Print preparation guidance you can use on the job.
Understand the decision before changing the file. Each guide connects the production question to the calculation, the risk and the tool you can use next.
What are you trying to solve?
Start with the production question rather than a technical acronym.
How many pixels are enough?
Choose a realistic PPI target and calculate the maximum physical size from real source pixels.
Learn the decision →Crop and ratioWhy does the lab remove part of my photo?
Compare the source and print shapes before ordering an edge-to-edge print.
Learn the decision →Document setupWhere do bleed, trim and safe area go?
Separate the final cut edge from the extra image and the protected content zone.
Learn the decision →Final exportWhat should I check before sending the file?
Use a twelve-point preflight from product specification through proof approval.
Learn the decision →Turn source pixels into a defensible maximum print size.
A 6000 × 4000 pixel image is 20 × 13.33 inches at 300 PPI before crop, 25 × 16.67 inches at 240 PPI and 40 × 26.67 inches at 150 PPI. The useful answer depends on viewing distance, print process and the final ratio.
See the full method →DPI vs PPI: What Matters for Printing?
Learn the practical difference between image PPI and printer DPI, and which number to use when preparing a file for print.
How Large Can I Print My Image? A Pixel-Based Guide
Use pixel dimensions and PPI to estimate a photo's maximum print size, then check the file at 150, 240 and 300 PPI.
Print Resolution Guide: 150 vs 240 vs 300 PPI
Compare 150, 240 and 300 PPI for different print sizes and viewing distances, with formulas and practical examples.
Bleed, Trim and Safe Area: A Practical Print Guide
Understand bleed, trim size and safe area, including common margins and a step-by-step setup workflow for print files.
Photo Print Aspect Ratios and Cropping Explained
Compare common camera and print aspect ratios, see which sizes fit, and learn when to crop, add borders or choose another print.
Print File Preflight Checklist: 12 Checks Before You Export
Check trim, crop, effective PPI, bleed, safe area, color, file format and proofing in the right order before sending artwork to print.
How to Export Images for Large-Format Printing
Choose dimensions, viewing-distance resolution, crop, sharpening, color and export settings for posters and wall prints without inventing pixels.
A4 vs US Letter: Size, Pixels and Layout Differences
Compare A4 and US Letter in millimetres, inches, pixels and aspect ratio, then adapt a full-page layout without accidental crop or reflow.
RGB or CMYK? Prepare Color for Your Printer
Choose the right color workflow, keep a master image, check profiles and proof important colors before a print run.
Prepare a PDF for Print: Check the File You Actually Send
A practical PDF handoff covering trim, bleed, fonts, image resolution, output settings and a reopened-file review.
Low-Resolution Images: What You Can Fix Before Printing
Diagnose missing pixels, blur, compression and crop loss, then choose a smaller print, a better source or a carefully checked enlargement.
Business Card Print Setup: Trim, Bleed and Safe Area
Work through an 85 × 55 mm example, calculate a 3 mm bleed canvas and keep names, logos and QR codes away from the cut.
Use the calculator that matches the guide.
No account, image upload or server processing is required.
Check a real image
See maximum sizes, effective PPI, crop loss and bleed from the actual file.
Open tool →Calculate effective PPI
Use known pixels and a final physical print size to measure density.
Open tool →Preview the crop
Compare a source ratio with a standard or custom target print.
Open tool →Want to audit the assumptions? Read our methodology and rounding rules →
Use the image, not a guess.
Run the source pixels against the exact size you plan to order.