What DPI do I need for printing?
300 DPI at the size you are printing. DPI on its own means nothing — a 300 DPI file printed at twice its native size is 150 DPI on paper. Apex wall art is one 4:5 file at 300 DPI that prints sharp at 8×10, 11×14, 16×20 and 24×30 inches; a 72 DPI screen image will not print sharp at 12 inches, whatever the label says.
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The arithmetic
Pixels ÷ inches = DPI. A 3600 × 4500 pixel file is 300 DPI at 12 × 15 inches and 150 DPI at 24 × 30. Below about 200 DPI on paper, edges soften; below 150, they visibly pixelate at arm's length.
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What 300 DPI buys you
Text and fine lines stay crisp at reading distance. For wall art viewed from across a room, 150–200 DPI is often indistinguishable — which is why a 4:5 300 DPI file still looks right at 24 × 30.
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What the file's DPI tag does not do
The DPI stored in a file is a label, not pixels. Changing 72 to 300 in an editor adds no detail. Only pixel count matters.
Is 150 DPI ever enough?+
For large-format posters viewed at distance, yes. For anything read up close, no.
Do print labs check DPI?+
Most warn when the upload is below their threshold for the ordered size. Take the warning seriously.
What DPI are Apex stickers?+
300 DPI transparent PNGs. Print them at or below native size.
- —A 300 DPI label does not make a small image large — only pixels do.
- —Apex wall art is not sized beyond 24 × 30; larger prints are outside the tested sizes.
One file, four sizes, all at print resolution.
Every wall-art download is a 4:5 file at 300 DPI — 8×10 through 24×30 without a second purchase.