Wall Art Ratio Checker: Match the ratio before you sell
Printable wall art sizes fall into five ratio families: 2:3, 3:4, 4:5, 11×14 and the ISO A sizes. A file prints at every size in its own family without cropping.
For any other family it needs a crop. Each file also needs enough pixels for its largest size at 300 DPI, such as 7200 × 10800 px for a 24×36 print.
Upload your file or enter its dimensions in the wall art ratio checker to see which sizes it fits.
Wall art ratio checker
Drop your artwork or type its pixel size, and you'll see which frame sizes it fits.
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How the crop is worked out
Every print size has a shape, the ratio of its long side to its short side. 8 × 10 and 16 × 20 are both 4:5, so one 4:5 file prints at either size. 8 × 12 is 2:3, a longer shape.
When the image and the frame have different shapes, the image is scaled to fill the frame and the extra is cut off. The crop shown is the share of the image that gets cut, from the sides or from the top and bottom.
The DPI at each size is the pixels left after cropping, divided by the print size. 300 DPI looks sharp up close, 150 DPI is fine for posters seen from across a room.
Etsy printable sellers usually include one file per shape, each at the largest common size, so buyers can print any size in that shape.
Print ratio chart
| Ratio | Print sizes | Largest at 300 DPI |
|---|---|---|
| 2:3 | 4 × 6 in, 8 × 12 in, 12 × 18 in, 16 × 24 in, 20 × 30 in, 24 × 36 in | 7200 × 10800 px |
| 3:4 | 6 × 8 in, 9 × 12 in, 30 × 40 cm, 12 × 16 in, 18 × 24 in | 5400 × 7200 px |
| 4:5 | 4 × 5 in, 8 × 10 in, 40 × 50 cm, 16 × 20 in, 24 × 30 in | 7200 × 9000 px |
| 11:14 | 11 × 14 in, 22 × 28 in | 6600 × 8400 px |
| ISO A | A5 (14.8 × 21 cm), A4 (21 × 29.7 cm), A3 (29.7 × 42 cm), A2 (42 × 59.4 cm), A1 (59.4 × 84.1 cm) | 7016 × 9933 px |
| 5:7 | 5 × 7 in, 50 × 70 cm | 5906 × 8268 px |
| 1:1 | 8 × 8 in, 10 × 10 in, 12 × 12 in, 20 × 20 in | 6000 × 6000 px |
Pixels are for portrait prints. Swap them for landscape. A file in one ratio prints at every size in that row without cropping.
Key takeaways
- Ratio decides whether a print fits a frame. Pixels decide whether it prints sharp.
- Make one master file per ratio family, sized for the largest print in that family.
- Etsy allows five files per digital listing, which matches the five ratio families.
- Typing 300 into a DPI box adds no detail. Only more pixels do.
How to use the wall art ratio checker
The checker reads your image size and tells you three things: the frame sizes it fits without cropping, how much each other size would need to lose, and the pixels each size needs at 300 DPI.
- Upload the file or type in its width and height in pixels.
- Read the “fits without cropping” list. These sizes print edge to edge with nothing cut.
- Look at the crop figure for the other sizes. A trim under about 3% rarely touches the design. A trim over 10% will cut into anything near the edges.
- Compare your pixels with the 300 DPI figure for the largest size you want to sell. If you’re short, that size will print soft.
DPI means dots per inch, how many image pixels land on each inch of paper. At 300 DPI, an 8×10 print needs 2400 × 3000 px.
Print ratio chart
Most common frame sizes belong to one of these families. Sizes in the same row share a shape, so one file scales to all of them.
| Ratio | Common sizes (inches) | Pixels for the largest at 300 DPI |
|---|---|---|
| 2:3 | 4×6, 8×12, 12×18, 16×24, 20×30, 24×36 | 7200 × 10800 (24×36) |
| 3:4 | 6×8, 9×12, 12×16, 18×24 | 5400 × 7200 (18×24) |
| 4:5 | 8×10, 16×20 | 4800 × 6000 (16×20) |
| 11×14 | 11×14 | 3300 × 4200 |
| ISO A | A5, A4, A3, A2, A1 | 7016 × 9933 (A1) |
ISO A sizes are the paper sizes used outside North America. They all share a 1:√2 shape, about 1:1.414 (ISO 216), and A4 is 210 × 297 mm.
2:3 ratio print sizes
The 2:3 family covers the most sizes, from a 4×6 snapshot to a 24×36 poster. It’s also the shape many cameras shoot in, so photographs often fit it without any crop.
