Poster size & DPI calculator
Not sure how big to print, or what resolution that size needs? Pick a frame size in centimetres or inches, say where it will hang, and see the recommended dpi, the exact pixel size and the poster to scale on a wall.
Not sure how big to print, or what resolution that size needs? Pick a frame size in centimetres or inches, say where it will hang, and see the recommended dpi, the exact pixel size and the poster to scale on a wall.
Print resolution only has to be as fine as the eye can see from where you stand. Normal sight resolves about one arc-minute, which works out to roughly 3438 ÷ viewing distance in inches dots per inch. That is why a phone needs very dense pixels and a billboard does not.
| Viewing distance | Eye can resolve | Recommended for a map |
|---|---|---|
| 30 cm (in your hand) | ≈ 290 dpi | 300 dpi |
| 50 cm | ≈ 175 dpi | 300 dpi |
| 80 cm (desk, shelf) | ≈ 110 dpi | 150 dpi |
| 1.5 m (on a wall) | ≈ 60 dpi | 150 dpi |
| 3 m (across a room) | ≈ 30 dpi | 150 dpi |
Maps are full of hairline streets and small labels, so the calculator never goes below 150 dpi for print, and recommends 300 dpi for anything A3 or smaller — small prints get picked up and looked at closely. If you don't choose a distance, it assumes you stand about one and a half times the poster's diagonal away, which is how most people look at a framed print.
The Make a map this size button opens PrintMap with your size and resolution already set. Search a place, choose a style and download it free — PNG at any resolution, or a vector PDF/SVG that prints sharp at any size. For every common frame size in cm and inches, see custom size map posters; for paper and printing, how to print a map poster.
150 dpi for a poster on a wall seen from a metre or more, 300 dpi for small prints (A3 and below) and anything looked at up close. Higher than 300 dpi is invisible in print and only makes the file bigger.
Pixels = size in inches × dpi, or size in cm ÷ 2.54 × dpi. A 50 × 70 cm poster at 150 dpi is 2953 × 4134 px; at 300 dpi it is 5906 × 8268 px.
The eye resolves about one arc-minute. At 30 cm that is roughly 290 dots per inch, at 1.5 m only about 60, so a large poster seen from across the room does not need 300 dpi.
No. 72 dpi is a screen resolution; printed, it looks soft and the small text on a map blurs. Use at least 150 dpi for print.
PNG files in PrintMap go up to 16,384 px on the long side, about 138 cm at 300 dpi. For larger posters export the vector PDF, which stays sharp at any size.