Checking a file before printing
A graphic arrives at 1,500 × 2,100 pixels and you want to know what size it covers. At 300 DPI it yields a 5 × 7 inch print.
Convert pixels to inches at any DPI
A file 1,080 pixels wide measures 11.25 inches on screen and 3.6 inches in print at 300 DPI. Enter the pixel count, set your DPI, and find out how large that measurement really is.
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Why convert pixels to inches?
Pixels turn into inches with a single division: the pixel count divided by the DPI. A file 1,080 pixels wide measures 11.25 inches on screen at 96 DPI and 3.6 inches on paper at 300 DPI. The rate of 96 pixels per inch is the one the CSS specification assigns to the screen [1].
One pixel count therefore describes two entirely different physical sizes, and only the DPI (dots per inch) settles which of them you mean. That is why the density field sits next to the pixel field.
The conversion helps when you hold a finished file and want to know how large it will come out on paper, or when a resolution has landed on your desk and you are checking whether it covers the size ordered.
Below you will find a table of 43 values at three densities, an explanation of Windows display scaling, a breakdown of figures such as 1,080, 2,550 and 851 together with where each comes from, a table of print aspect ratios, and the largest formats camera sensors will yield. The journey the other way is handled by the inches to pixels converter.
How to work out pixels to inches by hand
The formula holds one operation: inches = pixels ÷ DPI. It is the reverse of the multiplication that turns inches into pixels.
Take a file of 2,550 × 3,300 pixels at 300 DPI: the width is 2,550 ÷ 300 = 8.5 inches and the height is 3,300 ÷ 300 = 11 inches. That is a Letter sheet exactly. Shown on screen at 96 DPI the same file would span 26.56 × 34.38 inches, far more than fits on a monitor.
Hence the rule for reading the result: the higher the DPI you enter, the smaller the physical size the same pixel count produces, because those pixels pack together more tightly.
If you would rather have the answer in metric units, the same file is handled by the pixels to centimeters converter and the pixels to millimeters converter. Type on that same page is measured in typographic points, and one point is exactly 1/72 of an inch, so 96 pixels come to a round 72 points. That figure comes from the pixels to points converter. Above a hundred inches American orders switch to feet: 18,000 pixels at 150 DPI is 120 inches, or 10 feet. That form comes from the pixels to feet converter.
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How many inches are in common pixel values?
| Pixels | 96 DPI (screen) | 150 DPI | 300 DPI (print) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 px | 0.33 in | 0.21 in | 0.11 in |
| 40 px | 0.42 in | 0.27 in | 0.13 in |
| 50 px | 0.52 in | 0.33 in | 0.17 in |
| 60 px | 0.63 in | 0.40 in | 0.20 in |
| 72 px | 0.75 in | 0.48 in | 0.24 in |
| 80 px | 0.83 in | 0.53 in | 0.27 in |
| 90 px | 0.94 in | 0.60 in | 0.30 in |
| 100 px | 1.04 in | 0.67 in | 0.33 in |
| 200 px | 2.08 in | 1.33 in | 0.67 in |
| 250 px | 2.60 in | 1.67 in | 0.83 in |
| 300 px | 3.13 in | 2.00 in | 1.00 in |
| 400 px | 4.17 in | 2.67 in | 1.33 in |
| 500 px | 5.21 in | 3.33 in | 1.67 in |
| 512 px | 5.33 in | 3.41 in | 1.71 in |
| 600 px | 6.25 in | 4.00 in | 2.00 in |
| 728 px | 7.58 in | 4.85 in | 2.43 in |
| 800 px | 8.33 in | 5.33 in | 2.67 in |
| 816 px | 8.50 in | 5.44 in | 2.72 in |
| 851 px | 8.86 in | 5.67 in | 2.84 in |
| 900 px | 9.38 in | 6.00 in | 3.00 in |
| 940 px | 9.79 in | 6.27 in | 3.13 in |
| 1,000 px | 10.42 in | 6.67 in | 3.33 in |
| 1,024 px | 10.67 in | 6.83 in | 3.41 in |
