Print sizes look like a simple lookup — until you order an 8×10 and discover the lab has sliced the edges off your photograph. This page gives every standard size with the pixel dimensions and megapixels it needs, and explains the aspect-ratio mismatch that causes the cropping, so you can plan for it instead of being surprised by it.
The core problem in one sentence
Cameras shoot in 3:2 or 4:3, but print sizes come in five different aspect ratios — so unless you are printing 4×6, something is being cut off. Compose with room at the edges and you will never lose anything that matters.
The complete size chart
Every common size, with the pixel dimensions needed for a full-quality 300 DPI print and the megapixel count that implies.
| Inches | Centimetres | Ratio | Pixels at 300 DPI | Megapixels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 × 6 | 10 × 15 | 3:2 | 1200 × 1800 | 2.2 MP |
| 5 × 7 | 13 × 18 | 7:5 | 1500 × 2100 | 3.2 MP |
| 6 × 8 | 15 × 20 | 4:3 | 1800 × 2400 | 4.3 MP |
| 8 × 10 | 20 × 25 | 5:4 | 2400 × 3000 | 7.2 MP |
| 8 × 12 | 20 × 30 | 3:2 | 2400 × 3600 | 8.6 MP |
| 11 × 14 | 28 × 36 | 14:11 | 3300 × 4200 | 13.9 MP |
| 12 × 18 | 30 × 45 | 3:2 | 3600 × 5400 | 19.4 MP |
| 16 × 20 | 40 × 50 | 5:4 | 4800 × 6000 | 28.8 MP |
| 16 × 24 | 40 × 60 | 3:2 | 4800 × 7200 | 34.6 MP |
| 18 × 24 | 45 × 60 | 4:3 | 5400 × 7200 | 38.9 MP |
| 20 × 30 | 50 × 75 | 3:2 | 6000 × 9000 | 54.0 MP |
| 24 × 36 | 60 × 90 | 3:2 | 7200 × 10800 | 77.8 MP |
| 30 × 40 | 75 × 100 | 4:3 | 9000 × 12000 | 108 MP |
⚠️ Do not panic at the megapixel numbers
Those figures assume 300 DPI, which is the standard for something held at reading distance. A 20×30 print hangs on a wall and is viewed from two metres, where 150 DPI is indistinguishable from 300. At 150 DPI a 20×30 needs 13.5 MP, not 54. See the resolution section below before concluding your camera is inadequate.
Why the cropping happens
Here is the whole problem in one table. Camera sensors produce two shapes. Print sizes come in five.
| Ratio | Decimal | Where it comes from | Print sizes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3:2 | 1.500 | DSLR and mirrorless sensors, 35mm film | 4×6, 8×12, 12×18, 16×24, 20×30, 24×36 |
| 4:3 | 1.333 | Most phone cameras, Micro Four Thirds | 6×8, 18×24, 30×40 |
| 7:5 | 1.400 | Traditional print size only | 5×7 |
| 14:11 | 1.273 | Traditional print size only | 11×14 |
| 5:4 | 1.250 | Large-format film heritage | 8×10, 16×20 |
A 3:2 photograph printed at 8×10 has to become 5:4. Since 1.5 must shrink to 1.25, the long edge loses 1.5 − 1.25 = 0.25, or about 17% of the frame. On a portrait, that is often the top of someone's head or the bottom of their chin. On a group photo it is whoever was standing at the end.
How much each combination costs you
| Your photo | Printing at | Lost from the long edge |
|---|---|---|
| 3:2 (DSLR) | 4×6 | Nothing — a perfect match |
| 3:2 (DSLR) | 5×7 | About 7% |
| 3:2 (DSLR) | 8×10 | About 17% |
| 3:2 (DSLR) | 11×14 | About 15% |
| 4:3 (phone) | 4×6 | About 11% — cropped the other way |
| 4:3 (phone) | 5×7 | About 5% |
| 4:3 (phone) | 8×10 | About 6% |
| 4:3 (phone) | 6×8 | Nothing — a perfect match |
Note the reversal in the phone rows. A 4:3 photo is squarer than a 4×6 print, so making it fit means cropping the short edge — the top and bottom of a landscape shot. Phone photos lose the sky and the foreground at 4×6; DSLR photos lose the sides at 8×10.
✅ Compose with a crop margin
If a photograph might be printed at more than one size, leave deliberate empty space around your subject. Photographers call this "shooting loose". A portrait framed tightly to the edges of a 3:2 frame cannot become an 8×10 without cutting into the subject; the same portrait with a few centimetres of headroom crops to any ratio you like. It is far easier to leave the room than to invent it later.
How much resolution you actually need
The 300 DPI convention comes from offset printing and applies to material held about 30 cm from the eye. Prints get bigger and viewing distance grows with them, and the eye's angular resolution does not change — so the DPI requirement falls as the print grows.
| Print size | Typical viewing distance | Sufficient DPI | Megapixels needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4×6 to 5×7 | Handheld, ~30 cm | 300 | 2–3 MP |
| 8×10 to 11×14 | Arm's length or desk | 240–300 | 5–14 MP |
| 16×20 | ~1 metre | 180 | 10 MP |
| 20×30 | ~1.5 metres | 150 | 13.5 MP |
| 24×36 | ~2 metres | 120 | 12.4 MP |
| Larger than 30×40 | 3 metres or more | 100 or less | Rarely the limiting factor |
The counter-intuitive consequence: a 24×36 poster can need fewer megapixels than an 11×14 print, because nobody examines a poster from 30 centimetres. The rough working formula professionals use is required DPI ≈ 300 ÷ viewing distance in feet.
