Image print size and DPI checker
A photo can look perfect on screen and still print soft. Enter its size in pixels to see how large it can print sharply in your book.
Find the pixel size in your photo app's info panel, or in your computer's file details. A typical 12 megapixel phone photo is 4,032 x 3,024.
- Prints sharp (300 DPI) up to
- 10 x 8 in
- Lowest we'd suggest (150 DPI)
- 20 x 16 in
- Filling a full page with bleed
- 290 DPI
- Verdict
- It may look a little soft at full page. Print looks best at 300.
Why pixels matter in print
For sharp printed images, aim for about 300 pixels per inch at the size the image appears on the page. Divide the pixel width by 300 to find the widest it can print sharply. A 1,800 pixel wide photo prints sharp up to 6 inches wide. Stretch it to 9 inches and it drops to 200 DPI, softer. At 12 inches it falls to 150.
Typing 300 into a resolution box does not help
Changing the DPI number in an image editor without adding pixels only changes a label, not the detail. Enlarging an image in your layout, or cropping in close, lowers its real resolution. Use the largest original file you have, especially for photos sent through messaging apps or saved from the web, which are often shrunk.
When you upload
Our file check measures every image at the size it actually prints, and tells you in plain words if any page may look soft. For many images we can sharpen them for you, and nothing changes unless you approve it.