Artwork preparation
Print resolution: why 300 dpi is the number
What dpi actually measures, why a 72 dpi web image cannot be scaled to a label, and how to check resolution at final print size before sending files.
Updated 2026-11 · Written and reviewed by the Custom Stickers Printing team, operated by Yiwu Dingwei Trading Company · Editorial standards
Resolution questions cause more reprints than any other artwork issue, and they are entirely preventable with one calculation.
What dpi means
Dots per inch: how many printed dots fit in one inch of the final product. 300 dpi means 300 dots across every inch of label.
The number only means something at a print size. An image that is 300 dpi at 20 mm can be 150 dpi at 40 mm, because the same pixels are spread over twice the distance.
The arithmetic
required pixels = print size (inches) × 300A 50 mm label is about 2 inches, so it needs roughly 600 px across. A 100 mm label needs about 1200 px.
| Label width | Pixels needed at 300 dpi |
|---|---|
| 30 mm (1.2 in) | ~360 px |
| 50 mm (2 in) | ~600 px |
| 75 mm (3 in) | ~900 px |
| 100 mm (4 in) | ~1200 px |
Why web images fail
A logo saved for a website is often 200–400 px wide and 72 dpi. Stretched to a 75 mm label, it lands around 90–130 dpi — visibly soft, with jagged edges on any diagonal.
Upscaling does not fix this. Interpolation invents pixels by averaging neighbours; it smooths the blur but adds no detail. Modern AI upscalers produce plausible sharpening that still fails at a die-cut edge.
What resolution do you actually need
- Photographs: 300 dpi at final size. 250 dpi is acceptable on textured stock.
- Line art and text: vector, so resolution is irrelevant.
- Barcodes: at least 300 dpi, and never scaled from a screenshot — a barcode that scans on screen can fail a scanner.
Checking before you send
In any image editor, open the file and look at pixel dimensions. Divide by 300 to get the maximum print width in inches; multiply by 25.4 for millimetres. If that number is smaller than your label, the file is short.
What this means for buyers
Check resolution at final size, not at file size. A 3000 px image is generous on a 30 mm label and marginal on a 200 mm one.
Ask the designer for the vector. Resolution problems disappear entirely with vector artwork.
Do not upscale and hope. It is visible on the shelf and obvious at a cut edge.
Barcodes deserve their own check. Test-scan a printed proof before a production run.
Quick answers
What resolution do I need for a label?
300 dpi at the final print size. For a 50 mm label that is about 600 pixels across; for 100 mm, about 1,200. A file that is 300 dpi at a smaller size becomes 150 dpi when enlarged to fit, because the same pixels spread further.
Can a low-resolution logo be fixed by upscaling?
No. Interpolation invents pixels by averaging neighbours, which smooths the blur without restoring detail. AI upscalers produce plausible sharpening that still fails at a cut edge or under a loupe. Only re-drawing the logo as vector actually fixes it.
Sources
Products this applies to
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