Photo labs
Consumer labs and minilabs commonly ask for 300 DPI at the ordered size. Upload portals may check the tag before accepting the order.
Preset · 300 DPI
Convert an image to 300 DPI
Set a 300 DPI resolution tag on JPG, PNG, BMP, or TIFF files without recompressing the image. The preset below also checks whether your pixel count can carry 300 DPI at the print size you have in mind.
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300 DPI is pre-selected and the verdict is measured against an 8 × 10 inch print. Change the paper size to match your order.
Drop images to set their DPI
JPEG · PNG · BMP · TIFF · up to 30 files · 100 MB each
Nothing is uploaded. Metadata is read and rewritten inside this tab.
01
Why 300 DPI became the default
Why labs ask for it, and where the rule stops applying.
At normal reading distance, a healthy eye resolves roughly 300 pixels per inch on paper. Print a photo at that density and individual pixels disappear into continuous tone. That is where the 300 DPI convention comes from, and why most photo labs, print-on-demand services and editorial specs ask for it.
The number is a target density, not a property you can add later. A 1200 × 800 px image tagged 300 DPI prints at 4 × 2.67 inches. Raising the tag does not make it an 8 × 10 print.
02
Does your file have the pixels?
Multiply the print size in inches by 300.
| Print size | Pixels required at 300 DPI |
|---|---|
| 4 × 6 in | 1,200 × 1,800 px |
| 5 × 7 in | 1,500 × 2,100 px |
| 8 × 10 in | 2,400 × 3,000 px |
| 8.5 × 11 in | 2,550 × 3,300 px |
| A4 | 2,481 × 3,508 px |
| 11 × 14 in | 3,300 × 4,200 px |
| 16 × 20 in | 4,800 × 6,000 px |
| A3 | 3,508 × 4,961 px |
Largest print at 300 DPI
6.67 × 10.00 in
16.9 × 25.4 cm · 6.0 MP
Thin at this size
At 8.00 × 10.00 in the file resolves to about 250 DPI. That is 83% of the pixels a clean print needs.
- Pixels needed for this print
- 2400 × 3000 px
- Pixels you have
- 3000 × 2000 px
03
Where the 300 DPI request comes from
Four workflows that still specify it.
Print on demand
Posters, canvases and apparel workflows often expect 300 DPI files even when the press itself runs at a lower effective resolution.
Magazines and books
Editorial print specs usually land between 240 and 300 DPI for photographs, with 600 DPI reserved for line art and text.
Stock and competitions
Submission rules often state a minimum resolution. A 300 DPI tag makes the file pass automated checks; pixel dimensions still decide the outcome.
04
Tag-only or resample?
Two operations that sound similar and produce very different files.
| Tag-only (default) | Resample | |
|---|---|---|
| Pixel dimensions | Unchanged | Multiplied by the DPI ratio |
| Detail | Exactly what the camera captured | Interpolated; no new detail |
| EXIF and ICC profile | Kept | Lost in most browser exports |
| File size | Virtually unchanged | Usually much larger |
| JPEG quality | No new compression pass | Re-encoded at high quality |
| Best for | Files that already have enough pixels | Making a thin file cover a larger print |
Tag-only is the right choice when the pixels are already sufficient and only the label is wrong. Resample is for the case where the file must cover a larger sheet and you have decided an interpolated enlargement is acceptable. It adds pixels by estimating them from their neighbours; it does not recover detail.
The converter caps resampled output at 100 megapixels and 16,384 pixels per edge so a browser tab does not run out of memory. If your enlargement exceeds that, a desktop editor is the better tool. The 72 to 300 DPI walkthrough shows exactly how much the physical size changes when you only move the tag.
05
When the pixels fall short
Four options, in order of preference.
- 01
Print smaller
Divide the pixel width and height by 300. That is the largest size this file can fill cleanly. Choose a frame or paper size that respects it.
- 02
Go back to the original
A social media download is usually a compressed, resized copy. The camera card, cloud backup or the photographer may hold a file with several times the pixels.
- 03
Resample once, deliberately
Use the converter’s resample mode, or a good desktop enlarger, at the final size. Expect softer edges and a larger file. Do not resample repeatedly.
- 04
Change the medium
Canvas, metal prints and large posters are viewed from further away and tolerate 100 to 150 DPI. A large canvas can look better than a small print of the same thin file.
06
Before you send it to the lab
A short checklist that prevents most reprints.
- Pixels match the paper size. Multiply inches by 300 and compare with the file's dimensions.
- The 300 DPI tag is present. Some portals check it automatically. Confirm with the DPI checker.
- The colour space is sRGB. Consumer labs expect sRGB. A wide-gamut file submitted without conversion can print muted.
- The crop matches the paper aspect ratio. A 3:2 photo on a 5:7 print loses edges unless you crop deliberately.
- Sharpening is light. Over-sharpened files show halos on paper, especially at small sizes.
Questions people ask
What people ask after converting a file for print.
How do I convert an image to 300 DPI without losing quality?
Use the tag-only mode. It rewrites the resolution metadata and copies the compressed pixel data untouched, so there is no second round of JPEG compression. Converting between formats does re-encode the image and should be avoided unless a submission form requires it.
Is 300 DPI the same as 300 PPI?
In everyday use, yes. Strictly, PPI describes image pixels per inch and DPI describes printer dots per inch. Print labs ask for 300 DPI but mean 300 pixels per inch of paper. Image files store one resolution value that both terms describe.
Can I convert an image to 300 DPI on my phone?
Yes, in a mobile browser. The file picker opens your photo library or Files app, and the conversion happens on the phone. Built-in photo apps usually cannot edit resolution tags, but they can crop and resize, which is a different operation.
Why is my 300 DPI image still blurry when printed?
The tag says where to put pixels, not how many exist. A 1200 × 800 px image tagged 300 DPI prints at 4 × 2.67 inches. Stretch it across 8 × 10 inches and the print resolves to about 100 DPI. Check the pixel requirements table on this page before ordering.
Does changing to 300 DPI make the file larger?
Tag-only mode changes a few bytes, so the size stays effectively identical. Adding an EXIF block to a JPEG that never had one grows the file by roughly 60 to 100 bytes. Resample mode creates new pixels and can multiply the file size.
Will a print lab reject my file if the DPI tag is missing?
Some automated upload forms check for 300 DPI and warn when the tag is absent or lower. The pixels may be perfectly adequate. Setting the tag to 300 DPI clears that check without touching the image. Labs that inspect pixel dimensions will judge the file on those numbers anyway.
Do I need 300 DPI for a poster or a banner?
Not usually. A poster viewed from a metre away can look sharp at 150 DPI, and a large banner is often printed at 72 to 100 DPI. The further away the viewer stands, the fewer pixels per inch the eye can resolve. 300 DPI is a rule for hand-held prints.