Design at 300 DPI

DPI (Dots Per Inch) defines the pixel density of an image when it is printed. 300 DPI is the industry standard for high-quality, close-viewing print products like business cards, magazines, and fine art prints.

In Figma, DPI is not a setting applied to the entire document; it is a calculated property of each individual raster image based on its original source pixels and the physical size it occupies on the canvas.

Calculating Required Image Dimensions

To ensure an image will print crisply at 300 DPI, you must calculate the minimum source pixels required for the physical space it will occupy on the paper.

The formula is: Physical Width (inches) × Target DPI = Minimum Pixel Width Physical Height (inches) × Target DPI = Minimum Pixel Height

Example: You want a photograph to fill a 5 × 7 inch postcard from edge to edge at 300 DPI.

• Width: 5 inches × 300 = 1500 pixels
• Height: 7 inches × 300 = 2100 pixels

You must import an image into Figma that is at least 1500 × 2100 pixels. When you resize that large image down to fit the 5 × 7 inch frame (which is 360 × 504 pixels on Figma's 72 PPI canvas), the pixels are compressed into a denser area, achieving the 300 DPI target.

Scaling Rule: Shrinking an image in Figma increases its print DPI. Enlarging an image decreases its print DPI.

Checking DPI in Print for Figma

Because manually calculating DPI for dozens of images is tedious, Print for Figma Pro includes a DPI analysis tool.

1. Select a frame, group, or specific image layer in Figma.
2. Open the Review tab in the plugin and select the DPI subtab.
3. Click the Check DPI button.
4. The plugin reads the original source dimensions of every image fill in your selection, compares it to the scaled display size on the canvas, and outputs the effective DPI.

Images scoring 300 or above are print-ready. Images scoring significantly below 300 (e.g., 144 DPI) will print with visible pixelation or blurriness.

Fixing Low DPI

If the DPI checker flags an image as too low, Figma cannot artificially generate new pixels to fix it. You have two options:

1. Replace the image with a higher-resolution source file.
2. Reduce the physical display size of the image on your layout until the pixel density reaches an acceptable DPI.