Guide
DPI explained: what resolution do you need to print?
DPI (dots per inch) — strictly PPI, pixels per inch — is how many image pixels land on each inch of paper. For a print that looks sharp up close you want 300; 150 is about the lowest that still looks acceptable from a distance; 72 is a screen convention and prints soft. An 8x10 at 300 DPI needs 2,400 × 3,000 pixels.
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Is 72 DPI OK for printing?
No. At 72 DPI the 2,400 × 3,000 pixels of a 300 DPI 8x10 would be spread over 33.3 × 41.7 in, and each pixel becomes visible. The "72 DPI" you see on many downloads is just a default number in the file; what decides print quality is how many pixels the image has for the size you print.
How do you make an image 300 DPI?
Resize it so it has inches × 300 pixels at the size you'll print, then save it with 300 DPI in its metadata. Typing "300" into the DPI box without resampling only changes the printed size, not the detail. If the image has fewer pixels than the size needs, it has to be enlarged; good resampling (such as Lanczos) keeps it clean but can't add detail, so the print looks a little softer up close, and beyond 2× it looks soft.
FrameReady does this for you: it resamples to the exact pixels for each print size and writes the file's DPI into JPG and PNG metadata — for sellers and for photos.
How big can you print a photo?
Divide the photo's pixels by the DPI you want. Without cropping:
| Photo | Pixels | At 300 DPI | At 150 DPI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 MP phone photo | 4,032 × 3,024 | 10.1 × 13.4 in | 20.2 × 26.9 in |
| 24 MP camera photo | 6,000 × 4,000 | 13.3 × 20 in | 26.7 × 40 in |
| 48 MP phone photo | 8,064 × 6,048 | 20.2 × 26.9 in | 40.3 × 53.8 in |
What do FrameReady's quality badges mean?
Both tools judge the file you download on the same scale. The Etsy seller tool shows a short badge on each size; Photo to Frame says the same thing in a sentence under your photo.
- Print-ready in the seller tool, “Looks sharp at this size” in Photo to Frame: at least 294 effective DPI at that size (300 with a small tolerance).
- Enlarged in the seller tool, “Good print — a little softer up close” in Photo to Frame: 150–293 effective DPI. The image is stretched with high-quality resampling, so it looks a little softer up close; check fine detail.
- Too small in the seller tool, “Will look soft at this size” in Photo to Frame: below 150 DPI, which means more than 2× enlargement.
Free exports stop at 3,600 px on the long side (12 in at 300 DPI); larger sizes are written with their real, lower DPI so the file never claims more than it has. Every size's pixels: the print size chart.
Frequently asked questions about DPI
Is 72 DPI OK for printing?
No — 72 DPI is a screen convention. Printed at 72 pixels per inch, an image looks visibly soft and blocky up close. For a sharp print aim for 300 DPI at the final size; 150 DPI is about the lowest that still looks acceptable from a distance.
Does changing the DPI number in an image editor make it sharper?
No. The DPI value in a file's metadata only tells printing software how large to print the pixels. Sharpness comes from the number of pixels: an image only gets more detail if it was captured or drawn at a higher resolution.
What's the difference between DPI and PPI?
PPI (pixels per inch) describes the image; DPI (dots per inch) strictly describes the printer's ink dots. Most people, print shops and marketplaces say DPI for both, so "300 DPI" usually means 300 pixels per inch of print.
How many pixels is 300 DPI for an 8x10?
2,400 × 3,000 pixels: 8 × 300 by 10 × 300. The same rule works for any size — see the print size chart.
Can a phone photo print at 16x20?
A 12 MP phone photo (4,032 × 3,024) gives about 189 DPI at 16x20 after cropping to the 4:5 shape — fine on a wall viewed from a step back, a little soft up close. A 48 MP photo is sharp at that size.