What print labs actually want
Whether it’s an online photo service, a pharmacy kiosk or a local print shop, the requirements are nearly always the same: a JPG, as large as you’ve got, in sRGB. This page is preset to exactly that:
- Full resolution. No resizing at all. Every pixel the camera captured goes to the printer.
- Quality 95. Compression artefacts that are invisible on screen can show up on glossy paper. At 95 they’re gone.
- sRGB. iPhone photos are Display P3. Most labs print sRGB and may ignore other profiles, which can shift colours. Converting first puts you in control.
- Metadata kept. Date taken stays, handy for services that sort or caption by date.
How big can you print?
Print size depends on the photo’s pixels and the dpi (dots per inch) you print at. 300 dpi is the classic “hold it in your hand” standard. 200 dpi is still very good for larger prints seen from a step back.
| Photo (pixels) | Source | At 300 dpi | At 200 dpi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4032 × 3024 | 12 MP iPhone | 13.4 × 10 in (34 × 26 cm) | 20 × 15 in (51 × 38 cm) |
| 3024 × 3024 | 12 MP cropped square | 10 × 10 in (26 × 26 cm) | 15 × 15 in (38 × 38 cm) |
| 8064 × 6048 | 48 MP iPhone | 26.9 × 20.2 in (68 × 51 cm) | 40 × 30 in (102 × 77 cm) |
| 2048 × 1536 | Resized for web | 6.8 × 5.1 in (17 × 13 cm) | 10.2 × 7.7 in (26 × 20 cm) |
The last row is the trap: a photo that’s been shrunk for email or the web won’t make a big print. Always print from the original HEIC, not from a copy someone sent you.
Common sizes for reference: a 6 × 4 in (15 × 10 cm) print needs only 1800 × 1200 pixels at 300 dpi, so any phone photo is more than enough. An 8 × 10 in print needs 2400 × 3000.
Aspect ratio surprises
iPhone photos are 4:3. A standard 6 × 4 print is 3:2, so the lab will crop a strip off the long sides, or add white borders, depending on its settings. If composition matters, crop it yourself first with Crop HEIC using the 3:2 preset, then convert here.
Printing a photo book or contact sheet at home?
HEIC to PDF lays out 1, 2, 4 or 6 photos per page on A4, Letter or Legal, ready for a home printer. For the full walkthrough, from choosing a service to checking colours, see how to print HEIC photos.
Big files, no upload wait
Full-resolution, quality-95 JPGs are hefty, often several megabytes each. Converting them in your browser means you only upload once, to the printer, instead of up to a converter and back down again first.