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What resolution for an 18 × 24 in print at 300 DPI?

An 18 × 24 in print at 300 DPI needs 5,400 × 7,200 pixels, or 38.9 megapixels. A 12 MP phone photo (4,032 × 3,024) prints at up to 10.08 × 13.44 in at 300 DPI. It needs 2× to cover 18 × 24 in, which is free.

Last updated 2026-10-05

Pixels you need

Pixels
5,400 × 7,200
Print size
18 × 24 in (45.7 × 61 cm)
Megapixels
38.9

300 DPI is the photo lab standard for prints you hold in your hand or view at arm's length.

Will your image be big enough?

  • A 12 MP phone photo (4,032 × 3,024) prints at up to 10.08 × 13.44 in at 300 DPI. It needs 2× to cover 18 × 24 in, which is free.
  • A 1024 × 1024 AI image (1,024 × 1,024) prints at up to 3.41 × 3.41 in at 300 DPI. Even 4× with a final resize falls short of 18 × 24 in, so start from a larger source or print at a lower DPI.
  • A 1920 × 1080 screenshot or video frame (1,920 × 1,080) prints at up to 3.6 × 6.4 in at 300 DPI. It needs 4× on Pro, still on your device, then a 1.25× resize to exactly 5,400 × 7,200 for 18 × 24 in.

Calculate for your image

Enter your image size. The upscale button updates to the scale you need.

18 × 24 in at other resolutions

DPIPixelsMegapixelsGood for
300 DPI5,400 × 7,20038.9Photos, close viewing
240 DPI4,320 × 5,76024.9Inkjet, wall prints
200 DPI3,600 × 4,80017.3Large prints
150 DPI2,700 × 3,6009.7Posters
100 DPI1,800 × 2,4004.3Banners

How to prepare the file

  1. Crop your image to the 18 × 24 shape so the lab does not cut anything off.
  2. Compare your pixels with 5,400 × 7,200. The calculator above does it for you.
  3. Upscale with the smallest scale that reaches the size, then resize to the exact pixels.
  4. Export PNG, or JPG at quality 95, and order the print at this size.

Questions

How many pixels do I need for an 18 × 24 in print at 300 DPI?

5,400 × 7,200 pixels: 18 × 24 inches multiplied by 300 dots per inch, rounded to whole pixels.

Is 300 DPI good enough for 18 × 24 in?

300 DPI is the photo lab standard for prints you hold in your hand or view at arm's length.

Can a phone photo be printed at 18 × 24 in?

Yes, with 2× upscaling. A 12 MP photo of 4032 × 3024 falls short of 5,400 × 7,200 on its own.

What does DPI mean for a digital file?

Dots per inch is how many image pixels land on each inch of paper. The pixel count is what matters: the DPI field saved in a file does not change the image, the printer scales the pixels to the paper size.

Does upscaling add real detail for printing?

It adds plausible detail: sharper edges and texture instead of the soft blur of ordinary resizing. It cannot recover detail the camera never captured, such as text too small to read.

Neighbouring sizes