Print files
How to Export a Print-Ready JPEG at 300 DPI
Crop to the listing ratio, set pixels to inches × 300, save high-quality JPEG in sRGB, and write 300 pixels-per-inch into the file. That is a print-ready JPG.
Direct answer
A print-ready JPEG is a high-quality sRGB JPG cropped to the print’s aspect ratio, sized to width-inches × 300 by height-inches × 300, with 300 DPI written in the metadata. Example: 8×10 → 2400×3000 pixels at quality ~90%. Do not export a 72 DPI web JPEG and only change the header. Do not use quality 40 to hit an email attachment limit.
“Save for web” is the opposite of print-ready. It strips DPI, crushes quality, and often resizes to 1920 px. Shops that open the file see a screenshot.
The checklist below works in Photoshop, Lightroom, GIMP, or Reopic Studio. The button names change. The pixels do not.
- 1
Crop to the print ratio
Around the subject, not the frame center.
- 2
Set image size to inches × 300
Resample down only.
- 3
Convert to sRGB if needed
Unless the press named another profile.
- 4
Save JPG quality ~90% at 300 PPI
No “save for web.”
The four stamps a RIP cares about
Pixel width and height. Aspect ratio matching the paper. JPEG quality high enough that skies do not band. Density tag 300 PPI. Color sRGB unless specified. 72 vs 300 covers shops that only read the tag.
| Check | Target |
|---|---|
| Pixels | Inches × 300 (after crop) |
| Quality | ~90% / Photoshop 10–12 |
| Profile | sRGB for most Etsy POD |
| DPI / PPI tag | 300 |
| Content | No mockup, no watermark |
Crop first
If you JPEG-export 4000×3000 and the listing is 8×10, you still have the wrong rectangle. Crop to 4:5 around the subject, then size to 2400×3000. Focal point stops center crop from deleting the art.
Do not stack JPEG saves
Each low-quality save adds artifacts. Keep a PNG or TIFF master if you edit often. Export JPG once for the shop. If you must re-edit, go back to the master, not to yesterday’s JPG.
Export from Reopic
Drop the original, pin, add custom inches, choose JPG, Export Artwork. The file is tagged 300 DPI. Free: 1 image and 3 ratios a day. Pro is $33 lifetime.
FAQ: export print-ready JPEG 300 DPI
What JPEG quality is print-ready?+
Around 90% or Photoshop 10–12. Lower quality shows on paper more than on phones.
Does a 300 DPI JPEG need a special extension?+
No. It is still .jpg. The density is metadata plus pixel count.
Can a progressive JPEG go to a print shop?+
Some RIPs dislike progressive. Baseline JPEG is the safer default.
Is PNG more print-ready than JPEG?+
PNG is better for type. JPEG is the POD workhorse for photographs. Both can be 300 DPI.
