What is 300 DPI in pixels?

Multiply each side in inches by 300. A 4x6 print is 4 x 300 by 6 x 300, or 1200 x 1800 pixels. To go the other way, divide; as Nikon puts it, "Print size in inches equals image size in pixels divided by printer resolution in dots per inch".

A 24-megapixel photo of 6000 x 4000 pixels prints 20 x 13.33 inches at 300 PPI. Nikon lists its 45.7-megapixel Z 7, at 8256 x 5504 pixels, as about 27.5 x 18.3 inches at 300 dpi. For metric paper, divide millimeters by 25.4 first: A4 is 210 x 297 mm, or 8.27 x 11.69 inches, which makes 2480 x 3508 pixels.

The two get mixed up all the time. Adobe defines printed image resolution as "the number of pixels assigned to each inch of an image when it's printed, measured in pixels per inch (ppi)". Printer resolution is something else: it "is measured in dpi", and "Most inkjet printers operate in the range of 720 to 2880 dpi". So a request for a 300 DPI photo is really a request for 300 pixels per inch at the print size.

The ppi number stored in a file adds no detail on its own. Changing it without resampling leaves every pixel as it was and only changes the size the file would print at. What counts is the pixel count against the print size.

300 is the common target, not a hard rule. Adobe says "An image resolution of at least 220 pixels per inch (ppi) is usually sufficient to achieve high-quality photo prints on an inkjet printer", and Lightroom Classic's export help says "For inkjet printing, 180 ppi to 480 ppi is suitable. For offset or lab prints, check with your service provider."

Labs differ too. WHCC says "Most products are printed at 300 DPI, and we'll automatically resize your files for printing." Mpix says "The Mpix printers output at 250 ppi." Bay Photo asks for "a resolution of 200-300 PPI at print size". Check your lab's own guide, and send 300 PPI at the print size when the file has the pixels.

In a shoots.page gallery, clients browse JPEG previews up to 2000 px on the long edge, and the JPEG download is that same preview. 2000 px prints 6.67 inches at 300 PPI, 8 inches at 250 and 10 inches at 200. A 3:2 preview is 2000 x 1333, so it covers a 4x6 at 300 PPI but not an 8x10, which needs 2400 x 3000.

For prints, clients should use the Originals download, which is on by default. It is the exact file you uploaded, byte for byte at full resolution; a RAW photo comes as a full-size JPEG. Export at full size for delivery (the Lightroom export guide has the settings) and tell clients which button to use. The preview vs original guide explains the difference, and the free plan holds 2 GB, or 100 GB on Pro for USD 9 a month.

Nikon: Z 7 and Z 6 image size. Adobe: Printer resolution, Printed image resolution and Lightroom Classic export settings. WHCC: Accepted file types. Mpix: File preparation help. Bay Photo: Accepted image file formats. Nations Photo Lab: Pixel chart. Checked 29 October 2026.