PRINT GUIDE · RESOLUTION
What PPI do you need to print a photo?
Pixels per inch (PPI) is how many of your photo’s pixels land on each inch of paper. It’s the one number that tells you whether a print has enough image detail to work with. Here’s how to work it out, and what it can’t tell you.
The calculation is one division.
Divide the photo’s pixel width by the print width in inches, and its pixel height by the print height. When the shapes match, both answers are the same. A 12-megapixel photo is 4,032 × 3,024 pixels. Printed 10 inches wide, that’s 4,032 ÷ 10 = 403 PPI. Printed 20 inches wide, the same pixels are spread twice as far: 201 PPI.
When the photo and paper are different shapes, the result depends on whether you keep the whole photo or crop it to fill the paper. Cropping throws pixels away, so the PPI of a filled print is calculated from what’s left. Why prints crop, and by how much.
What’s a good number?
300 PPI is a common target for detailed prints you’ll look at up close, like a 4 × 6 in a hand or an 8 × 10 on a desk. Between 150 and 299 PPI works for many prints, especially larger ones viewed from across a room. Below 150 PPI, fine detail is noticeably limited. These are working guidelines, not rules: a print lab may recommend its own minimum, so check theirs too.
How large can common photo sizes print?
The largest print each resolution supports at three targets, keeping the photo’s own shape. Phones and cameras vary, so check your photo’s actual pixel dimensions.
| Photo | At 300 PPI | At 200 PPI | At 150 PPI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 MP 3,264 × 2,448 px | 10.9 × 8.2 in | 16.3 × 12.2 in | 21.8 × 16.3 in |
| 12 MP 4,032 × 3,024 px | 13.4 × 10.1 in | 20.2 × 15.1 in | 26.9 × 20.2 in |
| 24 MP 6,000 × 4,000 px | 20.0 × 13.3 in | 30.0 × 20.0 in | 40.0 × 26.7 in |
| 48 MP 8,064 × 6,048 px | 26.9 × 20.2 in | 40.3 × 30.2 in | 53.8 × 40.3 in |
Sizes are pixel dimensions divided by the PPI target, landscape orientation. 8 MP and 12 MP use a 4:3 shape; 24 MP uses 3:2.
The DPI number inside your file doesn’t change the print.
Many photos carry a “DPI” or resolution tag, often 72 or 300. It’s only a suggested print size. A 1,200-pixel-wide photo printed 4 inches wide is 300 PPI whether its tag says 72 or 300. Changing the tag adds no detail. What matters is the pixel count and the size you print at.
Enlarging a photo adds pixels, not detail.
Upscaling in an editor raises the pixel count, so the PPI number goes up. The new pixels are filled in from the existing ones, though, so fine detail that wasn’t captured doesn’t appear. Some upscalers produce a cleaner-looking result than others, but treat a high PPI from an enlarged file with caution.
What PPI can’t tell you
- Sharpness. A blurry or shaken photo stays blurry at any PPI.
- Compression. Heavily compressed JPEGs show blocky artifacts when printed large.
- Crops you already made. A photo cropped on your phone has fewer pixels than the original. Check the file you’ll actually send.
- Paper, ink and viewing distance. These all change how much detail you can see.
Check your own photo
Print Size Check reads your photo’s pixel dimensions in your browser and shows the PPI at the size you choose, with a preview of borders or cropping. Your photo isn’t uploaded.
Check a photo’s print sizeIndependent guide by Tidy. Calculations shown on this page; guidance checked 19 October 2026.