A PrintScale guide
What resolution do I need for an A2 poster?
Use A2's 42.0 × 59.4 cm dimensions to turn a print-shop resolution request into an exact pixel target.
By PrintScale · Updated
Calculate from centimetres
The calculation is pixels = centimetres ÷ 2.54 × PPI, rounded to a whole pixel for each side. Use the final trimmed size unless the print shop provides a template with extra bleed. Landscape A2 simply exchanges width and height; it needs the same total number of pixels.
The density of pixels in the image is PPI. DPI technically describes the printer's dots, although the two labels are often used interchangeably in file instructions.
Check the image before committing to a size
A larger pixel count is useful only alongside a source that contains usable detail. Look for motion blur, missed focus and compression blocks at full size. If you enlarge with AI, check faces, lettering and fine repeated textures because reconstructed details can be inaccurate.
For a poster seen from farther away, ask whether 150 PPI is acceptable. For close viewing, 300 PPI is a common starting point. A 600 PPI file contains four times as many pixels as a 300 PPI file of the same physical size, without automatically looking four times sharper.
A2 pixel reference table
| Image density | Paper size, cm | Required pixels | Approximate megapixels |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 PPI | 42.0 × 59.4 | 2,480 × 3,508 | 8.7 |
| 300 PPI | 42.0 × 59.4 | 4,961 × 7,016 | 34.8 |
| 600 PPI | 42.0 × 59.4 | 9,921 × 14,031 | 139.2 |
Rounding independently from millimetres matters: doubling an already rounded pixel figure can differ by one pixel from a fresh calculation. Use one method consistently throughout your print preparation.
Leave room for the crop
A 4:3 photo will lose part of its short-side content when cropped to the taller A2 proportion. Position the crop before upscaling and keep important subjects away from trim edges. If you need the entire photo, use a border and size the image area separately.
PrintScale preserves the uploaded aspect ratio. Its current 600 DPI tool limit is a 50 cm long edge, so it cannot deliver a full 59.4 cm A2 edge at that density. The table remains useful for preparing files in other workflows.
You can calculate from your photo's pixels. Adobe explains how print dimensions and resolution interact.
For a prepared crop within the supported size range, open the PrintScale tool.