For a team or senior banner, you don't need nearly as many pixels as a photo print. Banner shops usually ask for 100 to 150 pixels per inch at full size, not 300. The catch is that banners are big, so the photo still has to be large. Here's the short version:
- Measure the photo, not the banner. Most photos cover only part of a banner. Work out the size of that area in inches.
- Aim for 150 pixels per inch of that area. 4over4 recommends 150 DPI for vinyl banners. NameBadge.com uses 100 DPI as its standard, so treat 100 as the floor.
- Ask for the full-size file. A proof, screenshot, or web-size download is almost always too small for a banner.
Our free photo print size calculator does the math for you. Below: pixel tables for common banner sizes, what phone and camera photos can cover, and what to ask your photographer for.
Pixels for a whole banner
If one photo fills the entire banner, here's what it needs. DPI here means pixels per inch at the banner's full size, which is how banner shops use the term.
| Banner size | At 150 DPI | At 100 DPI |
|---|---|---|
| 2×4 ft | 3,600 × 7,200 | 2,400 × 4,800 |
| 3×5 ft | 5,400 × 9,000 | 3,600 × 6,000 |
| 3×6 ft | 5,400 × 10,800 | 3,600 × 7,200 |
| 4×8 ft | 7,200 × 14,400 | 4,800 × 9,600 |
| 2×6 ft (vertical) | 3,600 × 10,800 | 2,400 × 7,200 |
These are big numbers. A typical 12-megapixel phone photo is 4,032 × 3,024 pixels. Stretched across a full 3×6 ft banner, it comes out at about 56 DPI. Signs.com warns that phone photos "tend to lack the resolution needed to look good on large-sized banners."
You'll sometimes see advice to use 300 DPI for banners. At 3×6 ft, that's 10,800 × 21,600 pixels, which almost no camera produces. 300 is the target for prints you hold in your hand. Banners are seen from farther away, so shops ask for less.
Size the photo, not the banner
Most team and senior banners mix photos with text: a name, a number, a team logo, a class year. So each photo usually covers only part of the banner. That's good news, because a smaller area needs fewer pixels.
Here's how far two common photo sizes go, by the area they cover on the banner:
| Photo area on the banner | Pixels at 150 DPI | 12MP phone photo (4,032 × 3,024) | 24MP camera photo (6,000 × 4,000) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 × 18 in | 1,800 × 2,700 | 224 DPI: good | 333 DPI: good |
| 18 × 24 in | 2,700 × 3,600 | 168 DPI: good | 222 DPI: good |
| 24 × 36 in | 3,600 × 5,400 | 112 DPI: fair | 166 DPI: good |
| 36 × 48 in | 5,400 × 7,200 | 84 DPI: too low | 111 DPI: fair |
"Good" means at least 150 DPI. "Fair" means 100 to 149. A phone photo works well for a medium-sized photo area, but not for one that covers most of a big banner.
To check your own photo, open the calculator, add the photo, and enter the photo area under Add a custom print size. Choose Part of a banner to use banner ratings.
Why a proof or screenshot won't work
Proofs, screenshots, and photos saved from texts or social media are smaller copies of the original. Mpix, a US photo lab, says these files "will negatively impact your image resolution and the overall quality of your print." On a banner, the problem gets worse because the photo is so large.
Say your photo gallery lets you download a web-size copy that's 2,048 pixels wide. Across 36 inches of banner, that's about 56 DPI, well under the 100 DPI floor. The fix is the full-size file. Our guides explain the difference for Pic-Time and how to download your files from PhotoDay.
Making a small photo bigger in an editor doesn't help much either. It adds pixels, but not real detail.
What to ask your photographer for
Ask for two things: the full-size file, and permission to print it as a banner.
- The full-size file. Ask for the original, high-resolution version, not a resized copy for social media. Mention the banner size so the photographer knows what you need.
- Permission for a banner. Some print releases cover personal use only. A banner for a fundraiser, a sponsor, or a business may go beyond that. If you're not sure, ask. See does buying a photo include editing rights? for how to read a release.
You can copy this message:
Hi [photographer's name], we're making a [3×6 ft] banner for [name]'s [senior night / team]. Could you send the full-resolution file for [photo name or number]? The photo will cover about [18 × 24] inches of the banner. Is printing it as a banner OK under our print release? Thanks!
If your photos came from a picture day or team photo company, check your order first. Our guide to getting clean copies of team and sports photos covers where to look.
Setting up the file for the banner shop
Most banner shops let you design online or upload a finished file. A few things to check:
- Keep text and faces away from the edges. 4over4 says to keep text and logos "well inside the trim," clear of where hems fold and grommets punch through. Leave the same room around faces.
- Let edge-to-edge art run past the trim. This extra area is called bleed. It keeps a slightly off cut from leaving a white sliver.
- Check the file size limit. Signs.com, for example, accepts uploads up to 50 MB.
- Color mode. If you're sending a finished design file, 4over4 recommends CMYK and a print-ready PDF. If you upload a photo into the shop's online designer, follow its instructions.
If the only copy you have has a watermark
Start by asking for the full-size file. Removing a watermark doesn't make a small file bigger. A cleaned-up proof is still a proof-sized photo. Check its size with the calculator before you plan a banner around it.
Sometimes the full-size file has a watermark on it too. If you own the photo or have permission to edit it, our sports photo watermark remover and senior picture watermark remover can clean it up.
FAQ
What resolution should a team banner photo be?
Plan on 150 pixels per inch for the area the photo covers on the banner, with 100 as the minimum. That's based on 4over4's 150 DPI recommendation for vinyl banners and NameBadge.com's 100 DPI standard. Your banner shop may use its own numbers, so check its upload guidelines too.
Can I use a phone photo for a 3×6 ft banner?
Yes, if the photo covers only part of it. A 12-megapixel phone photo covers about 18 × 24 inches at 168 DPI. Stretched across the whole banner, it drops to about 56 DPI, which is too low.
Do banners need 300 DPI?
No. 300 is the target for prints you hold in your hand. Banners are viewed from farther away, so shops ask for less. A full 3×6 ft banner at 300 DPI would need 10,800 × 21,600 pixels.
What size are most team banners?
There's no single standard. Signs.com lists 60 × 36 inches and 72 × 36 inches as common sizes for sports team banners. 4over4 lists 2×4 ft, 3×6 ft, and 4×8 ft among its common banner sizes.
Sources
- 4over4, What resolution do I need for banner printing?, checked October 17, 2026
- 4over4, Banner Sizes and Templates for a Print Ready Vinyl Banner, checked October 17, 2026
- NameBadge.com, What DPI or resolution do banner files need?, checked October 17, 2026
- Signs.com, Sports Team Banners, checked October 17, 2026
- Mpix, Help & FAQ, checked October 17, 2026
- Pixel counts and DPI figures in the tables are our own calculations from those guidelines.