The aspect ratio for each print size
Midjourney's --ar parameter takes any whole-number ratio, so you can generate at exactly the print's shape and never crop. Use these for portrait prints, and swap the numbers for landscape (--ar 5:4 for a landscape 8×10).
| Print sizes (inches) | Midjourney parameter | Sharp print from about 4 MP |
|---|---|---|
| 4×6, 8×12, 12×18, 24×36 | Midjourney parameter: --ar 2:3 | Sharp print from about 4 MP: 5.4 × 8.1 in |
| 6×8, 12×16, 18×24 | Midjourney parameter: --ar 3:4 | Sharp print from about 4 MP: 5.7 × 7.6 in |
| 8×10, 16×20 | Midjourney parameter: --ar 4:5 | Sharp print from about 4 MP: 5.9 × 7.4 in |
| 5×7 | Midjourney parameter: --ar 5:7 | Sharp print from about 4 MP: 5.6 × 7.8 in |
| 11×14 | Midjourney parameter: --ar 11:14 | Sharp print from about 4 MP: 5.9 × 7.5 in |
| 8.5×11 (US Letter) | Midjourney parameter: --ar 17:22 | Sharp print from about 4 MP: 5.8 × 7.5 in |
| A4, A3 and other ISO sizes (near enough) | Midjourney parameter: --ar 5:7 | Sharp print from about 4 MP: 5.6 × 7.8 in |
| 12×12 and other squares | Midjourney parameter: --ar 1:1 | Sharp print from about 4 MP: 6.6 × 6.6 in |
"Sharp" is 300 pixels per inch from a 4-megapixel image (an upscaled V7 or a V8 HD image). Wall prints can be about twice that at 150.
--ar 3:4 is the same shape as a phone photo, and --ar 2:3 the same as a 4×6, so those two cover the most print sizes. ISO sizes like A4 are 1:1.414; --ar 5:7 is close enough to print without a visible crop.
How many pixels a Midjourney image has
- V7 generates at about 1 megapixel (1,024 × 1,024 for a square). Its Subtle and Creative upscalers double each side, to 2,048 × 2,048, and that is the most it goes.
- V8, released in March 2026, generates natively at about 2K (2,048 × 2,048 square) with --hd, which became the default in V8.1.
- Other shapes have about the same total pixels as the square, so a 4:5 image is a little narrower and a little taller.
Subtle keeps the image as it is; Creative adds and changes detail. For a print of something you already like, use Subtle. Either way you end up near 4 megapixels, which is a sharp 5×7, a good framed 8×10 and a soft 16×20.
Upscaling a Midjourney image for print
- 1
Use Midjourney's own upscale or HD first
It's included in your plan and it's the same image. Download the upscaled file from the web app; images grabbed from Discord or a gallery page can be compressed.
- 2
Check it at full size
Look at hands, text, faces in the background and anything that should be symmetrical. Fix problems with Vary (Region) before upscaling further, since an upscale makes mistakes sharper too.
- 3
Upscale to the print size
For anything past about 8×10, upscale to the exact pixels the print needs. Resly rebuilds detail at up to 4K, about 16 megapixels and delivers up to 16 megapixels: a sharp 8×10 (2,400 × 3,000) or a 16×20 at about 224 pixels per inch. If you generated at the wrong shape, it extends the scene to the print's shape in the same pass.