Image Resolution Checker for Print

Will your images print clearly?

A photograph can look sharp on a screen and still look soft in a printed book. The useful question is how much original image detail will cover each inch of paper. This image resolution checker for print compares the dimensions stored in your file with the space you plan to give it in your layout. Upload images to see their real print size at 300 dpi without resampling. Choose the book trim to compare page placements. A separate 600 dpi size for line art appears in the shared workspace. The checker automatically finds the largest suitable placement. Each image is counted only once, in its largest suitable placement at 300 dpi; a shortfall of up to 5% is marked as a slight scale-up.

Use the result to make a practical layout decision. A dark category means the image meets the target for that placement; a “slight scale-up” label identifies a size shortfall of up to 5%. A lower result identifies an image to review before you finish the book. Resolution is one part of preparation: focus, compression, contrast, colour and the quality of the original photograph still matter. A sharpness problem already visible in the original does not disappear when the resolution calculation passes.

Pixels, dpi and the “72 DPI” label

Digital images are built from a grid of picture elements. Strictly speaking, image resolution is ppi (pixels per inch); this checker uses the familiar print term dpi. An embedded resolution value is a suggested relationship between the file and a physical size. It is useful metadata, but it does not describe whether the image has enough detail for every possible use.

A file labelled “72 dpi” may have enough original detail for a good book illustration. A file labelled “300 dpi” may be too small for the intended placement. Changing that label without resampling does not add image detail. This checker therefore divides the actual pixel dimensions by the target resolution to show the real print size. Select a file to compare effective dpi for each placement. It displays embedded resolution separately, when the format contains a usable value, so that the metadata does not get mistaken for the verdict.

How to check the DPI of an image on Mac, Windows or in Photoshop

On a Mac, open the image in Preview, choose Tools > Show Inspector and look at Image DPI on the General Info tab. In Windows, right-click the file, choose Properties > Details and read Horizontal resolution and Vertical resolution. In Photoshop, open Image > Image Size and look at Resolution. All three show the stored label, which says nothing about the space the image will occupy in your book.

This checker reads the same label and the pixel dimensions behind it. It shows the original print size at the stored resolution, the size at 300 dpi, the colour mode and bit depth, and which page placement the image can fill without being enlarged. You can check a whole folder of illustrations at once instead of opening each file.

Check image size for KDP: full bleed or text width

Start with the trim size your book will use. Trim is the finished page size after cutting. An image placed inside the text area usually prints smaller than the page. Enter your top, bottom, inside and outside margins. No margins are assumed. With the lock closed, editing one margin keeps all four equal. Starting an edit in another field opens the lock. Closing it restores the last shared value, or the largest entered margin if no shared value exists. Empty margins stay empty. Unlink them to set each independently. Text area width is trim width minus inside and outside margins, and text height is trim height minus top and bottom margins. You can also enter the text area width and height; each dimension sets the corresponding two margins equally, and changing margins recalculates both dimensions. The checker classifies each image as Full page with bleed, Half page with bleed, Full text area, Half text area or Smaller. Click a category in the report to filter the list.

The Full page with bleed category identifies images that can reach the page edges. For this placement, the checker uses the trim width plus the outside bleed, and the trim height plus top and bottom bleed. KDP’s paperback guidance adds 0.125 inch at the outside edge and 0.125 inch at both the top and bottom. The checker compares both directions and uses the lower effective resolution. A size shortfall of up to 5% can qualify an image for a placement, marked slight scale-up. Otherwise the image moves to the next smaller category. Review the crop in your layout as well: a different image shape may require you to crop away part of the original.

If you crop the source file heavily, check the cropped version. Otherwise, the calculation includes detail you will later discard. If you enlarge an image again after placing it, repeat the check at the new size. Your final exported PDF also needs inspection, because layout and export settings can change the images that reach the printer. Keep original image files available alongside the manuscript; a pasted preview is an uncertain starting point for production.

300 dpi for photographs and line art sizes

This tool uses 300 dpi as its reference for photos and illustrations. KDP’s print guidance calls for images at a minimum of 300 DPI. The checker’s intermediate verdicts are practical review bands chosen for this tool. They help you distinguish a small shortfall from a substantial one; they are not separate printer acceptance rules. Select a file to see one page diagram and a placement slider below the resolution bar. The logarithmic slider runs from 1% to 400%, with 100% at the centre, with the image at its natural 300 dpi size. Move left to reduce the printed image and right to enlarge it. Four buttons set full or half page placements with bleed, or fit the whole image within full or half text areas. The image keeps its proportions. Drag it on the sheet to adjust the composition; artwork outside the sheet is clipped. Reset to native size when you want to compare another placement.

