Pixels are the image’s information. A print size decides how widely that information is spread over paper. Pixels per inch (PPI) connects the two.
Use the printer’s requested PPI.
Ask your lab, printer or production service what it needs for the intended size and viewing distance. The calculator includes 150, 200 and 300 PPI presets for comparison; they are not a promise that every image will look good at those settings. Source focus, compression and viewing distance still matter.
Formula: print width in inches = pixel width ÷ PPI. Repeat for height. Multiply inches by 2.54 for centimeters.
3000 ÷ 300 = 10 inches. 2000 ÷ 300 = about 6.67 inches. The same file at 150 PPI is about 20 × 13.33 inches.
Start with a physical size instead.
To find the needed pixels, multiply inches by your chosen PPI. Convert centimeters to inches by dividing by 2.54 first. A 20.32 × 25.4 cm print at 300 PPI needs 2400 × 3000 pixels. The calculator rounds fractional pixel requirements up.
Check the aspect ratio before filling a frame.
Pixel width divided by height is the image’s aspect ratio. A 3000 × 2000 photo has a 3:2 ratio. An 8 × 10 inch print has a 4:5 ratio. Those shapes differ, so filling the print requires a crop. Keeping the entire image requires borders or a different paper size.
The calculator does not choose a crop. The resize desk also preserves the entire image. Use a print service’s preview to check what will be cut off, especially faces or text near the edges.
PPI and DPI are related, but different.
PPI describes image pixels per physical inch. Printer DPI describes printed dots per inch. A printer may use several dots to reproduce one image pixel. Enter the requested image PPI here, rather than automatically copying the printer’s hardware DPI.
Metadata does not create more pixels.
Changing a file’s resolution tag without resampling leaves its pixel dimensions unchanged. Browser canvas exports can write a default 96 dpi resolution tag. That tag does not prevent a 3000 pixel image from being printed 10 inches wide at 300 PPI if your printing workflow sets that physical size.
Pixel Zoodle calculates dimensions; it does not write a custom PPI tag or control your printer dialog. Check scale, paper size and the final preview in the program you print from.
Calculate your print dimensions