How large can I print this photo?
300 PPI is the standard answer and it is often twice what you need. Viewing distance is the missing variable.
Print size in pixels divided by pixels per inch gives the size in inches. The question is which PPI figure to use, and the standard answer is more conservative than it needs to be.
Step-by-step
- Enter your image dimensions in pixels.
- Enter the print size, or the PPI you want.
- Read the other, and what a crop would cost.
Viewing distance decides it
300 PPI is right for something held at reading distance — a book, a print in the hand. Nobody views a large print from six inches away, and the eye cannot resolve that detail from across a room.
- Held in the hand: 300 PPI.
- On a wall, viewed from a metre or two: 150–200 PPI is ample.
- A large print viewed from several metres: 100 PPI or less looks perfectly sharp.
Billboards are often printed below 20 PPI. Nobody stands close enough for it to matter.
Cropping costs more than it looks
Cropping to half the width and half the height leaves a quarter of the pixels, because area scales with both dimensions. A modest-looking crop can halve the size you can print, which is why the calculator shows the cost explicitly.
Aspect ratio
Most cameras produce 3:2, and common print sizes do not match it. An 8×10 is 4:5, so printing a 3:2 file at that size crops the long edge substantially. Decide whether to crop or to accept white borders before you order, rather than letting the lab decide.
Frequently asked questions
Do I really need 300 PPI?
Only for prints viewed at reading distance. Wall prints look sharp at 150–200 PPI, and large prints viewed from a distance considerably less.
How much does cropping cost?
More than it appears, because area scales with both dimensions. Halving width and height leaves a quarter of the pixels.
Why does my 3:2 photo not fit an 8×10?
8×10 is a 4:5 ratio. Printing a 3:2 image at that size means cropping the long edge or accepting borders.
Open the print size calculator →