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Inches to Pixels Converter
Use this free inches to pixels converter to change inches, centimetres, and millimetres into pixels — and pixels back into inches. Set the DPI (dots per inch) to match your screen or printer: 96 DPI is the web standard, 300 DPI is the print standard, and every value in between is supported, with all four units shown at once.
DPI presets:
Common DPI values
| Use | DPI | 1 inch in pixels |
|---|---|---|
| Old screens | 72 | 72 px |
| Web and CSS | 96 | 96 px |
| Good-quality print | 150 | 150 px |
| High-quality print | 300 | 300 px |
| Fine art print | 600 | 600 px |
How it works
A pixel is the smallest dot a screen can light up, and an inch is a physical length — so converting between them needs one extra piece of information: DPI, or dots per inch. DPI says how many pixels fit into one inch. At 96 DPI, one inch holds 96 pixels; at 300 DPI, the same inch holds 300 smaller pixels. The formula is simple: pixels = inches × DPI, and inches = pixels ÷ DPI.
On the web, 96 DPI is the standard. CSS defines its pixel against 96 DPI, which is why a 96-pixel-wide box measures exactly one inch on a standard display — and why this converter defaults to 96. Older screens used 72 DPI, which is where the old rule '72 pixels make an inch' comes from. Modern high-density phone and laptop screens pack far more pixels per inch, but CSS still scales them so that a CSS pixel behaves like a 96 DPI pixel.
Print is where DPI really matters. A photo printed at 300 DPI looks sharp because 300 tiny dots per inch blend into smooth tones, while the same photo printed at 72 DPI looks blocky and rough. That is why printers ask for 300 DPI artwork: an image that will print 4 inches wide needs to be 1,200 pixels wide (4 × 300). The same image on a website only needs 384 pixels wide at 96 DPI for the same physical size on screen — but it would print poorly.
Centimetres and millimetres convert through the inch: 1 inch is exactly 2.54 centimetres, or 25.4 millimetres. So centimetres to pixels means dividing by 2.54 to get inches, then multiplying by DPI — and millimetres means dividing by 25.4 first. This converter handles all of that, and it works backwards too: enter pixels and it tells you how many inches, centimetres, and millimetres they cover at your DPI.
DPI and PPI are often used as if they mean the same thing, and for most conversions they can be treated that way. Strictly, PPI (pixels per inch) describes a screen or an image file, while DPI (dots per inch) describes a printer's ink dots — a printer may lay down several ink dots for each image pixel. When a tool or a file asks for one number to convert pixels to inches, either label means the same value in practice.
Watch out for one common mistake: changing the DPI number in an image file does not change the image. An image is a fixed grid of pixels — say 1,200 by 800 — and the DPI setting only records how big it should print. Setting it to 300 DPI says 'print this 4 by 2.67 inches'; setting it to 96 DPI says 'print this 12.5 by 8.33 inches'. The pixels stay the same either way. To change the printed size without resampling, change the DPI; to change the pixel count, resize the image.
Worked example
A designer needs a banner 1 inch tall on a website, and a 2-inch-wide logo for print. How many pixels is each?
Step 1: Web banner at 96 DPI — pixels = 1 × 96 = 96 px.
Step 2: Print logo at 300 DPI — pixels = 2 × 300 = 600 px.
Step 3: Check the reverse — 600 px ÷ 300 DPI = 2 inches, which matches.
Another one: 5 cm at 96 DPI. First convert to inches — 5 ÷ 2.54 = 1.9685 inches — then multiply by 96 to get 188.98 px. The same 5 cm at 300 DPI would be 590.55 px, which shows why print files need so many more pixels than web files.
FAQ
How many pixels are in an inch?
It depends on the DPI. At 96 DPI, the web standard, 1 inch is 96 pixels. At 300 DPI, the print standard, 1 inch is 300 pixels. Enter your DPI into the converter to get the exact number for your screen or printer.
What DPI should I use for web images?
Use 96 DPI, the CSS standard. A 96-pixel image displays at exactly 1 inch on a standard screen. Higher DPI values do not make web images sharper — the pixel dimensions are what matter on screen.
What DPI should I use for printing?
Use 300 DPI for high-quality print. An image that will print 4 inches wide needs to be 1,200 pixels wide (4 × 300). For large posters viewed from a distance, 150 DPI is usually enough.
What is the difference between DPI and PPI?
PPI (pixels per inch) describes screens and image files, while DPI (dots per inch) describes printer ink dots. In practice, when a tool asks for one number to convert pixels to inches, both labels mean the same value.