What resolution do I need for a 4 × 6 print?

1200 × 1800 pixels at 300 PPI, the usual target for prints seen up close. Labs also print smaller files: Nations Photo Lab says images of 125 PPI or more print well on its printers, which for a 4 × 6 is 500 × 750 pixels.

How big can I print a 12-megapixel photo?

A 12-megapixel photo in a 4:3 shape is about 4000 × 3000 pixels. At 300 PPI it prints at 13.3 × 10 inches (33.9 × 25.4 cm), so an 8 × 10 print is sharp, with about 6% of the photo trimmed because an 8 × 10 is a different shape.

Why does an 8 × 10 print cut off part of my photo?

The shapes differ. Most camera photos are 3:2 or 4:3, and an 8 × 10 is 5:4, so the lab trims the long side: about 17% of a 3:2 photo and 6% of a 4:3 photo. A 3:2 photo fits a 4 × 6 print exactly.

Does scanning at a higher DPI always give a better result?

Not for prints. One expert interviewed by the Library of Congress found that higher settings mostly add dust to clean up later, and another doubts a print shows much more detail above 400 ppi. The Library suggests 300 dpi for photos kept at the same size and 400 or 600 dpi for enlargements. Slides are different: they are much smaller and need around 1900 dpi.

Photo print size calculator

How big can you print a photo, how many pixels does a print need, and what should you scan an old print at? Enter your numbers below. The sums run in your browser, and nothing is uploaded.

The rule: print size = pixels ÷ PPI. A 3000 × 2000 pixel photo at 300 PPI prints at 10 × 6.7 inches (25.4 × 16.9 cm). For the pixels a print needs, multiply instead: 4 × 6 inches at 300 PPI is 1200 × 1800 pixels.

How big can I print this photo?

Enter the photo's size in pixels. A computer shows it in the file's properties or info; a phone shows it in the photo's details.

Width (pixels)

Height (pixels)

Print resolution

At 300 PPI this photo prints at up to 13.3 × 10 in (33.9 × 25.4 cm). It has 12 megapixels.

Common print sizes for a 4,000 × 3,000 pixel photo
Print size	PPI on paper	Likely result	Trimmed to fit
4 × 6 in11% trimmed	667	Sharp up close	11%
5 × 7 in5% trimmed	571	Sharp up close	5%
8 × 10 in6% trimmed	375	Sharp up close	6%
8.5 × 11 in (US Letter)3% trimmed	353	Sharp up close	3%
11 × 14 in5% trimmed	273	Softer up close	5%
12 × 18 in11% trimmed	222	Softer up close	11%
16 × 20 in6% trimmed	188	Softer up close	6%
20 × 30 in11% trimmed	133	Softer up close	11%
24 × 36 in11% trimmed	111	Likely soft or blocky	11%
10 × 15 cm11% trimmed	677	Sharp up close	11%
A4, 21 × 29.7 cm6% trimmed	342	Sharp up close	6%
A3, 29.7 × 42 cm6% trimmed	242	Softer up close	6%

How many pixels does a print need?

Print size

Print resolution

8 × 10 in at 300 PPI: at least 2,400 × 3,000 pixels (7.2 megapixels).

A photo with a different shape needs more pixels on its longer side, because the lab trims it to fit.

What resolution should I scan an old photo at?

For prints on a flatbed scanner. Slides and negatives need far higher settings (see below).

Size of the old photo

Size you want to print

Print resolution you want

Scan at 600 dpi. The Library of Congress suggests 400 or 600 dpi when you plan to enlarge a print.

Enlargement: 2×. 300 PPI × 2 = 600 dpi.

Pixels needed for common print sizes

At 300 PPI, the usual target for prints you hold in your hand or see in a frame up close.

Print size	Pixels at 300 PPI	Megapixels
Wallet, 2.5 × 3.5 in	750 × 1,050	0.8
4 × 6 in	1,200 × 1,800	2.2
5 × 7 in	1,500 × 2,100	3.2
8 × 10 in	2,400 × 3,000	7.2
8.5 × 11 in (US Letter)	2,550 × 3,300	8.4
11 × 14 in	3,300 × 4,200	13.9
12 × 18 in	3,600 × 5,400	19.4
16 × 20 in	4,800 × 6,000	28.8
20 × 30 in	6,000 × 9,000	54
24 × 36 in	7,200 × 10,800	77.8
10 × 15 cm	1,181 × 1,772	2.1
13 × 18 cm	1,535 × 2,126	3.3
A4, 21 × 29.7 cm	2,480 × 3,508	8.7
A3, 29.7 × 42 cm	3,508 × 4,961	17.4

Which PPI should I use?

