Standard photo print sizes and the pixels they need
Print labs and drugstores use a fixed set of sizes. The table gives each one in inches and centimeters with the number of pixels needed for a sharp print at 300 DPI. Turn the numbers around for landscape prints.
| Print size | Centimeters | Ratio | Pixels at 300 DPI | Pixels at 200 DPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wallet 2.5 × 3.5 in | 6.4 × 8.9 | 5:7 | 750 × 1050 | 500 × 700 |
| 3.5 × 5 in | 8.9 × 12.7 | 7:10 | 1050 × 1500 | 700 × 1000 |
| 4 × 6 in | 10.2 × 15.2 | 2:3 | 1200 × 1800 | 800 × 1200 |
| 5 × 7 in | 12.7 × 17.8 | 5:7 | 1500 × 2100 | 1000 × 1400 |
| 8 × 10 in | 20.3 × 25.4 | 4:5 | 2400 × 3000 | 1600 × 2000 |
| 8.5 × 11 in (Letter) | 21.6 × 27.9 | 17:22 | 2550 × 3300 | 1700 × 2200 |
| 11 × 14 in | 27.9 × 35.6 | 11:14 | 3300 × 4200 | 2200 × 2800 |
| 12 × 18 in | 30.5 × 45.7 | 2:3 | 3600 × 5400 | 2400 × 3600 |
| 16 × 20 in | 40.6 × 50.8 | 4:5 | 4800 × 6000 | 3200 × 4000 |
| 20 × 30 in | 50.8 × 76.2 | 2:3 | 6000 × 9000 | 4000 × 6000 |
| 24 × 36 in (poster) | 61 × 91.4 | 2:3 | 7200 × 10800 | 4800 × 7200 |
| A5 | 14.8 × 21 | ≈ 1:1.41 | 1748 × 2480 | 1165 × 1654 |
| A4 | 21 × 29.7 | ≈ 1:1.41 | 2480 × 3508 | 1654 × 2339 |
| A3 | 29.7 × 42 | ≈ 1:1.41 | 3508 × 4961 | 2339 × 3307 |
How sharp will your photo print?
When you open a photo, the tool computes, for every size above, the DPI (pixels per inch of paper) your photo reaches once it is cropped to fill the print, and rates it:
- Excellent — 300 DPI or more: sharp even when held close.
- Good — 200 to 299 DPI: looks sharp at normal viewing distance.
- OK — 150 to 199 DPI: fine for large prints seen from a few feet away.
- Blurry — under 150 DPI: details and edges will look soft.
It also shows the largest print at 300 DPI — simply the pixel width and height divided by 300. A typical 12-megapixel phone photo (4032 × 3024) reaches 378 DPI on 8 × 10 paper (excellent), 189 DPI on 16 × 20 (OK) and 134 DPI on 20 × 30 (blurry). The orientation of the photo is used for the table: a landscape photo is measured against landscape prints.
Crop to 4x6, 5x7, 8x10 or any size
Most print services crop automatically when your photo’s ratio doesn’t match the paper, often cutting off heads or edges. Do it yourself instead: pick the print size and the orientation, then move the crop position slider to choose which part is kept — left to right or top to bottom, depending on the shape. The dimmed area of the preview is what will be removed, and the line under it shows the DPI of the crop.
Download saves the cropped area as a JPG at full resolution (quality 92%), without upscaling. The tool writes the matching DPI into the file’s JFIF header, so print and layout programs open it at the size you picked — for example 4 × 6 inches — instead of a default 72 DPI. To check the ratio of other sizes, use the Aspect Ratio Calculator; to read the exact pixel size and file size of several images at once, use Check Image Size.
Tips before you order prints
- Match the ratio to the photo. Camera photos (3:2) fit 4 × 6, 12 × 18 and 20 × 30 without cropping; phone photos (4:3) lose a strip on all of them. 8 × 10 and 16 × 20 are 4:5, close to square, and crop the most.
- Don’t upscale to reach 300 DPI. Enlarging a small photo adds pixels but no detail. If a size is rated blurry, choose a smaller print.
- Learn the sizes. Our guides to standard photo print sizes and what DPI means for printing go into the background of this table.
- Square prints? Pad the photo instead of cropping it with Make Image Square.
- Privacy. Print orders are uploaded to the lab; if your photos carry a GPS location, you can strip it first with Remove EXIF Data.
The measurement and the crop happen entirely in your browser. Your photo is not uploaded anywhere by this page.