Poster and canvas size guide

Common sizes, what they suit and how big a photo you need. A picture is sharp enough when it has about 150 pixels for every inch of the print (200 for posters you read up close).

Poster and canvas sizes

Size	Millimetres	Ratio	Suits
8 x 10 in	203 x 254	4:5	Shelf, desk, hallway
12 x 18 in	305 x 457	2:3	Small wall, desk
16 x 20 in	406 x 508	4:5	Bedroom, small gallery wall
16 x 24 in	406 x 610	2:3	Above a desk or a bed
20 x 30 in	508 x 762	2:3	Living room, above a sideboard
24 x 36 in	610 x 914	2:3	Statement piece above a sofa
12 x 36 in	305 x 914	3:1	Panoramic: above a bed or a console

How big a photo do I need?

Print size	Pixels for 150 dpi	Phone photo of
8 x 10 in	1200 x 1500	2 megapixels
16 x 20 in	2400 x 3000	7 megapixels
20 x 30 in	3000 x 4500	14 megapixels
24 x 36 in	3600 x 5400	19 megapixels

Canvas edges

On a gallery-wrap canvas about 4 cm (1.5 in) of the picture turns the corner. Keep faces, text and logos away from the outer edge, or choose a mirrored or solid-colour edge so nothing is lost.