Print Size & DPI Calculator

Print size is simply pixel dimensions divided by the print resolution (dots per inch, or DPI): width in inches = pixel width ÷ DPI, and the same for height. Higher DPI packs more detail into a smaller physical print; lower DPI stretches the same pixels across a larger area.

300 DPI is the standard target for sharp, close-viewing prints like photo prints and magazines. Large-format prints viewed from a distance — posters and banners — can use much lower DPI (100–150 or less) because viewers stand farther away and won't notice the lower pixel density.

Example: a 6000 × 4000 pixel photo (24 megapixels) printed at 300 DPI yields a 20 × 13.3 inch print (about 50.8 × 33.9 cm) — a common size for large fine-art prints.

300 DPI is print-shop default for photos viewed arm's length; large wall prints viewed from farther away can use 150 DPI.

Upsampling small files in software does not add real detail — start from sufficient megapixels for the intended print width.

Worked example: 6000×4000 px at 300 DPI → 20×13.3 inch print.

Billboard viewing at 50 feet allows 20–50 DPI effective resolution — a 6000×4000 file prints huge at 150 DPI for wall art in a hallway viewed at 3 feet versus a storefront viewed from the street. Hallway prints viewed at three feet need more DPI than storefront posters viewed at fifty feet — 6000×4000 at 150 DPI still prints large.

Camera JPEG versus RAW export dimensions differ — enter actual pixel width and height from the file you will send to the lab, not the sensor's marketed megapixel rounded count. Enter exported JPEG pixel dimensions — marketing megapixel counts may differ from actual file width and height after in-camera crop modes. Order a test print at your target DPI when wall-art clients need proof before the lab run.

Six-thousand by four-thousand pixels at 300 DPI yields 20×13.33 inches — cropping to 8×10 for frames requires either losing pixels or upsampling; crop first, then recalculate DPI at final print size. 6000×4000 at 300 DPI → 20×13.33 in — crop to 8×10 first, then recalculate DPI at final frame size before sending to the lab.