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Resize a Photo for 4×6 Printing

The 4×6 is the default print at every drugstore kiosk and photo lab, and its 2:3 ratio happens to match most camera sensors — but not most phone photos, which shoot at 4:3. That mismatch is why labs silently trim the edges off your pictures. Cropping to the print ratio yourself decides what gets trimmed.

Resize by

Output: 1200 × 1800 px, DPI written to the file.

If the shape doesn't match
85%

or drag & drop images here, or paste from your clipboard

PNG, JPG, WebP, AVIF, GIF, BMP, TIFF, HEIC, SVG

How it works

  1. 1

    Add your photo

    The resizer is preset to 4×6 in (4″ × 6″) at 300 DPI — that's 1200 × 1800 pixels.

  2. 2

    Choose crop or pad

    Photos rarely match print proportions exactly; crop-to-fill trims the overflow, pad adds borders instead.

  3. 3

    Check the sharpness

    For top quality you want 1200 × 1800 px; 600 × 900 px still looks fine at arm's length.

  4. 4

    Download and print

    The DPI value is written into the file so print software sizes it correctly.

Common uses

  • Crop phone photos to 2:3 so the lab doesn't trim them blindly
  • Check that a photo has enough pixels before ordering prints
  • Prepare a batch of vacation photos for a kiosk or mail-order lab
  • Frame the crop deliberately instead of losing edges to auto-crop

Good to know

  • A sharp 4×6 print needs 1200×1800 pixels (4 in × 300 and 6 in × 300) at the standard 300 DPI print resolution.
  • 600×900 pixels — 150 DPI — still prints acceptably for casual snapshots viewed at arm's length, though fine detail softens.
  • Phone photos are usually 4:3, but this print is 2:3, so some cropping is unavoidable — do it here on your terms.
  • Print from the original photo, not a copy that was compressed by messaging apps, which can quietly cut resolution below print quality.

Frequently asked questions

How many pixels do I need for a 4×6 print?

1200×1800 pixels for full 300 DPI quality. Around 600×900 (150 DPI) is still acceptable for casual prints, but below that, softness becomes obvious.

Can I just change the DPI number to make my photo printable?

No — DPI is only an instruction for how large to print the pixels you already have. Changing 72 to 300 in a file's metadata doesn't add detail; only more actual pixels do that.

Why did the lab cut off the edges of my photo?

Your photo's aspect ratio didn't match the print's 2:3 ratio, so the lab cropped it to fit — usually a center crop with no judgment about the composition. Cropping to 2:3 before ordering prevents it.

Is my photo good enough to print if it looks fine on screen?

Not necessarily. Screens display around 100–200 pixels per inch and forgive a lot; print at 300 DPI is less forgiving. Check the pixel dimensions rather than trusting how it looks on a monitor.

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