| 1,080 px | 11.25 in | 7.20 in | 3.60 in |
| 1,200 px | 12.50 in | 8.00 in | 4.00 in |
| 1,350 px | 14.06 in | 9.00 in | 4.50 in |
| 1,500 px | 15.63 in | 10.00 in | 5.00 in |
| 1,920 px | 20.00 in | 12.80 in | 6.40 in |
| 2,000 px | 20.83 in | 13.33 in | 6.67 in |
| 2,048 px | 21.33 in | 13.65 in | 6.83 in |
| 2,400 px | 25.00 in | 16.00 in | 8.00 in |
| 2,550 px | 26.56 in | 17.00 in | 8.50 in |
| 3,000 px | 31.25 in | 20.00 in | 10.00 in |
| 3,300 px | 34.38 in | 22.00 in | 11.00 in |
| 3,600 px | 37.50 in | 24.00 in | 12.00 in |
| 4,000 px | 41.67 in | 26.67 in | 13.33 in |
| 4,096 px | 42.67 in | 27.31 in | 13.65 in |
| 4,500 px | 46.88 in | 30.00 in | 15.00 in |
| 4,800 px | 50.00 in | 32.00 in | 16.00 in |
| 5,100 px | 53.13 in | 34.00 in | 17.00 in |
| 5,400 px | 56.25 in | 36.00 in | 18.00 in |
| 6,000 px | 62.50 in | 40.00 in | 20.00 in |
| 7,200 px | 75.00 in | 48.00 in | 24.00 in |
The 96 DPI column answers “how big is this on screen” and the 300 DPI column answers “how big will this be on paper”. The 150 DPI value suits posters seen from a distance.
How much does one inch really measure on screen?
The figure of 96 came out of typography. Microsoft sets it out in its own Win32 documentation: a 72-point font is by definition one logical inch tall, and Windows has long converted a logical inch into 96 pixels. That is why a 12-point font occupies 16 pixels on screen [2].
A logical inch is therefore a unit of calculation, which the system converts into pixels according to its own setting. The same documentation says plainly that “pixels per logical inch” would be the more accurate term for displays, and that the abbreviation DPI carried over from printing, where dots of ink really do land on paper.
The consequence shows up in the scaling settings. Windows lists three standard values: 100% corresponds to 96 DPI, 125% to 120 DPI, and 150% to 144 DPI. At 150% scaling a single device-independent pixel occupies one and a half physical pixels, so an element written as width: 1in takes up 144 physical pixels [2].
The result in the 96 DPI column therefore describes a measurement in logical inches. The distance you would measure with a ruler against the glass follows the real density of the screen, its resolution divided by its diagonal.
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Where do the pixel counts you keep seeing come from?
| Pixel dimensions | Where it comes from | Size at 96 DPI | Size at 300 DPI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,920 × 1,080 | A Full HD display | 20.00 × 11.25 | 6.40 × 3.60 |
| 1,024 × 768 | An older tablet and projector screen | 10.67 × 8.00 | 3.41 × 2.56 |
| 2,048 × 2,048 | A square canvas in drawing software | 21.33 × 21.33 | 6.83 × 6.83 |
| 1,080 × 1,080 | A square social media graphic | 11.25 × 11.25 | 3.60 × 3.60 |
| 1,080 × 1,350 | A portrait social media graphic | 11.25 × 14.06 | 3.60 × 4.50 |
| 851 × 315 | A Facebook page cover photo | 8.86 × 3.28 | 2.84 × 1.05 |
| 728 × 90 | A leaderboard advertising banner | 7.58 × 0.94 | 2.43 × 0.30 |
| 2,550 × 3,300 | A Letter sheet at print density | 26.56 × 34.38 | 8.50 × 11.00 |
| 3,300 × 5,100 | A Tabloid sheet at print density | 34.38 × 53.13 | 11.00 × 17.00 |
| 2,480 × 3,508 | An A4 sheet at print density | 25.83 × 36.54 | 8.27 × 11.69 |
| 1,200 × 1,800 | A 4 × 6 inch print at print density | 12.50 × 18.75 | 4.00 × 6.00 |
| 816 × 1,056 | A Letter sheet shown on screen | 8.50 × 11.00 | 2.72 × 3.52 |
| 794 × 1,123 | An A4 sheet shown on screen | 8.27 × 11.70 | 2.65 × 3.74 |
File resolutions are rarely arbitrary – nearly every one traces back to a particular screen, paper size, or place on the web. Paper dimensions come from ANSI/ASME Y14.1 [3].
