# A4 size in pixels at 72, 150 and 300 dpi

[Canonical HTML page](https://gradiently.design/guide/a4-size-in-pixels)

A4 is a fixed piece of paper, 210 by 297 millimetres, so its pixel size depends entirely on how densely you plan to print it. Here are the numbers, the sum behind them and the one you actually need.

## The short version

- A4 paper measures 210×297 mm, which is 8.27×11.69 inches.
- A4 size in pixels is 2480×3508 at 300 dpi, the standard for sharp print.
- At 150 dpi A4 is 1240×1754 pixels, and at 72 dpi it is 595×842 pixels, which is also the size of an A4 page in PDF points.
- With 3 mm of bleed on every side, an A4 print file at 300 dpi is 2551×3579 pixels.
- Every A size has the same 1:1.414 shape, so an A4 design scales to A5 or A3 without cropping.

The **A4 size in pixels** is 2480×3508 at 300 dpi, which is the number to use for anything that will be printed. At 150 dpi it is 1240×1754, and at 72 dpi it is 595×842. The paper itself never changes: A4 is always 210×297 mm. Only the density changes, and with it the number of pixels needed to fill the sheet without blur.

## A4 pixel dimensions at every common dpi

| Resolution | Portrait (px) | Use it for |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 72 dpi | 595×842 | PDF page size in points, quick previews |
| 96 dpi | 794×1123 | How browsers size an A4 page for printing |
| 150 dpi | 1240×1754 | Office printers, drafts, documents read on screen |
| 300 dpi | 2480×3508 | Posters, flyers, brochures, anything professionally printed |
| 600 dpi | 4961×7016 | Fine line art and very small type |

Landscape A4 is the same pair reversed: 3508×2480 at 300 dpi. Values are rounded to the nearest whole pixel.

If you only remember one line, remember **2480×3508**. It is the size printers expect, it is what most design tools mean by "A4 for print", and it scales down cleanly to anything smaller. In the US and Canada the everyday sheet is [US Letter](https://gradiently.design/guide/letter-size-pixels), 2550×3300 at 300 dpi.

## How to work out A4 in pixels yourself

Pixels are inches multiplied by dots per inch. A4 is defined in millimetres, so there is one conversion first: divide by 25.4 to get inches. The same three steps work for any paper size, which is handy when a printer sends an odd format.

1. **Convert millimetres to inches** 210 ÷ 25.4 = 8.27 inches wide. 297 ÷ 25.4 = 11.69 inches tall.
2. **Multiply by the dpi you need** 8.27 × 300 = 2480. 11.69 × 300 = 3508. Use the unrounded inch figures for accuracy.
3. **Round to whole pixels** Round to the nearest pixel. A one pixel difference is invisible on paper, so nobody will notice 3507 or 3508.
4. **Add bleed if the colour runs to the edge** Add 3 mm to every side before converting: 216×303 mm becomes 2551×3579 pixels at 300 dpi.

```js
// Paper size in millimetres to pixels at a given dpi
const toPx = (mm, dpi) => Math.round((mm / 25.4) * dpi)

const a4 = { w: 210, h: 297 }
console.log(toPx(a4.w, 300), toPx(a4.h, 300)) // 2480 3508

// With 3 mm bleed on every side
console.log(toPx(a4.w + 6, 300), toPx(a4.h + 6, 300)) // 2551 3579
```

Swap in any paper size in millimetres. For inch sizes, skip the division by 25.4.

The difference between dpi and ppi trips people up, but for this sum they behave the same: both describe how many pixels land in an inch of paper. [DPI vs PPI](https://gradiently.design/guide/dpi-vs-ppi) untangles the two properly.

## Which A4 resolution should you use

For print, use 300 dpi. A4 is held at reading distance, about the length of a forearm, and at that distance 300 pixels per inch is where edges stop looking soft. Below roughly 200 dpi, small type and thin lines start to blur. Going above 300 rarely helps unless the page is fine linework or tiny technical text.

