A4 Size in Pixels: DPI Reference Table

A4 is 2480 × 3508 pixels at 300 DPI — the standard for professional print. At 72 DPI (screen), it's 595 × 842 pixels. The exact number depends entirely on the DPI (dots per inch) you're working at.

A4 measures 210 × 297 mm (8.27 × 11.69 inches) as a physical size. Pixels are not a fixed unit — they're dots on a grid, and the grid's density (DPI) determines how many dots fit into those 210 × 297 mm.

Full A4 Pixel Dimensions by DPI

The math: multiply each physical dimension in inches by the DPI. At 300 DPI: 8.27 × 300 = 2481 (rounded to 2480) and 11.69 × 300 = 3507 (rounded to 3508). Minor rounding is normal — different tools may show values ±1 pixel.

A4 Size in Pixels at Every DPI

Each DPI setting exists because screens and printers operate at different densities. Understanding which to use saves you from printing a blurry document or sending an unnecessarily large file.

72 DPI — 595 × 842 pixels

72 DPI was the original Mac screen standard and became the default for on-screen documents. PDF viewers, presentation software, and document templates often default to 72 DPI. If you're exporting an image that will only ever be viewed on screen — never printed — 72 DPI is sufficient and keeps file sizes small.

A 595 × 842 image at 72 DPI looks sharp on a monitor. Printed at full size, it will appear noticeably soft.

96 DPI — 794 × 1123 pixels

96 DPI is Windows' default screen resolution. Web browsers on Windows render at 96 DPI, which is why many web-focused tools default to this setting. If you're creating an image that will be embedded in a web page and needs to represent an A4 document at actual size on a Windows screen, 96 DPI is the right setting.

150 DPI — 1240 × 1754 pixels

150 DPI is the working sweet spot for draft prints and internal documents. It produces prints that are clearly readable and look reasonably sharp on most home and office printers, at roughly one-quarter the file size of 300 DPI. Good for: client draft reviews, internal reports, presentations printed on office printers.

For more on how DPI affects output quality, see how to change image DPI. If you need to reduce the file size of your A4 image for email or web use, see how to reduce image size.

300 DPI — 2480 × 3508 pixels

300 DPI is the professional print standard. Commercial printers, print-on-demand services, and press-ready PDF workflows all expect 300 DPI. Below 300 DPI, printed images often show visible pixelation when examined closely, especially in photographs and fine-detail graphics.

If a print shop asks for your file, send 300 DPI unless they specify otherwise.

600 DPI — 4960 × 7016 pixels

600 DPI is used for archival scans, technical line drawings, and high-end print reproduction. Most designers never need it. The file size is four times larger than 300 DPI with minimal visible difference in typical print work.

A4 vs Letter Size in Pixels

A4 is the ISO 216 international standard, used in Europe, Asia, Australia, and most of the world. Letter (8.5 × 11 inches) is the North American standard. They're close but not identical — mixing them up causes layout issues when documents cross borders.

Key differences:

• A4 is taller and narrower than Letter
• Letter is shorter and wider than A4
• At 300 DPI, A4 has 208 more pixels of height but 70 fewer pixels of width
• A4's aspect ratio is 1:√2 (approximately 1:1.414), a mathematical property of the ISO 216 series — each size is exactly half the next size up (A3 folded = A4, A4 folded = A5)

If you're designing for an international audience, default to A4. If your audience is primarily North American, use Letter. Never mix page sizes in the same document unless your layout tool handles the conversion.

For reference on other standard image dimensions, see standard photo dimensions. If you work with other print document sizes, see US Letter size in pixels (2550×3300 at 300 DPI), business card size in pixels (1050×600 at 300 DPI), and book cover size for common trim size pixel dimensions.

When to Use Which DPI

Pick your DPI based on where the output ends up:

Screen only (website, app, email preview): 72 or 96 DPI. File size is smaller, load time is faster, and the image looks the same as a 300 DPI image on a screen because monitors don't render at 300 DPI anyway. To understand why, read what is image resolution.

