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Calculators · Free

Will your image print sharp?

A free print resolution calculator. Enter your image's pixel size to see the effective DPI at any print size — or flip to find the largest size you can print at gallery quality. No signup, no email.

Free tool

Print Resolution Calculator

Check whether your image will print sharp — or find the biggest size it can print well.

Effective resolution

250DPI

Great — crisp at normal viewing

Across the width250 DPI
Across the height250 DPI

Rule of thumb: aim for 300 DPI for prints you'll hold or hang at eye level; 150 DPI is fine for large pieces seen from across a room.

How print resolution works

DPI (dots per inch) is just your image's pixels spread across the printed size. A 4000-pixel-wide file printed at 16 inches wide is 250 DPI; print it at 8 inches and it jumps to 500. The bigger you print, the lower the DPI — and at some point the print goes soft.

The sweet spot is 300 DPI for anything viewed up close, and 150 DPI is plenty for large work seen from across a room. This tool does that math both ways so you never guess.

Questions

What DPI do I need to print sharp?

For prints you'll hold or hang at eye level, aim for 300 DPI — that's gallery quality. For large pieces viewed from a few feet away (think a big canvas across a room), 150 DPI still looks great. Below about 150 DPI, prints start to look soft or pixelated up close.

How do I find my image's pixel dimensions?

On Mac, right-click the file → Get Info → look under 'Dimensions' (e.g., 4000 × 3000). On Windows, right-click → Properties → Details → Dimensions. In Photoshop or Lightroom, check Image Size. Enter those two numbers into the calculator.

Can I make a small image print bigger?

Sort of. Switching the calculator to 'Max print size' shows how large your file prints at 300 DPI (sharp) and 150 DPI (fine from a distance). You can print larger than that, but quality drops. AI upscaling can help, but it can't invent true detail — start with the highest-resolution file you have.

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