Print Size Calculator - Pixels, DPI and Maximum Photo Print Size
Print Size Calculator
How big you can print a photo, and how many pixels you need
Three Conversions
Print size from pixels, pixels for a print, or the DPI a combination gives.
Standard Sizes
See at a glance how 4×6 up to A2 will look with your image.
Cropping Warning
Flags when your image and print have different shapes.
Private
Calculated in your browser.
Pixels, DPI and Print Size
Print size equals pixels divided by DPI. A 6000 × 4000 pixel photo (24 megapixels) prints at 20 × 13.33 inches (50.8 × 33.9 cm) at 300 DPI, the usual standard for photos viewed in the hand. Strictly, a print's pixels per inch (PPI) differ from a printer's ink dots per inch, but labs and editing software use "DPI" for both, and so does this calculator.
How much resolution you need depends on viewing distance. Around 300 DPI is excellent for small prints, 200 is good for most wall prints, and posters or banners viewed from metres away look fine at 100-150. If the image and print shapes differ (a 3:2 photo on an 8 × 10 print), part of the image is cropped, and the shorter side sets the usable resolution.
Key Takeaways
- 300 for photos: The classic target for prints viewed up close.
- Distance matters: Large prints viewed from afar need fewer DPI.
- Upscaling has limits: Adding pixels in software cannot add real detail.