Print resolution

What resolution you need to print sharp.

A photo that looks great on your phone can print soft and blocky. Here's how much resolution a print actually needs, how to check your photo in a few seconds, and the biggest size you can get away with.

Check your photo nowOr learn how to check it yourself →

The short version

How much is enough.

DPI — dots per inch — is your photo's pixels divided by the print size. Here's where the lines fall.

300 DPI and up
Crisp. The standard for anything held in the hand — photo magnets, prints, cards.
150–299 DPI
Good enough for bigger pieces seen from a step back, like a poster on a wall. Not for small detail.
Below 150 DPI
Soft or blocky once it's on paper. Print smaller, or start from a sharper photo.

Step by step

How to check your photo.

  1. 1

    Find your photo’s pixel size

    On a phone, open the photo and tap the info button (the little "i" or the details/properties option) — it shows the pixels, like 3024 × 4032. On a computer, right-click the file and open its properties or info. That pixel count is all that matters for printing.
  2. 2

    Decide how big you’re printing

    A 2-inch magnet asks far less of a photo than an 8 × 10 print. Pick the size you actually want on paper.
  3. 3

    Divide pixels by inches — or let the checker do it

    Divide the photo’s width in pixels by the print width in inches. 1,800 pixels across a 6-inch print is 300 DPI. Quicker: drop the photo into the free DPI checker, pick your size, and it does the maths in your browser.
  4. 4

    Read the number

    300 DPI or more prints crisp. 150 to 299 is fine for bigger pieces seen from a step back. Below 150 looks soft or blocky. If you’re short, print smaller.
Skip the maths — open the free DPI checker

The numbers

Pixels you need at 300 DPI.

The pixel count that prints crisp at common sizes. If your photo has at least this many pixels, you're set.

Print sizeTypical usePixels at 300 DPI
2 × 2 inSquare magnet600 × 600
2.5 × 3.5 inMagnet / wallet750 × 1,050
4 × 6 inPostcard print1,200 × 1,800
5 × 7 inGreeting card1,500 × 2,100
8 × 10 inPhoto print2,400 × 3,000
11 × 14 inLarge print3,300 × 4,200
16 × 20 inPoster4,800 × 6,000

The common trap

Why phone photos print blurry.

Screens pack far fewer dots per inch than paper, so a photo that fills your phone edge to edge can still be too small to print. The screen hides it — paper doesn't.

It gets worse with photos sent through chat apps or saved from social media. Most of them shrink the file to save data, stripping pixels you can't get back. Always print from the original shot, not a screenshot or a download.

  • Use the original photo, straight from the camera roll — not a screenshot.
  • Photos texted or posted online are often shrunk. Ask for the original.
  • When in doubt, check it before you print a full sheet.

Frequently asked

Resolution questions, answered plainly.

What resolution do I need to print a photo?+
Aim for 300 DPI for anything held in the hand — a photo magnet, a 4 × 6, a greeting card. For bigger pieces seen from a step back, like a poster, 150 DPI holds up. Below 150 starts to look soft.
What’s the best DPI for printing photos?+
300 DPI is the sweet spot for photos people hold up close, like a magnet, a 4 × 6, or a card. For bigger pieces seen from a step back, 150 DPI holds up. Going past 300 rarely shows on paper, so it is not worth chasing.
What resolution do I need for a 16 × 20 print?+
A 16 × 20 print at 300 DPI needs 4,800 × 6,000 pixels. Most recent phone cameras clear that. If your photo falls short, it can still look fine on a wall at 150 DPI, which needs 2,400 × 3,000 pixels.
How do I find my photo’s resolution?+
It’s the pixel size, like 3024 × 4032. On a phone, open the photo and tap the info button. On a computer, open the file’s properties or info. You don’t need a special app.
Is 72 DPI good enough to print?+
No. 72 DPI is a screen number, not a print one. A photo sized for the web usually has far too few pixels to print sharp at any real size. Check the actual pixel count before you print.
My photo is too low-res — can I fix it?+
Not really. DPI is just pixels divided by print size, so the honest fixes are to print smaller or start from a sharper photo. Upscaling apps invent detail that was never in the shot, and it shows on paper.
Does the file size in MB tell me the resolution?+
No. Two photos can both be 3 MB and have very different pixel counts. Megabytes measure the file, not the detail. Look at the pixels.

Keep going

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Check your photo before you print.

Drop it into the free DPI checker, or lay your magnets out for the press in Print Studio. No sign-up for either.

Open the DPI checkerOpen Print Studio

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