For a document that will only ever live on screen, such as a PDF guide people scroll on a laptop, 150 dpi is plenty and keeps the file light. The 72 dpi figure is less a resolution than a coincidence: PDF measures pages in points, 72 to the inch, so an A4 PDF page reports itself as 595×842 whatever is inside it.

### Avoid

- Designing at 595×842 and scaling up for print
- Stretching a screenshot to fill an A4 page
- Forgetting bleed when colour runs off the edge
- Placing photos smaller than their printed size needs

### Do

- Start at 2480×3508 for anything printed
- Add 3 mm bleed per side, or ask your printer
- Keep words 5 mm or more inside the trim
- Check each photo has enough pixels at its printed size

> **Changing the dpi field changes nothing** Typing 300 into an image's dpi setting does not add detail. A 595×842 image marked as 300 dpi simply prints at about 5 cm wide. To print A4 sharply you need the pixels: 2480×3508.

## A4 next to the other A sizes

Every A size is half the one before it, folded across the long side, and every one keeps the same 1:√2 shape, about 1:1.414. That is why an A4 design scales to A3 or A5 without cropping a thing: only the pixel count changes.

- A5 1748×2480: 1748 × 2480
- A4 2480×3508: 2480 × 3508
- A3 3508×4961: 3508 × 4961

A5, A4 and A3 at 300 dpi, drawn to scale. A4's width is A5's height, and A3's width is A4's height.

| Size | Millimetres | Pixels at 300 dpi |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A5 | 148×210 | 1748×2480 |
| A4 | 210×297 | 2480×3508 |
| A3 | 297×420 | 3508×4961 |

The three A sizes most people print. [Poster sizes](https://gradiently.design/guide/poster-size-guide) covers the larger ones.

## Designing an A4 page that prints well

Pixel size is only the first decision. A good A4 page also needs a safe margin, type that reads at arm's length and colour that survives the trip from screen to paper. The portrait A4 poster below holds every word well inside the trim.

A portrait A4 poster announcing an open studio weekend, with a gradient background filling the page and the text centred

An A4 poster at 2480×3508. The background runs to every edge, ready for bleed, and every word sits comfortably inside the margin.

- **Margins:** keep text at least 5 mm, about 60 pixels at 300 dpi, inside the trim. 10 mm looks calmer.
- **Body type:** 9 to 12 point reads comfortably on A4. At 300 dpi, 10 point text is roughly 42 pixels tall.
- **Headlines:** on a poster seen from across a room, go far larger than feels natural on screen.
- **Colour:** bright screen colours often print duller. [RGB vs CMYK](https://gradiently.design/guide/rgb-vs-cmyk) explains why and what to do.

Gradients deserve particular care on paper, because smooth blends are where banding shows. [Printing gradients](https://gradiently.design/guide/print-gradients) covers the fix, and [print ready PDF](https://gradiently.design/guide/pdf-for-print) covers the file you hand over. In Gradiently, A4 is one of the built in print sizes at 300 dpi, and Pro exports a print PDF with bleed and crop marks, so you design at the trim size and the export adds the rest.

## FAQ

### What is A4 size in pixels at 300 dpi?

2480×3508 pixels in portrait, or 3508×2480 in landscape.

### What is A4 size in pixels at 72 dpi?

595×842 pixels. That is also the page size of an A4 PDF, because PDF measures pages in points at 72 to the inch.

### What size is A4 with bleed in pixels?

With 3 mm bleed on every side, A4 at 300 dpi is 2551×3579 pixels. Check your printer's guidelines, as some ask for more.

### Is 150 dpi good enough to print A4?

It is fine for office printing and documents read on screen, but small type looks soft. Use 300 dpi for anything professionally printed.

### What is the aspect ratio of A4?

1:√2, roughly 1:1.414. Every A size shares it, so designs scale between A5, A4 and A3 without cropping.