Why are so many print files 2,000 pixels tall?
| Pixel dimensions | Aspect ratio | The arithmetic | Size at 300 DPI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,333 × 2,000 | 2 : 3 (0.6667) | 1333 ÷ 2000 = 0.6665 | 4.44 × 6.67 |
| 1,414 × 2,000 | 1 : √2, the A series (0.7071) | 1414 ÷ 2000 = 0.7070 | 4.71 × 6.67 |
| 1,429 × 2,000 | 5 : 7 (0.7143) | 1429 ÷ 2000 = 0.7145 | 4.76 × 6.67 |
| 1,545 × 2,000 | 8.5 : 11, Letter (0.7727) | 1545 ÷ 2000 = 0.7725 | 5.15 × 6.67 |
| 1,600 × 2,000 | 4 : 5 (0.8000) | 1600 ÷ 2000 = 0.8000 | 5.33 × 6.67 |
| 1,728 × 2,304 | 3 : 4 (0.7500) | 1728 ÷ 2304 = 0.7500 | 5.76 × 7.68 |
Artwork sold for buyers to print themselves is prepared in a handful of fixed aspect ratios, so the same purchase fits whatever frame the buyer owns. The arithmetic column shows where each of those odd numbers comes from.
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How large a print will your camera file make?
| Sensor | Resolution | Print at 300 DPI | Print at 150 DPI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 megapixels | 4,000 × 3,000 | 13.3 × 10.0 | 26.7 × 20.0 |
| 18 megapixels | 5,184 × 3,456 | 17.3 × 11.5 | 34.6 × 23.0 |
| 24 megapixels | 6,000 × 4,000 | 20.0 × 13.3 | 40.0 × 26.7 |
| 45 megapixels | 8,192 × 5,464 | 27.3 × 18.2 | 54.6 × 36.4 |
| 48 megapixels (phone) | 8,064 × 6,048 | 26.9 × 20.2 | 53.8 × 40.3 |
Divide the longer side of the file by the density you are printing at. The 150 DPI column gives the format for a poster viewed from a meter away. The pixels to meters converter gives the same side in metric: 8,000 pixels at 150 DPI is 53.33 inches, or 1.355 m.
Pixel and inch side by side
| Property | Pixel (px) | Inch (in) |
|---|---|---|
| Kind of unit | Digital, a single point of an image | Physical, from the imperial system |
| Value in CSS | 1 px = 1/96 inch | 1 inch = 96 px |
| Metric equivalent | 0.265 mm at 96 DPI | 2.54 cm |
| At 300 DPI | 1 px = 0.0033 inch | 1 inch = 300 px |
| Depends on density | Yes, the size follows the DPI | No, the size is fixed |
| Where it is quoted | Image files, stylesheets, interface mock-ups | Paper, prints, screen diagonals |
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When will you need this conversion?
Ordering in inches
The lab quotes sizes in inches while your file is described in pixels. Dividing by 300 tells you at once which line of the price list to pick.An enlargement from a photograph
A file from a 24 megapixel camera holds 6,000 pixels on the longer side, which is 20 inches at 300 DPI and 40 inches at 150 DPI.Interface measurements
A mock-up given in pixels at 96 DPI translates into logical inches, the unit the display scaling settings are built on.
