A printed banner lives or dies on legibility
Banners and large-format prints are read from the roadside, not from a screen. If the lettering is small relative to the viewing distance, the message simply does not land; push the resolution instead and you only get a heavier file. Entering the real size, the distance and the output dpi lets you see both at once.
How it is calculated
Letter height comes from a visual angle: twice the viewing distance multiplied by the tangent of half that angle. Pixel dimensions are the physical size converted to inches and multiplied by the dpi you enter. The formula actually used is printed with the result. Current as of October 2026.
Limits and disclaimer
No list of sizes by use case, no recommended visual angle and no recommended dpi are offered, because no recognized standard exists and inventing one would be worse than useless. Digital ad pixel specs are out of scope. Typeface weight, contrast, lighting and eyesight are not modeled, so settle the final call with a test print on site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Published figures differ and no single recognized standard exists, so this tool asks for the angle rather than proposing one, and prints the formula it used alongside the result.
No. Large-format work viewed from a distance is often fine at far less. The right figure depends on the press and the distance, so nothing is prescribed here; your dpi is simply converted into pixels.
No. This is for physically printed banners only. Pixel specifications for digital advertising are out of scope.