For a 2:3 master file, build it at 7200 × 10800 px. That covers 24×36 at 300 DPI, and every smaller 2:3 size scales down from the same file. If 24×36 is more than you want to offer, 20×30 needs 6000 × 9000 px.
Worked example: one 4800 × 6000 px design
An example of how the checker reads a file: you finish a botanical print at 4800 × 6000 px, a 4:5 shape.
The checker shows it fits 8×10 and 16×20 with no crop, and 4800 × 6000 is exactly the 300 DPI size for 16×20. So the 4:5 file is done.
The other families need trimming from the width:
- 11×14 loses 86 px, under 2%. Nobody will notice.
- 3:4 loses 300 px, about 6%. Fine if nothing sits close to the sides.
- ISO A loses 557 px, almost 12%.
- 2:3 loses 800 px, about 17%. Leaves on the edges would be cut.
So you’d make the 11×14 and 3:4 files by cropping, then go back to the design and extend the background for the A and 2:3 versions, instead of cutting. Run your own file through the ratio checker to get the same breakdown.
The 300 DPI setting that changes nothing
A common tip tells you to set your image to 300 DPI before uploading. Changing that number in Photoshop or Canva without changing the pixel count only edits a label inside the file. The print comes out exactly as sharp as before.
What matters is pixel count compared with print size. A 2400 × 3000 px file prints cleanly at 8×10 and turns soft at 16×20, whatever DPI the file claims. The image DPI checker shows what size your file really supports, and the DPI calculator works out the pixels for any size.
Mistakes Etsy print sellers make with sizes
- Selling one file for every size. A 4:5 file stretched or cropped to 2:3 by the buyer’s print shop loses the edges. Give each family its own file.
- Exporting PNG for big sizes. Etsy caps each file at 20 MB (Etsy Help Center), and a large PNG goes over it fast. A high-quality JPG keeps the same print quality at a fraction of the size.
- Skipping A sizes. Buyers in the UK and Europe frame in A4 and A3. Without an A file, they crop your 3:4 or 4:5 version themselves.
- Treating near-misses as matches. A 5×7 (1:1.40) sits very close to the A shape (1:1.414), and 11×14 sits close to 4:5. US Letter, 8.5×11, matches none of the five, so it always needs a small crop.
- Putting important details at the edges. Text or a border close to the edge is the first thing a crop removes. Keep a margin of open space so near-miss sizes print safely. How to add bleed in Canva for prints covers the setup.
Which files to put in your listing
Etsy lets you attach up to five files to a digital listing. Use one per ratio family:
- A 2:3 file at 7200 × 10800 px
- A 3:4 file at 5400 × 7200 px
- A 4:5 file at 4800 × 6000 px
- An 11×14 file at 3300 × 4200 px
- An ISO A file at 7016 × 9933 px (A1), or 4961 × 7016 px (A2) if you’d rather keep files smaller
If you also want to offer landscape versions, ZIP each family’s portrait and landscape files together so you still use only five slots. Etsy accepts ZIP uploads, but every ZIP must stay under 20 MB.
If you’re new to printables, selling digital vs physical products on Etsy covers what changes when the buyer prints at home.
FAQ
What are the most popular printable wall art sizes?
In the US, 8×10, 11×14, 16×20 and 18×24 are standard ready-made frame sizes, along with 24×36 for posters. In the UK and Europe, A4 and A3 are the usual choices. Covering all five ratio families means a buyer can print any of them.
What ratio is 8×10?
An 8×10 print is a 4:5 ratio. It shares that shape with 16×20, so one 4800 × 6000 px file covers both at 300 DPI.
Can I print a 2:3 image as an 8×10?
Yes, but you’ll lose about 17% of the long side, because 8×10 is wider for its height than 2:3. If the design has text or detail near the top or bottom, make a separate 4:5 version instead of letting the print shop crop it.
Is 5×7 the same ratio as A4?
Almost. A 5×7 is 1:1.40 and A4 is 1:1.414, so a 5×7 file fits an A4 sheet with only a sliver trimmed. Most buyers won’t see the difference.
What resolution do I need for a 24×36 print?
At 300 DPI, a 24×36 print needs 7200 × 10800 px. Posters viewed from across a room still look good at 150 DPI (3600 × 5400 px), which helps if the full-size file is too large for Etsy’s 20 MB limit.
How do I tell buyers which file to use?
Name each file after its family and sizes, such as “4×5-ratio_8x10_16x20.jpg”, and add a short PDF guide listing which file prints at which frame size. Clear names cut down on “which file do I print?” messages after the sale.
Check your next printable
Run every new design through the wall art ratio checker before you list it, and fix the crops at the design stage while it’s still easy. Then confirm the pixels for your largest size with the DPI calculator.