Inches to Pixels Converter
Pixels depend on resolution. Pick a DPI below.
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A pixel is not a unit of length. The answer depends entirely on the resolution you choose.
A pixel is not a length
This is the thing to understand before converting anything. An inch is a fixed physical distance. A pixel is one addressable dot, and how big it is depends on the device. Converting between them needs a resolution — dots per inch.
pixels = inches × DPI
The three figures that matter:
- 96 DPI — the CSS reference resolution. In web design, one inch is defined as 96 pixels no matter what the screen actually does.
- 72 DPI — from PostScript typography, where a point is 1/72 inch. Still the default in some design software.
- 300 DPI — the usual minimum for print. A photograph placed at 2 inches wide needs 600 pixels to look sharp on paper.
Modern high-density screens complicate this further: a "pixel" in CSS may be drawn with four or more physical device pixels. The CSS pixel is a reference unit, not a hardware one.
The inch
Defined since 1959 as exactly 2.54 centimetres. Before that Britain and America had slightly different inches, which caused real problems in wartime manufacturing and prompted the agreement that fixed it.
The inch survives in screen sizes, pipe diameters, tyre rims and paper measurements worldwide, even in countries that are otherwise entirely metric.
The pixel
A pixel is not a length. It is one addressable dot, and how big it is depends entirely on the device — which is why converting inches to pixels needs a resolution as well.
The common figures are 96 DPI, the CSS reference resolution used by browsers, 72 DPI, inherited from PostScript typography where a point is 1/72 inch, and 300 DPI, the usual minimum for print. A 1-inch square is 96 pixels wide on the web and 300 in a print file.
The working, step by step
Every line updates with whatever you type above. The point is the method, which is the same for any pair of units in this family.
The same quantity, two different numbers
One physical amount, read off two scales. The tick marks do not line up, and the gap between them is the conversion factor made visible.
Your turn
Reading a method and being able to use it are different things. Answer within half a per cent and it counts as correct.
Score: 0 of 0
How to use this converter
- Type into either box. The other side updates as you go; there is no button to press.
- Swap the direction with the button between the boxes, carrying your value across.
- Set the decimals if the default is more or less precision than you need.
- Copy the answer with its unit, ready to paste.
- Use the shortcut buttons for the values that come up most often.
- Share the result. The address bar tracks what you type, so the link you copy opens on the same number.
Common uses and tips
Where length conversions come up
- Height. Quoted in feet and inches in Britain and America, and in centimetres nearly everywhere else. 5 ft 10 in is 178 cm.
- Buying things online from another market, where the dimensions are in units your tape measure does not have.
- DIY and building, where materials come in metric sizes and older plans are in imperial.
- Screens, tyres and pipes, which stay in inches worldwide even in fully metric countries.
- Running and cycling, where race distances are metric and training apps may report either.
Numbers worth carrying
- 1 inch = 2.54 cm exactly. Everything imperial in this family descends from it.
- 1 foot = 30.48 cm, twelve inches.
- 1 yard = 0.9144 m, a little shorter than a metre.
- 1 mile = 1.609 km, and 1 km = 0.621 mile.
- A metre is about 39.37 inches, or 3 ft 3 in.
Mental shortcuts
Kilometres to miles: multiply by six and drop the last digit. 80 km × 6 = 480, drop the digit for 48 miles, against a true 49.7.
Miles to kilometres: add sixty per cent. 50 miles plus 60 % is 80 km, against a true 80.5.
Centimetres to inches: divide by 2.5 and take off a little. Dividing by 2.5 gives an answer about 1.6 % high.
Mistakes worth avoiding
- Feet and inches are not decimal. 5.5 feet is 5 ft 6 in, not 5 ft 5 in. Multiply the decimal part by twelve.
- Do not use length factors for area or volume. A foot is 0.3048 m, but a square foot is 0.0929 m² and a cubic foot 0.0283 m³.
- Check which mile. A nautical mile is 1,852 m, about 15 % longer than a statute mile.
Values people look up most
Each one opens the converter with the number already in it.
- 0.25 in to px
- 0.5 in to px
- 1 in to px
- 1.5 in to px
- 2 in to px
- 2.5 in to px
- 3 in to px
- 4 in to px
- 5 in to px
- 6 in to px
- 8 in to px
- 8.5 in to px
- 10 in to px
- 11 in to px
- 12 in to px
Quick reference
Using 96 DPI. Switch the widget above for 72 or 300.
| Inches | Pixels |
|---|---|
| 0.25 in | 24 px |
| 0.5 in | 48 px |
| 1 in | 96 px |
| 2 in | 192 px |
| 4 in | 384 px |
| 6 in | 576 px |
| 8.5 in | 816 px |
| 11 in | 1,056 px |
Questions people ask
How many pixels in an inch?
96 for web, 72 for PostScript points, 300 for print. There is no single answer, because a pixel is not a physical length.
Why 96 DPI for the web?
It is the CSS reference resolution, chosen so that 1 CSS inch is a consistent 96 px across all devices.
What DPI should I use for print?
300 DPI is the usual minimum for photographs. Line art often needs more.
What about Retina screens?
They draw one CSS pixel with several device pixels. The CSS pixel stays the reference unit.