Image resolution for printing: how many pixels you need

The right resolution for printing is 300 pixels per inch at the final printed size. So the number of pixels you need is simply the print's width and height in inches, each multiplied by 300: a 5 × 7 inch print needs 1500 × 2100 pixels, an 8 × 10 needs 2400 × 3000, and an A4 page needs 2480 × 3508. Anything that will be seen from a few metres, like a large poster, can drop to 150 pixels per inch. The tables below do the arithmetic for every common size.

Pixels needed for common print sizes

For sizes in millimetres, divide by 25.4 to get inches first. If you want to understand why print shops call this "dpi" when they mean pixels per inch, read DPI vs PPI.

How large can your photo print

Turn the sum around and divide the pixels by 300. That gives the largest size the image will print sharply up close. Typical camera and phone resolutions allow these sizes:

How close people stand changes the rule

300 ppi is the rule for things held in the hand, where the eye is about an arm's length away. The further away a print is seen, the fewer pixels per inch it needs, which is why billboards are printed from files that would look coarse on a postcard. Use 300 for cards, flyers, invitations and photos; 150 to 200 for posters on a wall; and ask your printer for anything larger, such as roll up banners. Our guide to poster sizes covers the large formats in detail.

How to check an image's print resolution

1. 1

   Find the pixel dimensions

   On a Mac, open the file in Preview and choose Tools, Show Inspector. On Windows, right click, choose Properties, then Details.

2. 2

   Ignore the dpi field

   It is only a label. Two files with the same pixels print identically whatever it says.

3. 3

   Divide by 300

   Width in pixels ÷ 300 is the widest sharp print in inches. Multiply by 2.54 for centimetres.

4. 4

   Compare with the print size

   If the result is smaller than your print, you need a larger original, a smaller print or a design that can be rendered again at full size.

What to do if your image is too small

Messaging apps and social platforms shrink images, so a photo downloaded from either is usually far smaller than the original. Ask for the file itself. For logos, a vector file solves resolution for good, which is explained in SVG vs PNG. Upscaling software can enlarge a photo smoothly, but it guesses the detail it adds, so check faces and text closely before printing.

This is where a rendered background has an edge over a photo. Gradiently's print sizes, from a business card to an 18 × 24 inch poster, are set at 300 dpi, and a Mark draws itself at whatever size you choose instead of being stretched. Pro exports a print PDF with bleed and crop marks. If the design includes gradients, printing gradients explains how to keep them free of banding, and print ready PDF covers the export.