Etsy sellers · Mockup Batch
What print sizes to include in an Etsy digital download
Include one file per ratio family rather than one per size: 2:3 (4x6 to 24x36), 3:4 (6x8 to 18x24), 4:5 (8x10 to 24x30) and ISO A-series (A5 to A1), each at 300 DPI as JPEG. Etsy allows 5 files of up to 20 MB each, so group sizes into ZIPs by ratio.
Etsy's hard limits on digital files
A digital listing on Etsy can carry up to 5 files, and each file can be at most 20 MB. Accepted types are JPG, PNG, PDF and ZIP, and file names are limited to 70 characters of letters, numbers, periods, underscores and hyphens. Those two numbers, 5 and 20, shape everything else on this page: a large print at 300 DPI can exceed 20 MB as a PNG, and five slots is not enough for one file per size.
The solution nearly every established print seller uses is to package by ratio. One ZIP holds every 2:3 size, another holds every 4:5 size, and so on. A ZIP of JPEGs is usually well under 20 MB; a ZIP of PNGs often is not. That is the main reason wall art files are delivered as JPEG.
The buyer downloads each file from the order page. Keep a short read-me PDF as the 5th file if you want to explain printing, or use the listing description; it does not count against the ratio packs.
The four ratio families and the sizes in each
Frames come in a small number of proportions, and a file made for one proportion does not fit another without cropping. A 2:3 file printed at 8 by 10 (which is 4:5) loses about 7 percent of its height. Buyers notice and leave reviews about it, so sellers deliver each family separately.
2:3 family: 4 by 6, 6 by 9, 8 by 12, 12 by 18, 16 by 24, 20 by 30, 24 by 36 inches. This is the most common vertical wall art proportion and matches poster frames. 3:4 family: 6 by 8, 9 by 12, 12 by 16, 18 by 24 inches, the classic photo frame proportion. 4:5 family: 8 by 10, 12 by 15, 16 by 20, 24 by 30 inches, which includes the 8 by 10 frame more buyers own than any other. ISO A-series: A5, A4, A3, A2 and A1, all with a 1 to 1.414 proportion, for buyers outside North America.
A fifth extras pack covers odd sizes that do not fit the four families: 5 by 7, 8.5 by 11 (US letter), 11 by 14, 11 by 17, 13 by 19 and 20 by 24 inches. Most sellers include 5 by 7 and 11 by 14 at minimum because they are common frame sizes in big-box stores.
Pixel dimensions at 300 DPI
Print shops and home printers expect 300 dots per inch for sharp output. Multiply the inch size by 300 to get the pixel size. 8 by 10 becomes 2400 by 3000 pixels. 11 by 14 becomes 3300 by 4200. 16 by 20 becomes 4800 by 6000. 12 by 18 becomes 3600 by 5400. 18 by 24 becomes 5400 by 7200. 24 by 36 becomes 7200 by 10800. For the A-series, A4 is 2480 by 3508 pixels, A3 is 3508 by 4961, and A2 is 4961 by 7016.
Design the original at the largest size in each family and export the smaller sizes from it. Scaling down keeps quality; scaling up does not. If your master artwork is 7200 by 10800 (24 by 36 at 300 DPI), every 2:3 size can be exported from it without loss. For the 4:5 family you need a separate master or a deliberate crop of the 2:3 one, because the proportion differs.
A file exported at 72 or 150 DPI will print blurry at wall sizes, and that is the single most common cause of refund requests on printables. Check the export dialog rather than assuming; some editors default to 72.
JPEG versus PDF versus PNG for the delivered file
JPEG at quality 90 or higher is the standard for wall art. It compresses photographs and painted textures well, stays inside the 20 MB limit even at 24 by 36, and opens on every device and at every print counter. PNG is 3 to 10 times larger for the same image with no visible gain for print, so use it only when the art needs transparency, which wall art rarely does.
PDF is useful when the buyer will print at home on letter or A4 paper, because it locks page size and margins. Many sellers include an 8.5 by 11 and an A4 PDF in the extras pack for exactly that case, and deliver everything else as JPEG.
Whatever format you use, name each file with the size and ratio, for example forest-print_16x20_4-5.jpg. The buyer sees the file name when choosing what to send to the printer, and a clear name prevents most support messages.
Showing the sizes on the listing
Because the buyer cannot open the ZIP before purchase, the listing images have to communicate what is inside. One of the 10 listing photos should be a size chart graphic listing every ratio family and the sizes in it. Another should show the artwork in a frame that matches the ratio you expect most buyers to print, usually 4:5 for the 8 by 10 and 16 by 20 crowd.
Mockups should not promise a proportion you do not deliver. If you sell only 2:3 and 4:5 packs, do not show the piece in a square frame. Tools like Benchlet Mockup map artwork into frames at the standard ratios (2:3, 3:4, 4:5, 1:1 and A-series) so the frame shape in the photo matches the file in the download.
Finally, state in the description that this is a digital download, that no physical item ships, and list the sizes again in text. Etsy shows the description in search for some queries, and the text list is what a buyer copies into a message to a print shop.
Frequently asked questions
How many files can I upload to an Etsy digital listing?
Five files, each up to 20 MB. Use ZIP files grouped by ratio to fit 20 to 30 sizes into those five slots.
Which ratio should I include if I can only do one?
4:5, because it contains 8 by 10 and 16 by 20, the frame sizes most buyers already own. Add 2:3 next for poster frames, then 3:4 and A-series.
Is 300 DPI required?
It is the standard print shops expect. An 8 by 10 at 300 DPI is 2400 by 3000 pixels. Lower resolutions print visibly soft at wall sizes.
JPEG or PNG for wall art downloads?
JPEG. It is far smaller, fits Etsy's 20 MB limit at every size, and prints identically. Use PNG only if the artwork needs transparency.
Do I need a separate design for each ratio?
You need a version of the design that fits each proportion. Usually that is one master at 2:3 and a deliberate re-crop for 4:5 and 3:4, exported to each size from the master.
