Wallpaper design resolution and repeat size: 24", 27" and 20.5"

Wallpaper needs two numbers right: the resolution of the file and the width of the repeat. Too few pixels and the paper looks soft on the wall; a tile of the wrong width breaks the pattern where two strips meet. This guide covers both for 24, 27 and 20.5 inch rolls.

How much resolution wallpaper needs

Plan for 150 PPI (pixels per inch) at the final printed size. Spoonflower prints all wallpaper at 150 DPI, and Fine Print NYC asks for "at least 150 pixels per inch" for large format printing, with more for highly detailed graphics. PPI describes the file and DPI the print, and printers use the words for the same thing.

People look at wallpaper from across a room, which is why 150 is enough where a small art print wants 300. A full-wall mural seen from farther away can go lower still (see the mural section below).

Note: Spoonflower divides your pixels by 150 to set the print size, whatever DPI is saved in the file. A tile saved at 300 DPI prints twice as wide as you meant.

Roll and panel widths in pixels

American rolls are usually 27 inches wide and European rolls 20.5 inches (Houzz). Spoonflower's wallpaper is 24 inches wide, with about 0.5 inch extra down the right side for overlap. Checked: Oct 2026.

Width	cm	100 PPI	150 PPI	300 PPI
20.5 in, European roll	52.1	2,050 px	3,075 px	6,150 px
24 in, Spoonflower panel	61	2,400 px	3,600 px	7,200 px
27 in, US roll	68.6	2,700 px	4,050 px	8,100 px
52 in, Fine Print NYC's widest roll	132.1	5,200 px	7,800 px	15,600 px

Printed widths can differ from the roll name after trimming, so ask your printer for the exact printable width before you size the tile.

Repeat math across the roll

The tile has to fit a whole number of times across the roll. If it doesn't, the right edge of one strip won't continue into the left edge of the next. Spoonflower states this rule for its 24 inch panels, and the same arithmetic applies to any roll.

Repeats across	24 in panel	27 in roll	20.5 in roll
1	24 in, 3,600 px	27 in, 4,050 px	20.5 in, 3,075 px
2	12 in, 1,800 px	13.5 in, 2,025 px	10.25 in, 1,537.5 px *
3	8 in, 1,200 px	9 in, 1,350 px	6.83 in, 1,025 px
4	6 in, 900 px	6.75 in, 1,012.5 px *	5.125 in, 768.75 px *

Pixels are at 150 PPI. * These don't land on a whole pixel at 150 PPI. Work at 300 PPI (2 repeats on a 20.5 inch roll is 3,075 px, and 4 on a 27 inch roll is 2,025 px), or ask the printer how they want it.

For the full list of Spoonflower widths, from 24 inches down to 1 inch, see the Spoonflower image too small guide.

Example: A 9 inch tile on a 27 inch roll repeats exactly 3 times across, so every strip matches its neighbor. At 150 PPI the tile is 9 × 150 = 1,350 px wide.

Straight match and half-drop

In a straight match, the motif sits at the same height on every strip. In a drop match it drops between strips, and the most common kind is the half-drop, where the motif drops halfway (Houzz).

On Spoonflower, half-drop and mirror repeats need a whole and even number of repeats across the 24 inch panel: 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 or 24. Spoonflower also accepts a single full-width 24 inch tile as half-drop. Basic and half-brick need only a whole number.

Spoonflower's wallpaper FAQ adds one hanging note: on a half-drop design, every other panel is hung lower by half the vertical repeat. Spoonflower suggests vertical repeats under 24 inches, and design length can be anything.

Tip: Before you upload, place four copies of the tile in a 2 × 2 grid in Photoshop and look at the joins. Fine Print NYC suggests the same check, side by side and then above and below.

Murals

A mural is one large image, so it needs far more pixels than a repeat. Spoonflower murals are 9 feet tall, printed in 24 inch panels, and the design repeats every 12 feet (6 panels). Its mural FAQ doesn't list a file resolution, so ask before you start.

Mural, 12 × 9 ft (3.66 × 2.74 m)	Pixels	MP
At 150 PPI	21,600 × 16,200	349.9
At 100 PPI	14,400 × 10,800	155.5
At 60 PPI	8,640 × 6,480	56.0

How low you can go depends on where people stand. Mack Media's large format guide suggests 100 to 150 DPI at final size for viewing from 3 to 10 feet, and 30 to 100 DPI beyond 10 feet. Files this large get heavy: Fine Print NYC notes that mural files can pass 4 GB and need Photoshop's PSB (Large Document) format.

An upscale only goes so far here. Our largest result, in Pro, is 50 megapixels, which on a 12 × 9 ft wall works out to about 57 PPI. That suits a wall seen from far away. For a mural people walk right up to, start from a larger original.

Small art to wall size

Most wallpaper is a repeat, and a repeat tile is small enough to enlarge well. Work out the tile size from the tables above, then:

1. Divide the pixels you need by the pixels you have.
2. If the answer is 4 or less, choose 4× in the Image Upscaler. Between 4 and 8, choose 8×. Free results go up to 36 megapixels.
3. Resize the PNG down to the exact tile width in Photoshop or GIMP.
4. Check the joins in a 2 × 2 grid at 100% zoom.

Example: You want 2 repeats across a 27 inch roll, so a 13.5 inch tile: 2,025 px at 150 PPI. Your artwork is 600 × 600 px. 2,025 ÷ 600 = 3.4, so choose 4× for 2,400 × 2,400 px, then resize to 2,025 × 2,025 px.

The upscaler doesn't wrap a tile's edges, so a seamless tile can drift at the joins. Tile it 3 × 3 first, upscale the grid, then crop the center tile. Keep the grid within the output limit: nine copies of a 500 px tile make a 1,500 px grid, and 4× of that is 6,000 × 6,000 px (36 MP), the free maximum.

Pro adds finer, sharper detail at 4×, 8× and 16×, with results up to 50 megapixels. A Pro upscale uses 120 credits, or 180 above 36 MP, and in the US credit packs start at $1.49 for 250 credits.

File handoff and proofs

Each printer has its own rules, so read theirs before you export. Two examples, checked Oct 2026:

• Spoonflower takes JPG or PNG under 40 MB and prints in sRGB, so save in sRGB rather than CMYK. TIFF and PDF aren't accepted.
• Fine Print NYC prints rolls up to 52 × 360 inches and recommends working in CMYK.

Before a full order:

1. Order a sample. Spoonflower sells a 2 × 1 ft test swatch.
2. Check the scale and color in daylight on the wall.
3. Order every roll for the room at once. Spoonflower notes slight changes between orders placed at different times.

What to do next

Pick your roll width, find the tile width that repeats evenly across it, and work out the pixels at 150 PPI, or use the fabric DPI calculator. If your tile is too small, upload it to the Image Upscaler, choose 4× or 8× for free and resize to the exact width.