Pixel dimensions for a print size follow one formula: inches × PPI = pixels. An 8×10in photo at 300 DPI needs 2,400 × 3,000 pixels; the same print at 150 DPI needs half that on each side. The chart below covers every standard photo and poster size at both.
Enter your own pixel dimensions and DPI to get an exact print size.
Open Print Size Calculator| Print size | 150 DPI (px) | 300 DPI (px) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 × 6 in | 600 × 900 | 1,200 × 1,800 |
| 5 × 7 in | 750 × 1,050 | 1,500 × 2,100 |
| 8 × 10 in | 1,200 × 1,500 | 2,400 × 3,000 |
| 8 × 12 in | 1,200 × 1,800 | 2,400 × 3,600 |
| 10 × 10 in | 1,500 × 1,500 | 3,000 × 3,000 |
| 11 × 14 in | 1,650 × 2,100 | 3,300 × 4,200 |
| 12 × 18 in | 1,800 × 2,700 | 3,600 × 5,400 |
| 16 × 20 in | 2,400 × 3,000 | 4,800 × 6,000 |
| 18 × 24 in | 2,700 × 3,600 | 5,400 × 7,200 |
| 20 × 30 in | 3,000 × 4,500 | 6,000 × 9,000 |
| 24 × 36 in | 3,600 × 5,400 | 7,200 × 10,800 |
Every figure above comes directly from inches × PPI — an 18×24in print at 300 DPI, for example, is 18 × 300 = 5,400px wide and 24 × 300 = 7,200px tall.
These five values cover the range you'll realistically run into. 150 PPI is the practical floor for large-format prints viewed from a distance, like posters and banners. 200 PPI and 240 PPI sit between that and the standard, and are common minimums for some consumer photo-lab and inkjet print services. 300 PPI is the long-standing default for photo prints and documents viewed up close. 600 PPIgoes beyond what most printing needs, and mainly shows up for fine-art giclée prints or very small, detail-dense items like postage-stamp reproductions. Using 8×10in as an example, here's how the pixel requirement moves across all five:
| PPI | 8×10in width (px) | 8×10in height (px) |
|---|---|---|
| 150 PPI | 1,200 | 1,500 |
| 200 PPI | 1,600 | 2,000 |
| 240 PPI | 1,920 | 2,400 |
| 300 PPI | 2,400 | 3,000 |
| 600 PPI | 4,800 | 6,000 |
Every size in the chart above states two side lengths, not an orientation. An "8×10" print is 8in wide by 10in tall in portrait, or 10in wide by 8in tall in landscape — the pixel count needed is identical either way, since it's the same two numbers multiplied by the same PPI. Which orientation you use just depends on the photo itself.
Pixel dimensions — not the DPI value written into a file — determine how sharp a print looks. A file can say "300 DPI" and still print soft if it doesn't actually have 300 PPI worth of pixels at your target size. Editing only the DPI metadata on a low-resolution image doesn't add the detail the chart above assumes — it just changes what size the same, unchanged pixels are labeled to print at. Before trusting a DPI number, check whether the image's actual pixel dimensions match a row in the chart for the size you need.
Check whether an image already has enough pixels for the size you want.
Open DPI CheckerAt 300 DPI, a 4×6in print is 1,200 × 1,800 pixels. See the full chart above for other sizes and DPI targets.
Multiply each dimension in inches by your target DPI: pixels = inches × PPI. For a size not listed here, use the Print Size Calculator to get the exact figure without doing the math by hand.
No. 300 DPI is the standard for photo prints viewed up close, but larger formats viewed from further away — like the 20×30in and 24×36in rows above — often look sharp at 150 DPI or less. See Best DPI for Common Print Formats for guidance by use case.
No. Setting a higher DPI value only changes the print-size instruction stored in the file's metadata — it doesn't add pixels. If an image doesn't already have enough pixels for a size in the chart, changing its DPI metadata won't add the missing detail; see Does Changing DPI Improve Image Quality?
You can print at a lower DPI (softer but usable), print smaller, or start from a higher-resolution original if one exists. Upscaling can fill the pixel count but estimates detail rather than recovering it.
No — only which dimension is width and which is height. An 8×10in print needs the same total pixels whether it's 8 wide by 10 tall or 10 wide by 8 tall.
