Figma Technical Guide

Figma is engineered primarily for digital interface design. Understanding how its underlying technical architecture works is necessary for using it as a print layout tool.

The 72 PPI Canvas and Dimensions

Figma’s infinite canvas operates at a strict 72 Pixels Per Inch (PPI). This means that every 72 pixels in Figma translates precisely to 1 physical inch.

To create a document of a specific physical size, you calculate the pixel dimensions based on this ratio. For an 8.5 x 11 inch US Letter document, the math is:

• Width: 8.5 inches × 72 = 612 pixels
• Height: 11 inches × 72 = 792 pixels

For millimeters, the conversion is (Millimeters × 72) / 25.4. A standard A4 document (210 x 297 mm) results in fractional pixel dimensions: 595.28px by 841.89px. Print for Figma automatically handles this math with sub-pixel precision when selecting standard presets or entering custom sizes.

Image Scaling and the 4000px Limit

When you drop an image into Figma, it retains its original pixel data. Figma calculates the display resolution dynamically based on the current scale of the image on the canvas. Shrinking an image on the canvas compresses its pixels into a smaller physical footprint, increasing its effective DPI for print.

However, Figma enforces a hard constraint: any imported image exceeding 4000 pixels on its longest edge is automatically downscaled to exactly 4000 pixels. For standard layouts, this is usually irrelevant, but for large-format designs (like tradeshow banners) aiming for high DPI, it presents a bottleneck. Workarounds include slicing large images into separate sections before importing or designing the document at a 50% scale.

Color Constraints

Figma is hardcoded to the sRGB color space. There is no native CMYK support. All colors selected in the Figma color picker are RGB values. When preparing files for offset printing, a conversion to CMYK must occur during the PDF export phase via an external tool or a plugin like Print for Figma, which utilizes standard ICC profiles to calculate the CMYK values.

PDF Export Rendering

Figma’s rendering engine rasterizes complex effects like drop shadows, inner shadows, and layer blurs upon PDF export. Vector shapes and text outlines remain mathematically precise, but the rasterized effect regions are exported at the canvas base resolution (72 PPI) by default, which can cause visual pixelation in high-quality print. Print for Figma’s Advanced tab provides a Scale Factor setting to artificially boost the resolution of these rasterized effects during the export process.