Guides · Printing and framing
How big can you print a phone screenshot?
A 1,080 × 1,920 screenshot is 9:16 and prints sharp up to 3.6 × 6.4 in. No standard print has that shape: filling a 4x6 trims 16% of its height and gives 270 DPI, a little soft up close, while fitting it whole, with white bands at the sides, prints it 3.4 × 6 in at 320 DPI.
Crop a screenshot to your frame
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How big can a screenshot print?
A screenshot is exactly as many pixels as the screen. Divide each side by 300 for the largest print that stays sharp up close, or by 150 for the most it can be stretched. These are example screenshot sizes from 9:16 to about 9:20; to check your own, drop it into the print size calculator, which reads the size from the file in your browser.
| Screenshot | Shape | Sharp at 300 DPI | At 150 DPI | 4x6 filled | 4x6 fitted whole |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 720 × 1,280 px | 9:16 | 2.4 × 4.3 in | 4.8 × 8.5 in | 180 DPI, 16% cut | 213 DPI, 3.4 × 6 in |
| 1,080 × 1,920 px | 9:16 | 3.6 × 6.4 in | 7.2 × 12.8 in | 270 DPI, 16% cut | 320 DPI, 3.4 × 6 in |
| 1,080 × 2,400 px | 9:20 | 3.6 × 8 in | 7.2 × 16 in | 270 DPI, 32% cut | 400 DPI, 2.7 × 6 in |
| 1,170 × 2,532 px | about 1:2.16 | 3.9 × 8.4 in | 7.8 × 16.9 in | 293 DPI, 31% cut | 422 DPI, 2.8 × 6 in |
| 1,290 × 2,796 px | about 1:2.17 | 4.3 × 9.3 in | 8.6 × 18.6 in | 323 DPI, 31% cut | 466 DPI, 2.8 × 6 in |
| 1,440 × 3,200 px | 9:20 | 4.8 × 10.7 in | 9.6 × 21.3 in | 360 DPI, 32% cut | 533 DPI, 2.7 × 6 in |
Should you crop a screenshot or keep it whole?
No standard print is as tall and narrow as a phone screen. Filling a frame keeps the full width and cuts the top and bottom, which is fine for a photo but often loses a caption, a time stamp or the end of a message. Fitting it whole keeps every pixel, smaller, with bands at the sides; because the image is smaller on paper it gets more pixels per inch (320 DPI in a 4x6 against 270 filled).
For a chat, a map, a receipt or anything with text near the edges, fit it whole. For a photo you only have as a screenshot, filling usually looks better, but check what the crop takes before printing.
What does a 1,080 × 1,920 screenshot give at each size?
| Print size | Filled | Filling cuts | Fitted whole | Printed image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4×6 | 270 DPI · softer up close | 16% from the top and bottom | 320 DPI · sharp | 3.4 × 6 in |
| 5×7 | 216 DPI · softer up close | 21% from the top and bottom | 274 DPI · softer up close | 3.9 × 7 in |
| 8×10 | 135 DPI · soft | 30% from the top and bottom | 192 DPI · softer up close | 5.6 × 10 in |
| A5 | 185 DPI · softer up close | 20% from the top and bottom | 232 DPI · softer up close | 4.7 × 8.3 in |
Why does a printed screenshot look soft?
A phone screen packs its pixels into a few inches, so a screenshot looks crisp on the phone. On paper the same pixels are spread over the print: an 8x10 filled from 1,080 × 1,920 gets 135 DPI, below the 150 DPI floor. A screenshot of a photo is also smaller than the photo itself. If you still have the original photo, print that instead: a 3:4 phone photo loses only 11% to fill a 4x6, and has many more pixels. More on soft prints: why prints look blurry.
How do you find a screenshot's pixel size?
Drop the file into the print size calculator: it reads the width and height from the file in your browser and lists every print size. On a computer you can also look it up: on Windows, right-click the file → Properties → Details; on a Mac, open it in Preview → Tools → Show Inspector.
Step by step
- Find the screenshot's pixel size, and divide by 300 for the largest sharp print.
- Pick the frame: 4x6 suits a 9:16 screenshot best; a 5x7 or larger is enlarged and softer up close.
- Open it in Photo to Frame, choose the frame and either drag the crop to keep what matters or choose Fit whole photo.
- Download the file. It is saved at the frame's exact size, so print it at 100% or “Actual size”, or order that size from a print shop. 3 4x6 prints fit on one Letter sheet: printing at home.
Frequently asked questions
How big can I print a 1080x1920 screenshot?
Sharp up to 3.6 × 6.4 in at 300 DPI (1080 ÷ 300 by 1920 ÷ 300), or up to 7.2 × 12.8 in at 150 DPI, the lowest that still looks acceptable from a step back. Of the standard sizes, a 4x6 suits it best: 270 DPI filled, 320 DPI fitted whole with bands.
Can I print a screenshot as a 4x6?
Yes. Filling the 4x6 trims 16% of the height and gives 270 DPI, a little softer up close. Or fit it whole: it prints 3.4 × 6 in at 320 DPI, with white bands at the sides that you can trim off.
Why does my printed screenshot look blurry?
A screenshot has only the screen's pixels, and a print spreads them over inches of paper: at 8x10 a 1,080 × 1,920 screenshot gets 135 DPI. Print it smaller, fit it whole, or print the original photo or file instead of a screenshot of it.
Will a phone screenshot fit a 5x7 or 8x10 frame?
Only cropped or with borders. A 5x7 trims 21% of a 9:16 image's height (216 DPI from 1,080 × 1,920); an 8x10 trims 30% (135 DPI, soft). Fitted whole on a 5x7 it prints 3.9 × 7 in at 274 DPI.
How do I print a screenshot without cropping it?
Fit it inside the frame instead of filling it: in Photo to Frame, choose Fit whole photo and the tool adds white, black or blurred bands at the sides. Its files are saved at the frame's exact size, so print them at 100% or Actual size, or order that size from a print shop.
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.
- FrameReady print size chart (pixels per size)
- FrameReady print size calculator (effective DPI for any pixel size)