Templates Paper & Print

4 x 6 Photo

4 x 6 in CMYK 2:3 portrait

A 4 by 6 in photo print. The default photographic print since the film era and the size every consumer photo printer is calibrated for.

about the size of a postcard

About this size

The 4 by 6 print has been the universal small photo since film. Every drugstore photo kiosk, every online photo service, every home inkjet printer treats it as the baseline format. The 2:3 ratio matches 35 mm film negatives, which matches most DSLR and mirrorless sensors, which is why the size has stayed standard even as the technology around it has changed entirely.

It also doubles as the most common postcard size in North America. The conventions are different (front for the image, back split between message and address) but the canvas is the same, and the same file can serve both with minor adaptations.

  • Photos
  • Postcards
  • Small prints

Pro tips

  1. 1 Keep focal content inside the central 3.75 by 5.75 in. Consumer printers crop the outer 0.125 in slightly differently from sheet to sheet, and that band is unreliable.
  2. 2 300 DPI is the safe minimum for print. A 4 by 6 at 300 DPI is 1200 by 1800 px. Going larger does not improve consumer-print output; 1200 by 1800 is what the printers expect.
  3. 3 sRGB for consumer photo printers; CMYK only when sending to a commercial press. The colour-space conversion is the printer's job, not the designer's, in most consumer workflows.
  4. 4 The 2:3 ratio matches 35 mm film and most camera sensors, which means an unmodified camera file fits the print without cropping.

Common mistakes

  • Running design content to the edge of the canvas without bleed. The print crop varies enough that critical detail in the outer band may not survive.
  • Uploading low-resolution images and letting the printer upscale. The result looks visibly soft, and there is no way to recover it after the fact.

Export notes

For consumer photo printers, export sRGB JPEG quality 90 at 1200 by 1800 px. For commercial print or postcard use, export CMYK PDF at 300 DPI with 0.125 in bleed. Consumer photo services (Shutterfly, Walgreens, Costco) automatically handle the colour-space conversion; over-preparing the file does not improve the result and can actually shift colour unpredictably.

Frequently asked

What aspect ratio is a 4 by 6 photo?

2:3. The same ratio as 35 mm film negatives and most DSLR and mirrorless sensors.

What resolution should I export at?

1200 by 1800 px at 300 DPI is the safe target for any print. 600 by 900 at 150 DPI is acceptable for casual snapshots but visibly softer when held in hand.

Can the same file work as a postcard?

Yes. The 4 by 6 dimensions match standard USPS-mailable postcard sizes. Design the front as the image and the back with an address block on the right half and a message area on the left.

Same series — Photo Print Sizes

Rendered at relative scale; tap any size to open it.

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