Choose the size for the job
For a square composition, keep important detail comfortably inside the chosen crop. A frame lip can cover the edge even when the file itself is correct. If the image was originally rectangular, keep the full original so another frame shape remains possible later.
| Measurement | Value |
|---|---|
| Inches | 8 × 8 |
| Centimetres | 20.32 × 20.32 |
| Millimetres | 203.2 × 203.2 |
| Short-edge-to-long-edge ratio | 1:1 |
Pixel examples
These examples multiply each edge in inches by the stated PPI. They describe pixel counts for the chosen size, not a universal pass or fail rule for appearance. Use the retained pixels after cropping when checking an existing photo.
| Example PPI | Pixels |
|---|---|
| 150 | 1,200 × 1,200 |
| 240 | 1,920 × 1,920 |
| 300 | 2,400 × 2,400 |
A worked example
A 4000 × 3000 photograph filling an 8-inch square retains 3000 × 3000 pixels at 375 PPI. One quarter of the original area is cropped. Keeping the entire 4:3 photo instead creates an 8 × 6 inch image, with one-inch borders at the top and bottom.
Before you print
Centred on portrait A4, an 8-inch square leaves only 3.4 mm at the left and right. Its vertical spaces are much larger, at 46.9 mm each. A printer that requires wider side margins cannot reproduce that layout at actual size; scaling the page to fit would make the square smaller.