Free tool
Exhibition graphics resolution calculator.
Large graphics need far fewer dots per inch than a brochure, because nobody reads them from arm's length. Check an image against the wall before it goes to print.
Resolution at final size
88 dpi
- Image size needed
- 10,394 × 8,661 px
- The eye's limit here
- About 44 dpi
- At 1:10 artwork scale
- 880 dpi
Vector logos and type stay sharp at any size. This sum matters for photographs and other pixel images.
In short
Large-format graphics need less resolution the further away people stand. The eye resolves about one arc minute, which at 2 metres is about 44 dots per inch at final size. Doubling that for safety gives about 88 dpi, so a 3 × 2.5 m wall needs an image around 10,400 × 8,700 pixels. Always use your printer's own specification.
How the sum works
A person with normal sight can separate details about one arc minute apart. At a distance D in inches, that is about 3,438 ÷ D dots per inch.
The tool doubles that limit, because people step closer than you plan, and rounds up. Width and height in inches × that figure gives the image size in pixels.
Printers often ask for artwork at 1:10 scale. The same picture at a tenth of the size needs ten times the dpi. Follow the printer's specification where it differs. See stand graphics and branding.
How to use it
- Measure the visible graphic. Enter the finished size, leaving bleed and fixings to the printer's template.
- Decide how close people get. A counter front is seen from a metre, a fascia from ten.
- Check your image. Compare the pixels needed with your photograph before you commit to it.
Next
Questions
01What DPI do exhibition graphics need?
Far less than 300 dpi at full size. Depending on distance, around 50–150 dpi at final size is common. Your printer's specification always wins.
02Why do printers ask for 1:10 artwork?
Full-size files for a wall are huge. Artwork built at a tenth of the size and ten times the dpi carries the same detail in a manageable file.
03Can I enlarge a logo from a website?
No. A website logo has too few pixels. Ask for the vector file (AI, EPS, SVG or a vector PDF), which scales to any wall.
04Do seams matter on tall graphics?
They do. Fabric and vinyl come in set widths, so wide graphics can be joined. Keep faces and small type off likely seam lines, and ask your printer where they fall.
Planning arithmetic from ExhibitionBase Studio, not engineering or a quote. Confirm anything that matters with your stand builder, supplier and the exhibitor manual.
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