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20x30 Poster Size in Pixels at 300 DPI
A 20×30 poster at 300 DPI needs 6000×9000 pixels — a 2:3 ratio shared with 16×24 and 12×18. Most phone photos can't fill it sharply, so check first.
Direct answer
A 20×30 inch poster at 300 DPI works out to 6000×9000 pixels in portrait, or 9000×6000 in landscape. The ratio is 2:3, so you need a source image with at least 6000 pixels on the short side after cropping. A 12×18 file (3600×5400) printed at 20×30 only reaches about 180 DPI — expect visible softness.
20×30 is the size shops reach for to look premium. It's also the size behind most 'why is my poster blurry' support tickets, because the listing file started life as an 8×10. Standing further back from a big print helps a little. It doesn't invent missing detail.
Only offer 20×30 when your scan or RAW file can actually feed it. Otherwise, stay in the same 2:3 family with 16×24 or 12×18 — smaller, but honest.
- 1
Crop to 2:3 around the subject
Same family as 12×18 and 16×24.
- 2
Read the short side in pixels
You want 6000 or more.
- 3
If it's short, list a smaller 2:3
16×24 or 12×18 instead.
- 4
Export 6000×9000 at 300 DPI
Only from a genuinely large original.
The 2:3 pixel ladder
The math scales predictably as you go up: 12×18 is 3600×5400, 16×24 is 4800×7200, 20×30 is 6000×9000, and 24×36 is 7200×10800. Climb the ladder only as far as your original image can actually reach — there's no shortcut past pixel count.
| Size | Portrait pixels | Minimum short side |
|---|---|---|
| 12 × 18 in | 3600 × 5400 | 3600 px |
| 16 × 24 in | 4800 × 7200 | 4800 px |
| 20 × 30 in | 6000 × 9000 | 6000 px |
| 24 × 36 in | 7200 × 10800 | 7200 px |
When 150 DPI actually makes sense
Some wall murals and fabric prints specify 150 DPI on purpose. At 150 DPI, a 20×30 only needs 3000×4500 pixels — fine from six feet away on canvas, not fine as a handheld 8×10. Don't repurpose that 150 DPI file for a smaller paper gift size.
72 vs 300 DPI goes deeper into why the DPI number in a file's header matters less than raw pixel count.
Export 20×30 without the guesswork
Open Studio and add a 20 × 30 in canvas — but only commit if the crop preview looks sharp, not smeared. Studio will export exactly the pixel box you ask for; it can't invent resolution your source file doesn't have. Pro unlocks ZIP exports across a whole product drop for $33 lifetime.
Watch out for mockups that lie
A 2000-pixel mockup of your 20×30 hanging on a wall will look razor-sharp on a phone screen — that's a marketing image, not your production file. Keep mockups in one folder and the real 6000×9000 press file in another. Etsy's print file requirements explains why those two jobs need to stay separate.
FAQ: 20x30 poster size pixels 300 DPI
How many pixels is 20x30 at 300 DPI?+
6000×9000 pixels in portrait, or 9000×6000 in landscape.
Is 20x30 the same ratio as 16x20?+
No. 20×30 is 2:3, while 16×20 is 4:5 — different crops entirely.
Can I print 20x30 from a 12x18 file?+
Only at about 180 DPI, which will look soft. Use a larger original, or sell the file as 12×18 instead.
Is 20x30 inches the same as 50x70 cm?+
Close, but not equal — 50×70 cm is about 19.7×27.6 in. Export whichever measurement you actually list.
