Print files
4x6 vs 5x7 vs 8x10: Which Print Size Should You Sell?
4×6 is 2:3 (1200×1800 at 300 DPI). 5×7 is 5:7 (1500×2100). 8×10 is 4:5 (2400×3000). They are three crops, not three enlargements of one JPEG.
Direct answer
Choose 4×6 when the photo is 2:3 (typical camera landscape) and you want a cheap lab-style gift at 1200×1800 pixels (300 DPI). Choose 5×7 (1500×2100) for a slightly taller handheld print. Choose 8×10 (2400×3000) for the standard US frame, which is 4:5. Export three files from one focal point if you list all three — do not stretch.
Drugstore prints trained everyone to think 4×6 is “the photo.” Etsy frames trained everyone to think 8×10 is “the print.” They are different shapes. 5×7 sits in the middle and matches neither.
If you only have time for one gift SKU in the US, 8×10 frames are easiest to buy. If the art is a wide landscape, 4×6 may waste less of the scene.
The three rectangles
4×6 = 2:3. 5×7 ≈ 1:1.4. 8×10 = 4:5. 11×14 is another jump. None of these are interchangeable without a mat.
8×10 · 4:5
11×14
12×18 · 2:3
16×20 · 4:5
| Size | Ratio | Portrait pixels |
|---|---|---|
| 4 × 6 in | 2:3 | 1200 × 1800 |
| 5 × 7 in | 5:7 | 1500 × 2100 |
| 8 × 10 in | 4:5 | 2400 × 3000 |
What gets cropped off
From a 2:3 original, 4×6 keeps the scene; 8×10 cuts left and right (or top and bottom if you rotate). From a 4:5 original, 8×10 is native; 4×6 needs extra height you may not have. Pin the subject once and preview all three in Studio.
When small sizes still need 300 DPI
4×6 is held in the hand. 1200×1800 is the floor, not a suggestion. A 640-pixel Facebook save is not a 4×6. Instagram downloads fail even this small size.
Export all three without reopening Photoshop
Add 4×6, 5×7, and 8×10 as custom ratios, Export Artwork. That is exactly the free daily cap: 3 ratios on 1 image. Pro ($33 lifetime) is for doing it across fifty wedding photos.
FAQ: 4x6 vs 5x7 vs 8x10
Is 4x6 the same as 8x10?+
No. 4×6 is 2:3. 8×10 is 4:5. Doubling 4×6 does not make 8×10.
Which is better for portraits: 5x7 or 8x10?+
8×10 is the common US frame. 5×7 is tighter on the face. Preview both from the same pin.
Can I put a 4x6 in an 8x10 frame?+
Only with a mat. The print would sit in the middle with a wide border.
How many pixels is 4x6 at 300 DPI?+
1200×1800 pixels in portrait (or 1800×1200 landscape).
