How to use it
- Choose the Units and type the size of the canvas in Canvas width and Canvas height.
- Type the pixel size of your photo in Photo width in pixels and Photo height in pixels.
- Choose the Print resolution: 300 dpi for prints seen up close, 150 dpi for large prints.
- Read Pixels a print needs, Print size of the photo and the Closest standard canvases with the share to crop.
The standard sizes and where they come from
There is no single world standard for canvases. European canvases are sold in centimetres, such as 30 × 40, 50 × 70 and 70 × 100. US canvases are sold in inches, such as 8 × 10, 16 × 20 and 36 × 48. The table lists both, with the centimetre and inch equivalents.
The French series was fixed in the 19th century. Figure (F) is for portraits, Paysage (P) for landscapes and Marine (M) for seascapes. For one number the long side is the same in all three series and only the short side changes, so the F canvas is the fullest of the three. The table in the Wikipedia article on French standard sizes gives the dimensions used here.
- European sizes follow the chart of Rossetti Art: standard canvas sizes in centimetres.
- US sizes follow the list of Austin Gallery: standard canvas sizes in inches.
- The French F, P and M dimensions come from the French standard sizes for oil paintings article.
Pixels, print size and crop
A print at a given resolution needs one pixel for every 1/300 inch (or 1/150 inch) of its length. So a print's pixels are its size in inches times the dpi, and the print size of a photo is its pixels divided by the dpi.
The calculator compares the photo's proportion with the canvas. If they differ, part of the longer side (or the shorter side) has to be cropped to fit. The percentage shown is the share of that side that is removed; nothing is stretched.
Pixels needed = size in inches × dpi
Print size (inches) = pixels ÷ dpi
1 inch = 2.54 cmWorked example: a 4000 × 3000 px photo on a 50 × 70 cm canvas
At 300 dpi the photo prints at 33.9 × 25.4 cm. A 50 × 70 cm print at 300 dpi needs 5,906 × 8,268 px, so the photo is too small for that size at full resolution.
Printed 50 cm wide, the same photo has 4000 ÷ 19.685 = 203 dpi, which is lower than 300. The photo's proportion is 1.33, and the canvas is 1.40, so about 4.8 % of the short side is cropped to fit.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Print size of the photo at 300 dpi | 33.9 × 25.4 cm |
| Pixels for a 50 × 70 cm print at 300 dpi | 5,906 × 8,268 px |
| Resolution when printed 50 cm wide | 203 dpi |
| Crop to a 50 × 70 cm canvas | about 4.8 % of the short side |
Frequently asked questions
Which canvas sizes are standard?
There is no single standard. European canvases come in centimetres such as 30 × 40, 50 × 70 and 70 × 100; the French series uses numbers from 0 to 120 with the letters F, P and M; US canvases come in inches such as 8 × 10, 16 × 20 and 36 × 48.
What do F, P and M mean on a canvas?
Figure (F) is for portraits and figures, Paysage (P) for landscapes and Marine (M) for seascapes. A canvas with the same number has the same long side in all three series; only the short side changes.
Why does a print need so many pixels?
A print at 300 dpi needs 300 pixels for every inch of its length. A 50 × 70 cm print needs about 5,906 × 8,268 pixels at that resolution, so a photo with fewer pixels prints smaller or at a lower dpi.
Do I have to crop my photo to fit a canvas?
Only if its proportions differ from the canvas. Then a small share of the long or the short side is trimmed. The calculator shows how much, so the image is not stretched.
Is 150 dpi enough for a print?
150 dpi needs half the pixels of 300 dpi and is often used for large prints. For a print seen up close, 300 dpi gives sharper detail.
Sources
- Rossetti Art: standard canvas sizes in centimetres
- Austin Gallery: standard canvas sizes in inches
- Wikipedia: French standard sizes for oil paintings (figure, landscape and marine series)
Figures and text last checked on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.