300 PPI is the usual target for prints seen up close: albums, cards, a frame on a desk. It's the highest resolution in Nations Photo Lab's print size chart, which gives 1200 × 1800 pixels for a 4 × 6 print at 300 PPI.

Labs also print files below 300 PPI. Nations Photo Lab says images of 125 PPI or higher print well on its printers. Large prints are looked at from further away, so they get away with fewer pixels per inch. If a print matters, ask your lab what it recommends before you order.

PPI counts the photo's pixels on each inch of paper; DPI counts the dots a printer or scanner works with. Scanner software and most people use DPI for both, and the Library of Congress notes the two terms are often used interchangeably.

Scanning old photos: the settings that matter

Keeping the same size: 300 dpi. The Library of Congress gives this as the general setting for 4 × 6 and 5 × 7 photos.
Enlarging: 400 or 600 dpi to print a 4 × 6 or 5 × 7 photo at 8 × 10 or bigger, also from the Library of Congress. The calculator above works out the figure for other sizes.
Going higher rarely helps with prints. One expert interviewed by the Library of Congress found that higher settings mostly add dust to clean up later, and another doubts a print shows much more detail above 400 ppi. If you want to try, test one sharp print first.
Slides and negatives are much smaller than prints and need far higher settings: around 1900 dpi for slides, according to the Library of Congress.
Saving: if you may reprint the photo, save color scans as high-quality JPEG files. Keep the untouched scan and at least two copies in different places; the Library of Congress suggests moving scans to current storage every five to seven years.

When the photo is too small for the print you want

Rescan the original at a higher setting if you still have it. It's the only way to get detail that is really there.

Or print smaller, or choose a size closer to the photo's shape so less is trimmed. A 3:2 photo fits a 4 × 6 exactly; an 8 × 10 trims about 17% of it.

If a small or soft copy is all you have, an AI photo enhancer can make it look sharper and clean up damage, which can help a print that falls a little short of 300 PPI. The detail it adds is the AI's estimate, not recovered from the original, so check faces, text and patterns closely before you print. PixeLift's AI Photo Enhancer does this in the browser, and the guide to restoring old photos covers scanning and repair step by step.

Try the AI Photo Enhancer

Questions

What resolution do I need for a 4 × 6 print?: 1200 × 1800 pixels at 300 PPI, the usual target for prints seen up close. Labs also print smaller files: Nations Photo Lab says images of 125 PPI or more print well on its printers, which for a 4 × 6 is 500 × 750 pixels.
How big can I print a 12-megapixel photo?: A 12-megapixel photo in a 4:3 shape is about 4000 × 3000 pixels. At 300 PPI it prints at 13.3 × 10 inches (33.9 × 25.4 cm), so an 8 × 10 print is sharp, with about 6% of the photo trimmed because an 8 × 10 is a different shape.
Is DPI the same as PPI?: Not quite. PPI counts the pixels of the photo on each inch of paper; DPI counts the dots a printer or scanner works with. Scanner software and most people use DPI for both, and the Library of Congress notes the terms are often used interchangeably. For working out print sizes, treat them as the same number.
Why does an 8 × 10 print cut off part of my photo?: The shapes differ. Most camera photos are 3:2 or 4:3, and an 8 × 10 is 5:4, so the lab trims the long side: about 17% of a 3:2 photo and 6% of a 4:3 photo. A 3:2 photo fits a 4 × 6 print exactly.
Does scanning at a higher DPI always give a better result?: Not for prints. One expert interviewed by the Library of Congress found that higher settings mostly add dust to clean up later, and another doubts a print shows much more detail above 400 ppi. The Library suggests 300 dpi for photos kept at the same size and 400 or 600 dpi for enlargements. Slides are different: they are much smaller and need around 1900 dpi.

Sources

Sources checked on October 19, 2026. The A sizes are ISO 216 paper sizes. You're welcome to link to this calculator.