KDP image DPI checker: does your image have enough resolution?

Before placing a photo, illustration, or cover image in a paperback or hardcover, check how many pixels it has for the space it will fill. Print resolution depends on that placement size.

Resolution at print size

Divide pixel width by printed width in inches, then pixel height by printed height in inches. The lower answer is the image's effective DPI for this check.

Choose a JPEG or PNG and enter its intended print size. The checker reads its pixel dimensions in your browser, calculates effective resolution, and shows the maximum size at 300 DPI. You can also leave the size blank to explore how large the image could print. KDP explains the same pixels-to-print-size calculation in its image guide.

Required. Choose one JPEG or PNG image.
Image file *
Drop files hereJPEG or PNG, up to 25 MiB. Checked in your browser.
Print size

Enter the image's printed size, or leave both blank to inspect its pixels.

Width unit
Height unit

How to check your image

  1. Choose one JPEG or PNG, up to 25 MiB. The image is processed in your browser without uploading it. The size limit belongs to this checker.
  2. Enter the image's printed width or height in inches, centimetres, or millimetres. With Keep proportions selected, the other dimension follows automatically. Use the image's actual placement size, which may be smaller than the book's page.
  3. Select Check image. Review effective resolution and the maximum size at 300 DPI. After changing the size or unit, check again to update the result.

If you haven't chosen a print size, leave both fields blank. You'll get the maximum size at 300 DPI and stored density information, without an assessment of a planned placement.

Use positive decimal numbers, such as 4.5. If you turn off Keep proportions, supply both dimensions. This models stretching the complete image. To check a crop, export the cropped image first and choose that file. If a file cannot be read or its format isn't supported, export a fresh JPEG or PNG and try again.

What the resolution result means

KDP's paperback submission guidelines specify a minimum of 300 DPI for manuscript and cover images. Its image formatting guide separately defines low resolution as below 200 DPI. The checker preserves that distinction:

Effective resolutionAssessment
300 DPI or more on both axesMeets the 300-DPI resolution target at the entered size.
200 DPI to below 300 DPI on the weaker axisBelow the target, including an answer of exactly 200 DPI.
Below 200 DPI on either axisLow resolution by KDP's definition.

An answer above 600 DPI keeps its resolution assessment and adds a file-size advisory. The paperback guidelines recommend a maximum of 600 DPI to help control file size. This is not a hard rejection threshold in the checker.

How print size changes DPI

One image at three sizes

A 1,200 × 1,800-pixel image provides these results when scaled without changing its proportions.

Printed sizeEffective DPIResult
4 × 6 inches300Meets the target
6 × 9 inches200Below the target
8 × 12 inches150Low resolution

The maximum size at 300 DPI comes from dividing each pixel dimension by 300. For this image, that gives 4 × 6 inches, or 10.16 × 15.24 cm. It describes the full image at its original proportions. A maximum marked as approximate has been rounded for display.

If the width and height are stretched differently, the checker shows both resolutions and uses the lower one. For example, the same image at 4 × 8 inches has 300 DPI horizontally and 225 DPI vertically. Its controlling result is 225 DPI, and its proportions have changed.

Why stored DPI can be different

An image can carry a density tag such as 72 DPI or 300 DPI. That tag is separate from its pixel count and the dimensions you enter here. Technically, the calculation measures pixels per inch, or PPI. This checker uses DPI to match KDP's print guidance.

Changing a density tag adds no image detail. KDP discusses this in its formatting troubleshooting guide. For the example above, a stored 72-DPI tag still gives 300 DPI when those 1,200 × 1,800 pixels occupy 4 × 6 inches.

Stored density can be unknown, unreadable, or recorded differently in separate metadata sources. The checker shows those states without assuming a default. Once the pixels and orientation are verified, a missing density tag does not prevent a placement calculation.

Which dimensions should you enter?

For an illustration or a cover photo, enter the space that image occupies in your layout. For an image that fills a page, use its complete placed dimensions, including any area extending beyond the page edge.

A complete paperback cover includes the back, spine, and front. Its dimensions also account for bleed and depend on the book's specifications. If your source image contains that entire cover, use its full dimensions from KDP's cover guide and calculator. Entering only the front cover's size would overstate its resolution. This checker does not calculate cover dimensions.

What to do next

If the result is below the target, use the image at a smaller size within the shown maximum, or find a source with more genuine detail. Increasing its pixel dimensions alone cannot guarantee a sharper image. KDP's formatting troubleshooting guide covers resolution problems and image preparation.

After placing images and exporting your book, review the images in the actual PDF at their final placement sizes. Layout scaling and export compression can change the resolution that reaches the final file. Review KDP's previewer and a proof copy before publishing.

This tool checks source-image resolution for print books. It does not edit images, validate eBook covers, or guarantee KDP acceptance. Resolution alone cannot establish sharpness, color, bleed, or the quality of the finished book.