How big should my image be?

In the world of digital printing, resolution is often expressed as dots per inch (dpi) and Spoonflower produces a good quality print at our minimum resolution of 150 dpi. When creating your design, you will need a minimum of 150 pixels for every inch of your final print dimension. For example, if you'd like an image to print at 4" by 4", you'll want to prepare your file so that measures at least 600 by 600 pixels, since 4 inches x 150 pixels = 600. You can use this formula to size any image-- just multiply the print width and height in inches by 150 pixels. Here are some basic sizes:

  • 8” = 1200 pixels
  • 12" = 1800 pixels
  • 18” = 2700 pixels
  • 21” =3150 pixels
  • 24" = 3600 pixels
  • 27” = 4050 pixels
  • 28” = 4200 pixels
  • 29” = 4350 pixels
  • 36” = 5400 pixels
  • 42" = 6300 pixels
  • ​54” = 8100 pixels
  • 56” = 8400 pixels
  • 58” = 8700 pixels​

What if my design has a higher DPI than 150?

When you upload your image we show you a preview at 150 dpi. This means that if you upload a file that’s been prepared at 300 pixels per inch, it will appear as double the size in the preview:​

150dpi Preview 300dpi Preview

​You can easily change the print dimension of your image by clicking “change dpi” or by using the “smaller” button. Use the horizontal and vertical rulers as a guide for print size.

What settings should I use for digital photographs and scanned images?

If you’re starting with a digital photograph or scan, we suggest that you capture your image using a high quality setting. This will allow you to scale your image without compromising the quality of the image. Here are some additional tips:

Digital photographs - As a rule of thumb, a 3 megapixel camera can be used to capture an image that will nicely fill an 8"x8" swatch. A 10 megapixel camera will capture an image to fill an 18"x21" fat quarter. A full yard requires 40 megapixels, which at this point is only available in very high end professional cameras.

Scanned artwork - Typically scanners have a range of scanning resolutions starting at 150 dpi and escalating to 300, 600, 1200, and 2400. As a rule of thumb, a standard sheet of paper in landscape (11"x8.5") scanned at 300 dpi will fill a fat quarter. The same sheet scanned at 600 dpi will fill a yard.

See Also: Why can't I make my image bigger on Spoonflower?

See Also: What is resolution and how does it affect my image?