How big can you print a 20 megapixel photo?
A 20 megapixel photo is about 5,477 × 3,651 pixels. At 300 DPI it prints 18.3 × 12.2 inches (46 × 31 cm) with no upscaling.
Megapixels are the pixels along the width multiplied by the pixels along the height, in millions. How large that prints depends on how many of those pixels you put in each inch: 300 for a print held in the hand, fewer for one on a wall.
20 megapixels at 3:2, the shape of most cameras: about 5,477 × 3,651 pixels
| Resolution | Print size, inches | Print size, cm | Sharp from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 DPI | 18.3 × 12.2 | 46.4 × 30.9 cm | 11.5 inches (29 cm) |
| 240 DPI | 22.8 × 15.2 | 58 × 38.6 cm | 14.3 inches (36 cm) |
| 200 DPI | 27.4 × 18.3 | 69.6 × 46.4 cm | 17.2 inches (44 cm) |
| 150 DPI | 36.5 × 24.3 | 92.7 × 61.8 cm | 22.9 inches (58 cm) |
| 100 DPI | 54.8 × 36.5 | 139.1 × 92.7 cm | 34.4 inches (87 cm) |
Cropped to fill a standard sheet, the largest it covers at 300 DPI is 12 × 18 inch poster, and at 150 DPI 24 × 36 inch poster.
20 megapixels at 4:3, the shape of most phones: about 5,164 × 3,873 pixels
| Resolution | Print size, inches | Print size, cm | Sharp from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 DPI | 17.2 × 12.9 | 43.7 × 32.8 cm | 11.5 inches (29 cm) |
| 240 DPI | 21.5 × 16.1 | 54.7 × 41 cm | 14.3 inches (36 cm) |
| 200 DPI | 25.8 × 19.4 | 65.6 × 49.2 cm | 17.2 inches (44 cm) |
| 150 DPI | 34.4 × 25.8 | 87.4 × 65.6 cm | 22.9 inches (58 cm) |
| 100 DPI | 51.6 × 38.7 | 131.2 × 98.4 cm | 34.4 inches (87 cm) |
Cropped to fill a standard sheet, the largest it covers at 300 DPI is A3, and at 150 DPI A1.
What the table assumes
Exact pixel sizes vary by camera: one maker’s 20 megapixels may be a few dozen pixels wider or narrower than another’s. The sizes here are no upscaling and no cropping. “Sharp from” is the distance at which someone with 20/20 vision stops seeing separate pixels; a large print on a wall is normally looked at from further back than that, which is why posters can use far fewer than 300 pixels to the inch.