Checking whether your file is big enough
Remember to run this calculation on the image after cropping to the print ratio. A 24 MP file cropped from 3:2 to 5:4 is only about 20 MP, and if you also straightened a horizon you may have lost more.
💡 Resolution is rarely what limits a big print
Camera shake, missed focus, high-ISO noise and lens softness all become visible in a large print long before pixel count does. A perfectly sharp 12 MP image enlarges better than a slightly soft 45 MP one. If a big print looks disappointing, examine the original at 100% before blaming resolution.
Frames, mats and the sizes that actually exist
Frames are sold in the same standard sizes as prints, which sounds convenient and creates a specific trap: a frame sold as "8×10" holds an 8×10 print, but if it comes with a mat, the mat's opening is smaller — typically 7.5 × 9.5 inches, because the mat overlaps the print by about 6 mm on each side to hold it in place.
| Frame size | Common mat opening | Print size to order |
|---|---|---|
| 5 × 7 | 3.5 × 5.5 | 4 × 6 |
| 8 × 10 | 4.5 × 6.5 | 5 × 7 |
| 11 × 14 | 7.5 × 9.5 | 8 × 10 |
| 16 × 20 | 10.5 × 13.5 | 11 × 14 |
| 20 × 24 | 15.5 × 19.5 | 16 × 20 |
The pattern is that a matted frame takes the print size one step down. If you buy an 11×14 frame with a mat, order an 8×10 print. Buy the frame first and read the mat opening — it is printed on the packaging — before ordering anything.
Square and panoramic
| Size | Ratio | Pixels at 300 DPI | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 × 4 | 1:1 | 1200 × 1200 | Instagram-era standard |
| 8 × 8 | 1:1 | 2400 × 2400 | Popular for albums |
| 12 × 12 | 1:1 | 3600 × 3600 | Scrapbook standard |
| 4 × 12 | 3:1 | 1200 × 3600 | Panoramic strip |
| 8 × 24 | 3:1 | 2400 × 7200 | Wide panorama |
| 10 × 30 | 3:1 | 3000 × 9000 | Large panorama |
| 12 × 36 | 3:1 | 3600 × 10800 | Stitched panoramas |
Panoramic prints are the one case where you should crop deliberately rather than let a lab do it. A 3:1 print from a 3:2 original discards half the frame vertically — that decision belongs to you, not to an automatic centre crop.
Preparing a file for print
- Crop to the print ratio yourself. This is the single most important step. Doing it in advance means you choose what is lost instead of an algorithm choosing for you.
- Export in sRGB unless the lab explicitly asks for Adobe RGB. Most consumer labs assume sRGB and will render a wider-gamut file with dull, shifted colours.
- Use JPEG at quality 90–100, or TIFF if the lab accepts it. This is not the place to economise on file size.
- Do not upscale. Enlarging a file to hit a megapixel target adds pixels but no detail, and often adds visible artefacts. Labs handle downscaling well; send them the original.
- Sharpen last, and for the size. Sharpening is resolution-dependent — an image sharpened for screen looks over-sharpened at 4×6 and under-sharpened at 20×30.
- Order one test print before committing to a large or expensive one. Screens are backlit and paper is not; prints routinely come out darker than they appeared on a monitor.
⚠️ Prints come out darker than your screen
A monitor emits light; paper reflects it. An image that looks correct on a bright screen frequently prints muddy in the shadows. If your prints consistently come back too dark, turn your monitor brightness down to roughly 100–120 cd/m² when editing — around 30–40% on most consumer displays — and edit to that. It will look wrong at first and your prints will improve immediately.
Crop to an exact print ratio
Crop to 3:2, 5:4, 7:5 or any custom ratio and see exactly what you are keeping — all in your browser, with nothing uploaded.
Open the Image Cropper →The short version
- 4×6 is the only common size that fits a 3:2 camera frame exactly. Everything else crops.
- 8×10 costs you about 17% of a 3:2 photograph's long edge.
- Phone photos are 4:3 and crop the opposite way — they lose top and bottom at 4×6.
- 300 DPI is for small prints. Large prints are viewed from further away and 150 DPI is plenty.
- Crop before you order. It is the difference between choosing your composition and having one imposed.
- Matted frames take a print one size down. An 11×14 frame usually wants an 8×10.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my photo get cropped when I print an 8x10?
Because the aspect ratios do not match. A camera sensor produces 3:2 images, which fit a 4×6 print exactly. An 8×10 print is 5:4, a noticeably squarer shape, so the lab must cut roughly 20% off the long edge to make your photo fit. Nothing is wrong with your file — the two shapes are simply incompatible.
How many megapixels do I need for a good print?
At 300 DPI: about 2 MP for 4×6, 3 MP for 5×7, 7 MP for 8×10, 14 MP for 11×14 and 29 MP for 16×20. But large prints are viewed from further away, so 150 DPI is usually enough above about 11×14 — which cuts the requirement to a quarter. Any modern phone camera can produce an excellent 8×10.
What is the most common photo print size?
4×6 inches (10×15 cm) is the global standard for consumer photo prints. It is also the only common size that matches a 3:2 camera sensor exactly, so it is the one size where you get your whole frame with nothing cropped away.
Can I print a phone photo large?
Yes, further than most people assume. A 12 MP phone photo is 4000 × 3000 pixels, which is 13 × 10 inches at 300 DPI and 26 × 20 inches at 150 DPI. Since a 20-inch print is viewed from a metre or more away, 150 DPI looks perfectly sharp. Image quality and camera shake will limit you long before resolution does.
What size is a 10x15 print?
10×15 cm is the metric name for a 4×6 inch print — they are the same thing to within a millimetre. European labs list it as 10×15, American labs as 4×6. Likewise 13×18 cm is 5×7 inches, and 20×25 cm is 8×10 inches.