Upscale4 Upscale an image

What resolution for a 24 × 36 in print at 240 DPI?

A 24 × 36 in print at 240 DPI needs 5,760 × 8,640 pixels, or 49.8 megapixels. A 12 MP phone photo (4,032 × 3,024) prints at up to 12.6 × 16.8 in at 240 DPI. It needs 4× to cover 24 × 36 in, on Pro and still on your device.

Last updated 2026-10-05

Pixels you need

Pixels
5,760 × 8,640
Print size
24 × 36 in (61 × 91.4 cm)
Megapixels
49.8

240 DPI is plenty for inkjet prints on a wall or desk. Most people cannot tell it from 300 at normal distance.

Will your image be big enough?

  • A 12 MP phone photo (4,032 × 3,024) prints at up to 12.6 × 16.8 in at 240 DPI. It needs 4× to cover 24 × 36 in, on Pro and still on your device.
  • A 1024 × 1024 AI image (1,024 × 1,024) prints at up to 4.27 × 4.27 in at 240 DPI. Even 4× with a final resize falls short of 24 × 36 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 4.5 × 8 in at 240 DPI. Even 4× with a final resize falls short of 24 × 36 in, so start from a larger source or print at a lower DPI.

Calculate for your image

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

24 × 36 in at other resolutions

DPIPixelsMegapixelsGood for
300 DPI7,200 × 10,80077.8Photos, close viewing
240 DPI5,760 × 8,64049.8Inkjet, wall prints
200 DPI4,800 × 7,20034.6Large prints
150 DPI3,600 × 5,40019.4Posters
100 DPI2,400 × 3,6008.6Banners

How to prepare the file

  1. Crop your image to the 24 × 36 shape so the lab does not cut anything off.
  2. Compare your pixels with 5,760 × 8,640. 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 a 24 × 36 in print at 240 DPI?

5,760 × 8,640 pixels: 24 × 36 inches multiplied by 240 dots per inch, rounded to whole pixels.

Is 240 DPI good enough for 24 × 36 in?

240 DPI is plenty for inkjet prints on a wall or desk. Most people cannot tell it from 300 at normal distance.

Can a phone photo be printed at 24 × 36 in?

Yes, with 4× upscaling. A 12 MP photo of 4032 × 3024 falls short of 5,760 × 8,640 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