# Image resolution for printing: how many pixels you need

[Canonical HTML page](https://gradiently.design/guide/image-resolution-for-print)

Whether a print looks crisp or soft is decided before it reaches the printer, by how many pixels the file has. Here are the numbers for every common size, worked out for you.

## The short version

- The standard resolution for printing is 300 pixels per inch at the size the image will be printed.
- To find the pixels a print needs, multiply its width and height in inches by 300.
- An 8 × 10 inch print needs 2400 × 3000 pixels and an A4 print needs 2480 × 3508 pixels.
- A 12 megapixel phone photo of 4032 × 3024 pixels prints sharply up to about 13.4 × 10 inches.
- Large prints viewed from a distance can be printed at 150 pixels per inch without looking soft.

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

| Print size | At 300 ppi | At 150 ppi |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business card, 3.5 × 2 in | 1050 × 600 | Not recommended |
| Postcard, 6 × 4 in | 1800 × 1200 | Not recommended |
| Invitation, 5 × 7 in | 1500 × 2100 | Not recommended |
| Photo, 8 × 10 in | 2400 × 3000 | 1200 × 1500 |
| A5, 148 × 210 mm | 1748 × 2480 | 874 × 1240 |
| A4, 210 × 297 mm | 2480 × 3508 | 1240 × 1754 |
| US Letter, 8.5 × 11 in | 2550 × 3300 | 1275 × 1650 |
| A3, 297 × 420 mm | 3508 × 4961 | 1754 × 2480 |
| Print, 11 × 14 in | 3300 × 4200 | 1650 × 2100 |
| Poster, 16 × 20 in | 4800 × 6000 | 2400 × 3000 |
| Poster, 18 × 24 in | 5400 × 7200 | 2700 × 3600 |
| Poster, 24 × 36 in | 7200 × 10800 | 3600 × 5400 |

Pixels at the trim size, rounded. Add bleed if the image runs to the edge; see [print bleed and safe margins](https://gradiently.design/guide/bleed-and-margins). Small pieces held in the hand should stay at 300.

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](https://gradiently.design/guide/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:

| Image | Pixels | Sharp at 300 ppi | Fine at 150 ppi |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Instagram post | 1080 × 1350 | 3.6 × 4.5 in | 7.2 × 9 in |
| Full HD frame | 1920 × 1080 | 6.4 × 3.6 in | 12.8 × 7.2 in |
| 8 megapixels | 3264 × 2448 | 10.9 × 8.2 in | 21.8 × 16.3 in |
| 12 megapixels | 4032 × 3024 | 13.4 × 10.1 in | 26.9 × 20.2 in |
| 4K frame | 3840 × 2160 | 12.8 × 7.2 in | 25.6 × 14.4 in |
| 24 megapixels | 6000 × 4000 | 20 × 13.3 in | 40 × 26.7 in |

Landscape sizes; rotate for portrait. These assume the whole frame is used: cropping a photo reduces its pixels and therefore its sharp print size.

- Instagram post at 300 ppi: 360 × 450
- 12 MP photo at 300 ppi: 1344 × 1008
- A4 page: 827 × 1169

Printable sizes drawn to scale against an A4 sheet. A social post screenshot covers only a small corner of the page; a full 12 megapixel photo prints larger than the sheet itself.

## 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](https://gradiently.design/guide/poster-size-guide) covers the large formats in detail.

## How to check an image's print resolution

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. **Ignore the dpi field** It is only a label. Two files with the same pixels print identically whatever it says.
3. **Divide by 300** Width in pixels ÷ 300 is the widest sharp print in inches. Multiply by 2.54 for centimetres.
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

### Won't help

- Changing 72 dpi to 300 dpi in the file settings
- Saving a screenshot of the image at a larger zoom
- Converting a JPEG to PNG
- Hoping the printer will sharpen it

### Will help

- Finding the original file, not the one sent by message
- Printing smaller, or placing the photo smaller in the layout
- Rebuilding logos and type as vector (SVG or PDF)
- Using a background that is rendered at the print size

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](https://gradiently.design/guide/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.

An A3 poster with the headline Sharp at every size over a smooth gradient background

Gradients and type have no fixed pixels, so they can be drawn fresh at 300 ppi for an A3 poster rather than enlarged from something smaller.

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](https://gradiently.design/guide/print-gradients) explains how to keep them free of banding, and [print ready PDF](https://gradiently.design/guide/pdf-for-print) covers the export.

## FAQ

### What resolution is best for printing?

300 pixels per inch at the final printed size. Large posters seen from a distance can use 150.

### How many pixels do I need for an 8 x 10 print?

2400 × 3000 pixels at 300 ppi.

### How big can I print a 12 megapixel photo?

A 4032 × 3024 pixel photo prints sharply up to about 13.4 × 10 inches at 300 ppi, and acceptably up to about 27 × 20 inches for viewing from further away.

### Can I print an image from Instagram?

Only small. A 1080 × 1350 post prints sharply at about 3.6 × 4.5 inches. For anything larger, use the original file.

### Does changing an image to 300 dpi make it print better?

No. The dpi value is only a label. The number of pixels decides how large an image prints sharply.