What DPI is Good for Printing

DPI (dots per inch) is a printing term that affects how sharp your image looks on paper. For most photo prints, 300 DPI is the common “high quality” target, but you don’t always need it—especially for large wall prints viewed from a distance.

Quick DPI guide

• 300 DPI: crisp detail (great for close viewing and gifts)
• 200–240 DPI: often looks great for many wall prints
• 150 DPI or lower: can look soft up close (may still be fine far away)

How many pixels do you need?

Multiply inches by DPI to get the target pixel dimensions.

• 4x6 at 300 DPI: 1200 x 1800 px
• 5x7 at 300 DPI: 1500 x 2100 px
• 8x10 at 300 DPI: 2400 x 3000 px
• 16x20 at 240 DPI: 3840 x 4800 px

Viewing distance matters

Large frames are often viewed from farther away, so you can usually get away with a lower DPI than you’d want for a small desktop print.

Check cropping and sharpness before you order

First choose the print size (and avoid unwanted cropping) in 4x6 vs 5x7 vs 8x10. Then preview how it will look in-frame using the Photo Frame Size Tool.

Related guides

• How many pixels do you need?
• How to resize photos for printing