Convert other units to Inches
Convert Pixels to other units
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pt to pxrem to pxem to pxcm to pxmm to pxinches to cminches to mmmiles to kmkm to milesmeters to feetfeet to metersinches to feetlb to ozoz to lbml to ozoz to mlliters to gallonsgallons to literskg to lblb to kgkg to gg to kgkg to stonestone to kginches to pxfeet to pxpica to pxmeters to pxHEX to RGBRGB to CMYKbytes to KBKB to bytesKB to MBMB to KBMB to GBGB to MBKB to GBGB to KBGB to TBTB to GBKB to TBTB to KBUnix to dateDEC to BINDEC to HEXMbps to MB/s
Sources
- CSS Values and Units Module Level 4 — W3C
- DPI and device-independent pixels — Microsoft Learn
- Paper size — Wikipedia
Every figure in the tables was computed from the unit definitions and checked arithmetically before publication. Historical values and the names of local units come from the sources listed above.
Content last reviewed: · written and checked by the Arteon team
Frequently asked questions
How many inches is 1080 pixels?
1,080 pixels is 11.25 inches at 96 DPI, 7.2 inches at 150 DPI, and 3.6 inches at 300 DPI. The number 1,080 comes from the height of a Full HD display and from the side of a square social media graphic.
Is 100 pixels 1 inch?
One hundred pixels is 1.04 inches at 96 DPI, four hundredths more than an inch. It lands on exactly one inch at 100 DPI, and at the print density of 300 DPI a hundred pixels measures 0.33 inch.
How many inches is one pixel?
One pixel is 1/96 of an inch, or 0.0104 inch, the value fixed by the CSS specification. At the print density of 300 DPI that same pixel measures 0.0033 inch, over three times smaller.
How many inches is 1920 pixels?
1,920 pixels is exactly 20 inches at 96 DPI and 6.4 inches at 300 DPI. It is the width of a Full HD display, the resolution found on more monitors and laptops than any other.
How many inches is 1024 pixels?
1,024 pixels is 10.67 inches at 96 DPI and 3.41 inches at 300 DPI. Older tablets and projectors run at 1,024 × 768, which comes to 10.67 × 8 logical inches.
What is 1080 x 1350 px in inches?
At 96 DPI it comes to 11.25 × 14.06 inches, and at 300 DPI to 3.6 × 4.5 inches. That is the portrait format for social media graphics, an aspect ratio of 4 : 5.
How many inches is 3000 pixels?
3,000 pixels is 31.25 inches at 96 DPI, 20 inches at 150 DPI, and 10 inches at 300 DPI. A file 3,000 pixels wide therefore covers the longer side of an 8 × 10 inch print exactly.
How many inches is a 2550 x 3300 pixel file?
At 300 DPI it comes to exactly 8.5 × 11 inches, a Letter sheet, the standard paper size in the United States and Canada. Shown on screen at 96 DPI the same file would measure 26.56 × 34.38 inches.
Why does an element set to 1in not measure an inch on screen?
The browser treats an inch as 96 logical pixels, and the system applies its own scaling on top. Windows lists three standard settings: 100% corresponds to 96 DPI, 125% to 120 DPI, and 150% to 144 DPI. At 150% scaling that same element occupies 144 physical pixels.
How do I tell how large a print my file will make?
Divide the pixel count of the longer side by the density you are printing at. A file of 6,000 pixels gives 20 inches at 300 DPI and 40 inches at 150 DPI. A higher density means a smaller print with finer detail.
How many inches is 300 pixels?
300 pixels is 3.12 inches at 96 DPI and exactly 1 inch at 300 DPI. The second figure follows straight from the definition of density: 300 DPI means 300 pixels on every inch.
Does a pixel have a fixed physical size?
The size of a pixel follows the density of the device you are looking at. On a monitor of 96 pixels per inch a pixel measures 0.265 mm, on a phone screen of 460 pixels per inch it measures 0.055 mm, and on a 300 DPI print it measures 0.085 mm.
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