Resize an image to 4x6 inches
Prepare a photo for standard 4 x 6 inch printing. The tool is set to 1200 x 1800 pixels, which is 4 x 6 inches at 300 DPI — the resolution photo labs expect.
or tap to browse — add several to resize them all the same way
Resize by pixels, by percentage, or with a preset for Instagram, passport photos and more.
Why 1200 x 1800 pixels
Print sizes are measured in inches, but image files are measured in pixels, and DPI connects the two. At the 300 DPI that photo printers use, a 4 inch edge needs 1200 pixels and a 6 inch edge needs 1800. Supplying fewer pixels leaves the printer to invent the difference, which is what makes prints look soft.
The same print at other resolutions
At 300 DPI a 4 x 6 photo is 1200 x 1800 pixels, which is what print labs expect. At 150 DPI it is 600 x 900, acceptable for a draft or a document. At 72 DPI it is 288 x 432, which is screen resolution only and will look blocky on paper. Multiply the inches by the DPI for either edge and you have the answer for any resolution.
Why the same photo has two different sizes
Inches describe a physical print; pixels describe a file. DPI is the exchange rate between them. A file has no inherent physical size, so asking how big a 4 x 6 photo is in pixels only has an answer once you fix the DPI — which is why you will see several different numbers quoted for the same print size.
Check your photo has enough detail to start with
Resizing up to 1200 x 1800 does not add real detail. If your original is smaller than that, the print will look soft no matter what. Photos straight from a modern phone are comfortably larger than this and will print well.
Frequently asked questions
What resolution do I need for a 4x6 print?
1200 x 1800 pixels, which is 300 DPI. You can print from as low as 200 DPI, or 800 x 1200 pixels, but the result will look noticeably less crisp up close.
My photo is a different shape — will it be cropped?
A 4 x 6 print is a 2:3 ratio. Most phone photos are 3:4, so the "Fill and crop" mode will trim the long edges. Use "Fit inside" instead if you would rather keep the entire image and accept white borders.
How many pixels is a 4x6 photo?
1200 x 1800 pixels at 300 DPI, which is what print labs use. At 150 DPI it is 600 x 900, and at 72 DPI it is 288 x 432.
Is 4x6 the same as 6x4?
The same print, rotated. 4 x 6 is portrait and 6 x 4 is landscape, so at 300 DPI one is 1200 x 1800 pixels and the other is 1800 x 1200. Match the orientation to your photo or it will be cropped.
Can I print a 4x6 photo from a 1MB file?
Usually yes. File size in megabytes and pixel dimensions are different things — a well-compressed JPEG at 1200 x 1800 is often under 1MB and prints perfectly well. Check the pixel dimensions, not the file size.