image (or enter its width and height in pixels) and pick the print size. The calculator shows the DPI you would get plus a quality label. If the image is cropped to fill the page, the lower of the width and height DPI is the one that counts, so that is the value used for the label.
Q.What DPI should I use for printing photos?
A. 300 dpi is the usual target for photo prints that are viewed up close. Large posters and banners are viewed from farther away, so lower values such as 150 dpi often look fine. Printers and print services may publish their own minimum, so check the upload requirements of the service you use.
Q.Why does my image show no embedded DPI?
A. This tool reads the DPI setting stored in JPEG files (JFIF or EXIF) and PNG files. Other formats, or files with the field removed, show "none found". Pixel width and height are still read from any image your browser can open. The embedded DPI does not affect print quality, so you can ignore it and type any DPI you want to test.
Q.Is my image uploaded when I load it?
A. No. The pixel size and embedded DPI are read from the file inside your browser, and the image is not sent to a server. You can also skip loading a file and type the pixel dimensions yourself.
Q.Why do people say web images are 72 dpi?
A. 72 dpi is a historical convention from early computer screens. Browsers display an image by its pixel dimensions, so the DPI value stored in a web image has no effect on how it looks on screen. For web use, plan around pixel width and height instead.
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