Guides · Etsy sellers
How to fit every print size into Etsy's file limits
Etsy takes up to 5 files per digital listing, each 20 MB or less. A full pack (one file per ratio at its largest size) holds 229 million pixels, so plan on two or three ZIPs, each under 20 MB. Zipping doesn't shrink JPGs; if one image is too big on its own, lower its JPEG quality a step.
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How many files can a listing have, and how big?
Etsy lets a digital listing carry up to 5 files, each 20 MB or less (Etsy Help Center, checked 24 October 2026). A ZIP counts as one of those files, so a single listing can still deliver more than five images, as long as every ZIP stays under 20 MB.
The squeeze comes from the pixels. One file per ratio, each at its largest size, is 229 million pixels for the 5 standard ratios — 687 MB before any compression. JPEG brings that down a long way, but how far depends on the artwork: flat colour and smooth gradients compress to a fraction of a bit per pixel, while texture, grain and fine line work need several times more. The last column shows the budget each file gets if it has a 19.5 MB ZIP all to itself.
| Ratio | Largest size | Pixels | Uncompressed | Bits per pixel in one ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2:3 | 24 × 36 in | 7,200 × 10,800 | 233 MB | 2.01 |
| 3:4 | 18 × 24 in | 5,400 × 7,200 | 117 MB | 4.01 |
| 4:5 | 16 × 20 in | 4,800 × 6,000 | 86 MB | 5.42 |
| 11:14 | 11 × 14 in | 3,300 × 4,200 | 42 MB | 11.26 |
| A-series | A1 | 7,016 × 9,933 | 209 MB | 2.24 |
Put all 5 files in one ZIP and they would have to average 0.68 bits per pixel; over two ZIPs, 1.36; over three, 2.04. That is why a full pack is usually split into two or three ZIPs, with the 24 × 36 in file taking most of one.
Why doesn't zipping make my files smaller?
JPG and PNG are already compressed, so a ZIP can't squeeze them much further; it mostly bundles them. The ZIP itself adds about a hundred bytes per file. FrameReady stores JPGs and PNGs in its ZIPs as they are (nothing is re-encoded) and compresses only the PDF size guide, which does shrink.
How do you split a pack into ZIPs under 20 MB?
- Make one file per ratio at the largest size your artwork has the pixels for (which sizes: Etsy wall art sizes).
- Save them as JPG at quality 92, unless the art is flat graphics or text, where PNG can be smaller and cleaner.
- Sort the files by size. Put the biggest in ZIP 1, then add each of the others to the first ZIP that still has room. This first-fit packing is what FrameReady does.
- Keep every ZIP under 19.5 MB (19,500,000 bytes), so it is under 20 MB however it is counted.
- Number the ZIPs so buyers know how many to download:
sunset_etsy-files_1-of-3.zip,sunset_etsy-files_2-of-3.zip,sunset_etsy-files_3-of-3.zip. - If one JPG is over the limit on its own, lower its quality one step at a time (92 → 85 → 80 → 75 → 70) and check fine detail at 100% zoom. Still too big at 70? Offer the next size down.
- Use a spare file slot, or room in ZIP 1, for a one-page PDF that tells buyers which file prints which sizes.
If a pack would need more than 5 ZIPs (several optional ratios, or a PNG pack), drop the ratios buyers ask for least, or make the PNGs JPGs. FrameReady warns before export when a pack is likely to need more than five files.
Is Etsy's 20 MB the same as 20 MB on my computer?
Not always. Etsy says 20MB; the safe reading is 20,000,000 bytes. Windows File Explorer counts a megabyte as 1,048,576 bytes, so a file it shows as “19.5 MB” is 20,447,232 bytes, over 20 million; 20 MiB is 20,971,520 bytes. macOS Finder counts 1,000,000 bytes per MB. Staying under 19,500,000 bytes is under the limit on either reading.
Should printables be JPG or PNG?
JPG for paintings, photos, watercolours and anything with texture: it keeps detailed art small enough for Etsy's limits. PNG keeps every pixel exactly, which suits flat colour, line art and typography, but for detailed or photographic art it is several times larger than a JPG, so a PNG pack needs more ZIPs.
Frequently asked questions
How many files can an Etsy digital listing have?
Up to 5, and each can be up to 20 MB (Etsy Help Center, checked 24 October 2026). A ZIP counts as one file, so one listing can still deliver many images.
Does a ZIP get around Etsy's 20 MB limit?
No. The ZIP is the file Etsy checks, so it has to be under 20 MB itself. Zipping lets you deliver more than five images, not bigger ones, and JPGs barely shrink inside a ZIP.
What do I do if one print file is over 20 MB?
Lower its JPEG quality one step at a time (92, 85, 80, 75, 70) and check fine detail at 100% zoom after each step. If it is still too big at 70, offer the next size down. FrameReady does the step-down for you and tells you if a file still won't fit.
Does Etsy mean 20,000,000 bytes or 20 MiB?
Etsy says 20MB. Keep each file under 20,000,000 bytes and it is under the limit either way. Windows counts a megabyte as 1,048,576 bytes, so a file Explorer shows as 19.5 MB is 20,447,232 bytes, over 20 million. FrameReady stops each ZIP at 19,500,000 bytes.
How many ZIPs does a full printable pack need?
It depends on how much fine detail the artwork has. The 5 largest files hold 229 million pixels: to fit one 19.5 MB ZIP they would have to average 0.68 bits per pixel, and 2.04 across three. The 24 × 36 in file alone gets 2.01 bits per pixel in a ZIP of its own.
Sources and how the numbers were worked out
Pixel, crop and size figures on this page are calculated from the same size data the FrameReady tools use (inches or millimetres × DPI), not copied from elsewhere.
- Etsy Help Center: How to Manage Your Digital Listings (up to 5 files per listing, 20 MB each), checked
- FrameReady print size chart (pixel counts at 300 DPI)