A result above the reference stays dark. Extra resolution does not earn a stronger verdict here: above 300 dpi meets this checker’s reference, without making a promise about visible detail. For monochrome line art, diagrams and scans of text, select a file to see its separate print size at 600 dpi. Fine edges deserve closer inspection than continuous-tone photographs. Ask your printer about requirements for specialised artwork and assess an actual printed proof before approving the finished book.

What to do when an image is too small

First, find the best original. A camera export, a scanned master or an original illustration may contain more detail than the copy inserted into a word processing document. Repeatedly saving a compressed copy can also make visible defects worse. Keep a clear record of which file belongs to each illustration so that the designer can replace temporary images without guessing. Our note on images in Word and original files explains why supplying originals helps.

Next, try a smaller placement. The maximum print size beside each result shows a width and height at the selected reference. Those measurements are a useful starting point for discussing a revised layout. Upsampling creates additional image data through interpolation; it cannot guarantee recovery of missing source detail. Inspect important images closely and consider a new scan, a replacement photograph, or professional retouching. Book interior layout and image preparation can bring those decisions together.

Check image DPI online before committing to a layout

Begin with the original file whenever possible. To check image DPI, choose the file and read its pixel dimensions, then compare the natural print size with the space the illustration needs. This is a way to calculate print size from pixels, rather than judge a photograph by a number stored in its metadata. For example, 1200 × 1800 pixels divided by 300 gives 4 × 6 inches. The arithmetic describes how densely those pixels will be placed on paper; it does not tell you whether they contain sharp detail.

Use the sheet preview as a composition test. At 100%, the image is centred in the text area. Reducing its scale makes the same pixels cover less paper, so effective dpi rises. Enlarging it spreads them across more paper, so dpi falls. A portrait illustration and a landscape photograph need different treatment in a half-page space. The preset buttons choose the orientation from the image: a landscape image uses the upper half, while a portrait image uses half the width and the full height.

Bleed and text placements solve different problems. A bleed placement fills its target rectangle, so some artwork may be cropped. A text-area placement keeps the complete image visible within the available rectangle. After choosing a preset, inspect the sheet and drag the image to protect the subject. Look for faces, lettering or small details near a cut edge. The preview clips artwork outside the sheet, so you can see what the page will retain. Your final layout application still controls the actual exported crop.

For 300 DPI for book printing, check the intended image size for KDP after choosing trim and margins. Enter decimal inches with either a point or comma; the tool displays both consistently with a decimal point. Link the margins when all four should match. Closing the lock restores the last common value, or uses the largest value if there was no common value. Unlink them again for a binding-side allowance or another asymmetric arrangement. The text width updates from inside and outside margins.

A batch report is most useful when its filenames match the files your designer will receive. Keep meaningful names, group related illustrations and retain the originals. Uploading a mixture of large and small files helps you see which images can fill a page and which need a smaller place in the text. Use the category filters to review one group, then return to the image count to show everything. The copyable report records measurements for discussion; it does not modify or resample your source files.

If the numbers look good but the photograph looks poor, believe the photograph. Inspect focus, compression blocks, halos and any earlier enlargement. Try a smaller placement, ask for the original, or consider a different image. For examples of why an image pasted into a manuscript can be an uncertain source, read images in Word versus original files for print. Finish by checking the exported book PDF and, where appropriate, a printed proof.

Image resolution checker FAQ

Can a DPI checker tell whether my image is sharp?

Changing only the embedded value does not add detail. The effective resolution changes when the same image is printed at a different size. Judge the file at its final placement.

Can I check TIFF and Photoshop files?

Yes. The checker reads TIFF and PSD headers for dimensions and colour information. It previews common 8-bit TIFF files (uncompressed, LZW, PackBits and Deflate) and PSD embedded JPEG thumbnails or 8-bit raw / PackBits composites. Unsupported previews use a compact file icon; dimensions remain available. Unsupported or damaged headers receive an explanation.

Does a print-ready result guarantee a good printed photograph?

It confirms that the resolution meets the selected target at the chosen size. It cannot confirm focus, lighting, image rights, colour appearance or whether compression damage will be visible.

How do I check line art?

Select a file to see its print size at 600 dpi for artwork built from fine monochrome edges, including scans of text. Confirm specialised requirements with your printer.

Does this image resolution checker for print convert colours?

No. RGB, CMYK, Grayscale, Bitmap and Indexed describe header information. Previews use a simple RGB rendering of CMYK without color profile conversion. The checker does not change profiles, flatten layers or prepare a print-ready PDF.

Are my files uploaded anywhere?

No. The browser reads your selected files locally. You can copy a text report to share with your designer, while keeping the original files on your computer.

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