Draft print (internal review, office printer): 150 DPI. Readable, fast to export, significantly smaller file than 300 DPI. A good choice for any print that isn't going to a commercial printer or customer.

Professional print (brochures, books, press-ready PDFs, business cards): 300 DPI. Non-negotiable for commercial print work. If the output gets physically printed and handed to a customer, use 300 DPI.

Technical drawings, archival scans: 600 DPI. Only if the content has fine lines or details that would be lost at 300 DPI — technical schematics, hand-drawn artwork scanned for print reproduction, or archival document digitization.

A common mistake: resizing a 72 DPI image up to 300 DPI. That does not add resolution — it just enlarges the pixels. The image will be 2480 × 3508 in dimension but still look soft when printed. Start with a high-resolution source, or use a tool that applies proper upscaling. See how to reduce image size for the inverse problem — when you need smaller files.

How to Resize an Image to A4 Dimensions

Using Pixotter (Fastest)

1. Go to Pixotter's resize tool
2. Drop your image onto the tool
3. Enter the target dimensions — for example, 2480 × 3508 for A4 at 300 DPI
4. Set the resize mode to "Exact" if you need precise dimensions
5. Download the result

Everything runs in your browser via WebAssembly. No upload, no account, no waiting. If the resized file is still too large, run it through Pixotter's compressor afterward.

Using Photoshop

1. Open the image
2. Go to Image > Image Size
3. Set the resolution to 300 pixels/inch
4. Set width to 8.27 inches and height to 11.69 inches (or set pixels directly: 2480 × 3508)
5. Choose Bicubic Sharper for downscaling or Preserve Details 2.0 for upscaling
6. Click OK

Using GIMP 2.10+

1. Open the image
2. Go to Image > Scale Image
3. Set width to 2480 and height to 3508 pixels
4. Set the interpolation method to Cubic (for general use) or NoHalo (for text/line art)
5. Click Scale
6. Export via File > Export As

FAQ

What is A4 size in pixels at 300 DPI? A4 at 300 DPI is 2480 × 3508 pixels. This is the standard dimension for press-ready and professional print documents. Most print services require 300 DPI, so this is the number to use when submitting to a commercial printer.

What is A4 size in pixels at 72 DPI? A4 at 72 DPI is 595 × 842 pixels. This is the standard dimension for on-screen PDF documents and is the default in many document export tools. It's appropriate for screen-only use — not for printing.

What is A4 size in pixels at 96 DPI? A4 at 96 DPI is 794 × 1123 pixels. Windows renders at 96 DPI by default, making this the standard for web-based document representations on Windows devices.

Is A4 the same as 8.5 × 11? No. A4 is 8.27 × 11.69 inches (210 × 297 mm). The 8.5 × 11 format is called "Letter" and is the North American standard. A4 is taller and narrower than Letter. At 300 DPI, A4 is 2480 × 3508 px and Letter is 2550 × 3300 px.

Why does my tool show slightly different pixel dimensions for A4? Minor variations (±1 pixel) come from rounding. 8.27 inches × 300 DPI = 2481 exactly, but most tools round to 2480. 11.69 × 300 = 3507, but most tools use 3508. These differences are harmless and won't affect print quality.

Can I print a 595 × 842 image on an A4 page? You can, but it will print at 72 DPI — which looks soft for most content, especially photographs. If you print it scaled to fill the A4 page, the printer interpolates the missing pixels, which reduces sharpness further. For anything you're printing to give to someone else, use the 300 DPI dimensions (2480 × 3508).

Get the Right Dimensions Every Time

A4 at 300 DPI is 2480 × 3508 pixels. A4 at 72 DPI is 595 × 842 pixels. Pick the DPI based on where the output goes — screen or print — and you'll have exactly what you need.