Paper size in pixels

Start with the sheet, then choose a pixel grid

A paper format has a physical size. It has no single pixel count until you choose the image PPI. For each edge, multiply inches by PPI; when starting in millimeters, divide by 25.4 first. The W3C page-size definitions list the sheet dimensions used here. US sizes keep their stated inch basis; A-series sizes keep their stated millimeter basis.

US Letter: a full page and a half-inch margin

At 300 PPI, an 8.5 × 11 in Letter sheet needs 2,550 × 3,300 pixels. Reserve 0.5 in at the left, right, top and bottom: the content rectangle becomes 7.5 × 10 in, or 2,250 × 3,000 pixels. The page itself stays Letter size. A margin is space inside it.

Using 150 PPI halves each pixel dimension, so the full sheet becomes 1,275 × 1,650 pixels. Its physical size stays the same. Doubling both pixel dimensions means four times as many pixels overall.

A4 is close to Letter, but has a different shape

A4 is 210 × 297 mm. At 300 PPI its unrounded grid is about 2,480.315 × 3,507.874 pixels, displayed here as 2,480 × 3,508. With a 10 mm margin on each edge, the content rectangle is 190 × 277 mm, or about 2,244 × 3,272 pixels. Select landscape to exchange width and height.

Moving a design between Letter and A4 can require a new layout, cropping or borders. For an existing photograph, use the pixels-to-inches converter and print planner to compare those fitting choices.

Rounding a canvas is different from rounding its margins

This page rounds each finished dimension to the nearest whole pixel. It also shows the physical size represented by that rounded grid. A margin guide may fall between pixels: rounding the sheet, both margins and content independently does not always add up exactly. Set physical dimensions in page-layout software when possible, and confirm pixel requirements for raster artwork.

The print bleed calculator deliberately rounds its enlarged canvas up to avoid falling short of an outside allowance. That different purpose explains a possible one-pixel difference; bleed is not included on this page.

Your margin does not establish what a printer can print

A device can have a non-printable border, and that border varies by printer. The W3C page terminology distinguishes it from the sheet. Check the device or print provider’s limits before placing content near an edge. This uniform-margin helper does not model asymmetric binding space or a printer’s actual printable area.

Image PPI also differs from printer DPI. Adobe’s resolution guide explains image resolution and output quality. More requested pixels cannot restore missing detail. Check an existing image with the image PPI calculator.

This tool calculates dimensions on your device; it creates no artwork and stores no inputs. Reviewed September 17, 2026. Send corrections to contact@pixelstoinches.org.