Know what your pixels can print.
A file can look large on screen and still be too small for the print you want. Start with the actual pixels and the intended physical size.
Written by Vivid Creator Studio · 7 minute read
Read the image dimensions
An image labelled 3,600 × 3,600 pixels contains 3,600 pixels across and 3,600 down. Those are its digital dimensions. They do not tell you how many dots, flowers or illustrations belong inside the design, and they do not describe its physical print size by themselves.
PPI means pixels per inch: how closely the image pixels are packed into a printed area. DPI means dots per inch and is often used for printer output or as a familiar resolution label in creative apps. For a raster artwork size calculation, use the image’s pixel dimensions and the required pixels per inch.
Work out the size you need
3,600 pixels ÷ 300 = 12 inches
20 cm ÷ 2.54 × 300 ≈ 2,362 pixels
For a 20 × 30 cm print at a requested 300 pixels per inch, prepare approximately 2,362 × 3,543 pixels before adding any supplier-required bleed. This is an example calculation, not a universal specification. A large display, fabric print and small detailed label may have different requirements.
Use Print Size Checker to compare your source with the physical dimensions you intend to use. Enter the actual output size, rather than the size of the thumbnail you see on screen.
Separate a label change from a resize
Changing a resolution label while keeping the same pixel dimensions changes how software interprets the print size. It does not create new image detail. Resampling is different: it adds or removes pixels to reach new dimensions.
Enlarging a small raster illustration asks software to estimate extra pixels. It can soften an edge or make texture look blurred. Whenever possible, start with a sufficiently large original. Keep the original and resize a copy for the destination rather than repeatedly resizing the same flattened file.
Check the design at its intended scale
A pattern’s canvas size and its motif scale are different controls. You can export the same 3,600-pixel tile with large flowers or small flowers. Changing how many motifs fit inside the tile changes the appearance of the repeat; changing pixel dimensions changes the amount of image data.
Before the final download, check orientation, pixel dimensions, transparency or background, bleed and the supplier’s file requirements. For a repeat, retain the single tile as the working source and recheck its joins after any edit.
Put it into your next project.
Further reading
Adobe: image size and resampling · Procreate: canvas dimensions and resolution
External guidance checked November 2026. Follow your software and production provider’s current requirements.