Convert centimeters to pixels at any DPI

Everything depends on the resolution you choose. At the standard screen value of 96 DPI one centimeter equals about 38 pixels, while at the older 72 DPI used in earlier screen graphics it is only 28 pixels. In print, where 300 DPI is the typical baseline, the same centimeter already covers about 118 pixels.

The easiest way is to type the number of centimeters into the converter field and pick the DPI you need – the result appears right away. If you would rather calculate by hand, use the formula: number of pixels = number of centimeters × DPI ÷ 2.54. For 5 cm at 300 DPI you get 5 × 300 ÷ 2.54, which equals about 591 pixels.

A single pixel on a standard 96 DPI screen measures about 0.0265 cm, and at the 300 DPI used for print only 0.0085 cm. To convert any pixel count into centimeters, divide it by the DPI value and multiply by 2.54.

At the standard screen resolution of 96 DPI five centimeters equal about 189 pixels. If you are preparing a graphic for 300 DPI print, the same length grows to 591 pixels, and at 600 DPI it reaches 1,181 pixels.

Ten centimeters match about 378 pixels at 96 DPI. In 300 DPI print the same 10 cm equal exactly 1,181 pixels – a number worth remembering because it appears in photography as the short side of a classic 10 × 15 cm print.

Twenty centimeters equal 756 pixels on a 96 DPI screen and 2,362 pixels in 300 DPI print. If you design for a billboard where 30–72 DPI is enough, the same width drops to between 236 and 567 pixels.

An A4 sheet measures 21 × 29.7 cm, which at 300 DPI gives exactly 2,480 × 3,508 pixels. At 150 DPI the same dimensions become 1,240 × 1,754 pixels, while at the screen value of 96 DPI they are only 794 × 1,123 pixels.

A standard 10 × 15 cm photo print matches 1,181 × 1,772 pixels at 300 DPI. If your camera file is at least that large, you can order the print with confidence – the quality will be excellent.

The ICAO biometric photo standard for passports and ID cards used across the EU, UK, and many other countries measures 35 × 45 mm, which at 300 DPI gives 413 × 531 pixels. Government agencies often also accept a slightly larger digital file, so 492 × 633 px is a safe choice that meets the most common official requirements.

In Photoshop open Image › Image Size, change the unit to centimeters, and type the dimensions together with the target DPI. In Canva pick Create a design › Custom size, switch the unit to cm, and enter the required dimension – the app will convert the file into pixels automatically on export. Detailed walkthroughs for Photoshop, Illustrator, Figma, Canva, and Procreate are in the section above.

DPI (dots per inch) is the number of ink dots per inch of material and describes a printer. PPI (pixels per inch) is the number of pixels per inch of a screen and describes a monitor or display. In everyday work designers use both abbreviations interchangeably, but technically DPI is for print and PPI is for screens.

Apple Retina displays pack pixels twice as densely as a regular monitor, but the operating system still interprets dimensions as if the panel was 96 DPI. That is why you prepare graphics at twice the resolution (1 cm equals 76 px instead of 38 px), save them as 96 DPI, and export them with the @2x suffix.