Before you download your stock photos, it’s important that you check that the image(s) you have chosen will meet the needs of the job in hand. To do this, you will need to take two factors relating to the final output into account:
- the printed resolution or dpi
- the dimensions
The dimensions indicate the size that your image will be when printed, whilst the resolution indicates how much detail there will be in every inch printed. You always need to consider both the size that the image will be reproduced at (shown in inches and millimeters below) and the print resolution (shown as dpi) that will be used.
For magazine and book publishing, the print resolution of your stock photos typically needs to be 300dpi and above. Large format prints, such as billboards, are usually printed at lower resolutions of under 150dpi (the image is less detailed because it is viewed from farther away), although it’s worth checking with your print department before you buy. If you require a higher resolution, Alamy can help you by applying interpolation or upsizing. However, once you’ve received the stock photo, whilst you can shrink it, it cannot be easily expanded without losing quality.
Here are some standard uses of stock photos, showing dimensions, dpi and file size required:
A Series - Used for general printing, such as stationery and publications. The most common sizes are A4 for stationery and documents, A5 for books, A6 for postcards.
| Size |
Millimeters |
MB |
Approx Inches |
| A0 |
841 x 1189 |
> 70* |
33 1/8 x 46 3/4 |
| A1 |
594 x 841 |
> 70* |
23 3/8 x 33 1/8 |
| A2 |
420 x 594 |
> 70* |
16 1/2 x 23 3/8 |
| A3 |
420 x 297 |
49 - 70 |
16 1/2 x 11 3/4 |
| A4 |
297 x 210 |
25 - 48 |
8 1/4 x 11 3/4 |
| A5 |
210 x 148 |
13 - 24 |
5 7/8 x 8 1/4 |
| A6 |
105 x 148 |
3 - 12 |
4 1/8 x 5 7/8 |
| * Or use interpolation |
| B Series - Used for bigger jobs like billboards and posters. |
| Size |
Millimeters |
MB |
Approx Inches |
| B0 |
1000 x 1414 |
> 70* |
39 3/8 x 55 5/8 |
| B1 |
707 x 1000 |
> 70* |
27 7/8 x 39 3/8 |
| B2 |
500 x 707 |
> 70* |
19 5/8 x 27 7/8 |
| B3 |
353 x 500 |
49 - 70 |
13 7/8 x 19 5/8 |
| B4 |
250 x 353 |
25 - 48 |
9 7/8 x 13 7/8 |
| B5 |
176 x 250 |
13 - 25 |
7 x 9 7/8 |
| B6 |
125 x 176 |
3 - 12 |
4 7/8 x 7 |
| * Or use interpolation |
| C Series - Used for envelopes, designed to take A series paper. For example C4 for A4, C5 for A5 and so on. DL envelopes take A4 sheets folded twice. |
| Size |
Millimeters |
MB |
Approx Inches |
| C0 |
917 x 1297 |
> 70* |
39 3/8 x 51 |
| C1 |
648 x 917 |
> 70* |
25 1/2 x 36 1/8 |
| C2 |
458 x 648 |
> 70* |
18 x 25 1/2 |
| C3 |
324 x 458 |
49 - 70 |
12 3/4 x 18 |
| C4 |
229 x 324 |
25 - 48 |
9 x 12 3/4 |
| C5
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