One shape can fit several print sizes
A 4 × 6 inch print and a 12 × 18 inch print both have a 2:3 ratio: the short side is two thirds of the long side. The same composition fits both. An 8 × 10 inch print is 4:5, so filling that frame from a 2:3 image changes the crop.
These examples use portrait dimensions. Swap the width and height for landscape. Every size in the table is a shape match, not a promise that your image has enough resolution.
Already have an image? Preview your artwork in five print ratios, or use the chart below to plan the sizes you need.
| Ratio | Matching print sizes | Example pixels at 300 PPI |
|---|---|---|
| 2:3 | 4 × 6, 8 × 12, 12 × 18, 16 × 24, 20 × 30, 24 × 36 in | 12 × 18 in → 3,600 × 5,400 px |
| 3:4 | 6 × 8, 9 × 12, 12 × 16, 15 × 20, 18 × 24 in | 12 × 16 in → 3,600 × 4,800 px |
| 4:5 | 4 × 5, 8 × 10, 12 × 15, 16 × 20, 20 × 25 in | 16 × 20 in → 4,800 × 6,000 px |
| 11:14 | 11 × 14, 22 × 28 in | 11 × 14 in → 3,300 × 4,200 px |
| ISO A | A5, A4, A3, A2, A1 | A4 → approximately 2,480 × 3,508 px |
A4 is not an 8 × 10
Want a desk reference? Download the one-page print-size chart (PDF) for common frame families and 300 PPI pixel requirements.
The ISO A family is based on a short-to-long-side ratio of 1:√2, approximately 1:1.414. Its paper dimensions are rounded to whole millimeters, so the ratios vary very slightly between sizes. The familiar dimensions are:
| Paper | Millimeters | Inches, approximately |
|---|---|---|
| A5 | 148 × 210 | 5.83 × 8.27 |
| A4 | 210 × 297 | 8.27 × 11.69 |
| A3 | 297 × 420 | 11.69 × 16.54 |
| A2 | 420 × 594 | 16.54 × 23.39 |
| A1 | 594 × 841 | 23.39 × 33.11 |
A ratio master is convenient for this family, but a printer requiring exact trim dimensions, bleed or crop marks needs a file prepared to its specification. Adobe provides a reference for the A-series format.
Crop or add white borders? See the difference.
Here is the same 2:3 artwork prepared for a 4:5 frame, such as 8 × 10 inches. A crop fills the frame by removing image area. A fit layout keeps the whole image and adds white space to the sides. Neither option stretches the artwork.
Original · 2:3
3,000 × 4,500 pixels
The full composition, before fitting an 8 × 10 inch frame.
Crop to fill · 4:5
3,000 × 3,750 pixels
Fills the frame. This centered crop removes 375 pixels from both the top and bottom.
Fit with borders · 4:5
3,600 × 4,500 pixel canvas
Keeps the 3,000 × 4,500 pixel artwork. A 300-pixel white border fills each side.
Start with your largest original. In a fill crop, move the artwork until faces, signatures and the intended focal point sit comfortably inside the frame. Check every selected ratio separately: a crop that works at 2:3 can cut off an important detail at 4:5.
If removing any part of the image would spoil it, use a fit option that keeps the whole composition and adds a border. Tell the buyer that the border is part of the file. Never stretch the artwork independently in each direction to force a fit.
Try both layouts with your own artwork. Select a ratio, compare “Crop to fill” with “Keep the whole artwork,” and check the preview before exporting.
A matching ratio is only half the check
A 2,400 × 3,600 pixel file has the correct shape for 24 × 36 inches, but at that size it supplies only 100 pixels per inch. At 300 PPI it supports 8 × 12 inches. List the sizes your exported pixels support, rather than every size that shares the ratio.
Next, calculate the print size from your exported pixels. If you are selling the download, follow our Etsy file preparation and ZIP packaging guide so the buyer can find the correct file.