September 6, 2026

Headshot resolution: 800–1,200px web, 300 PPI print, UK studio files

Deliver a high-resolution square master ample for flexibility, and you can crop it down for almost anything. For web platforms, export at 800 to 1200 pixels square. For print, work in PPI (pixels per inch) and hit 300 PPI at the finished print size. Save a JPEG at high quality for online use and keep a TIFF or high-quality JPEG master for print, because that square starting point gives you the most room to crop for circular profile photos, social grids, or a portrait print later.

Headshot resolution guide: pixel sizes by platform

Every platform treats a headshot slightly differently, and getting caught out with a blurry LinkedIn photo or a pixelated email signature usually comes down to exporting once and reusing that file everywhere. It shouldn’t be that way. The fix is simple: keep one large master image and cut smaller versions from it as needed, rather than trying to make one file do every job.

Here’s how the main platforms and use cases stack up:

LinkedIn accepts uploads as large as 7,680 × 4,320 pixels, but the practical sweet spot for sharpness without wasting file size sits at 800 to 1200 pixels square. If you want the exact specifications for banners as well as profile photos, the LinkedIn photo size guide covers every dimension the platform uses.

A few habits make the whole process easier:

Keep a square 1:1 master at full resolution, then crop 4:5 or 2:3 versions from it for portrait uses rather than shooting separate compositions.
Always upload roughly twice the size the platform displays. If a site shows your photo at 400 pixels, send 800 to 1200 pixels so it still looks sharp on a retina screen.
For circular crops (LinkedIn, most avatar systems), keep the eyes centred and leave generous margin at the top and sides, because the mask will clip anything close to the edge.
Shoot the original in your camera’s native aspect ratio, usually 3:2 or 4:3, and crop afterwards rather than composing pre-cropped in camera. This preserves the maximum pixels to work with later, a point photography forums raise often when discussing headshot aspect ratios.

If you’re unsure whether to shoot square or portrait from the start, the practical answer is: shoot wide, crop narrow. A guide to business headshot formats walks through when a square crop suits a corporate profile and when a portrait crop reads better for a website bio.

PPI vs DPI: what actually matters for print

PPI and DPI get used interchangeably online, and that mix-up causes more wasted print budget than almost anything else in this process. PPI, pixels per inch, describes how densely packed the pixels in your digital file are. DPI, dots per inch, describes how many ink dots a printer lays down. One belongs to your image; the other belongs to the printer. When a print lab asks for “300 DPI,” what they almost always mean is 300 PPI in your file, a distinction Photography Life explains clearly.

The maths is straightforward: pixels required = inches × PPI. Two examples make it concrete:

A business card headshot at 1.5 × 2 inches, printed at 300 PPI, needs a file sized to 450 × 600 pixels.
A conference programme photo at 3 × 4 inches, printed at 300 PPI, needs 900 × 1200 pixels.

For an 8×10 acting headshot, the same formula gives 2400 × 3000 pixels, the standard casting directors expect.

Statistic to remember: 300 PPI is the benchmark most professional print labs use for photographic prints viewed at close range, according to both Photography Life and Adobe. Anything much lower risks visible softness when someone holds the print in their hand.

That said, 300 PPI isn’t a universal law. Large-format prints, banners, or posters viewed from several feet away can often get away with 150 to 200 PPI, because the viewing distance hides the lower pixel density. A shop window display doesn’t need the same density as a business card someone examines up close.

300 PPI versus lower-density print guidance

How to check and change your headshot’s resolution

You don’t need to guess whether a file is print-ready. A few minutes with the right tool tells you exactly what you’re working with.

Open the file in Photoshop. Go to File > Open, then navigate to Image > Image Size.
Check the resolution field. Photoshop displays this as Pixels/Inch, which is the PPI value discussed above. Adobe’s own guidance confirms this is the correct field to check or change before sending a file to print.
Untick “Resample” before changing PPI for print. With Resample switched off, Photoshop recalculates the print size using your existing pixels rather than inventing new ones, which keeps quality intact. Only tick Resample if you deliberately want to add or remove pixels, and know that adding them (upsampling) rarely looks as sharp as starting with a genuinely high-resolution capture.
On a Mac, Preview shows pixel dimensions under Tools > Adjust Size. On Windows, right-click the file, choose Properties, then Details, to see the same information without opening any editing software.
Export for web as a JPEG at high quality, keeping the file under roughly 100 KB for email signatures, and keep your original TIFF or high-quality JPEG master untouched for anything printed later.

If you’re shooting on a phone rather than working from a professional file, shoot at the camera’s maximum resolution setting and avoid heavy in-app compression or filters before sending the image on. Where possible, hand over the original file rather than a version already squeezed through a messaging app, which recompresses images and quietly throws away pixels.

Pro Tip: If you’ve used an AI headshot generator, check the export settings before assuming the file is print-ready. Many tools default to screen resolutions like 1024×1024 pixels, which is fine for a profile photo but too small for print. Look for a higher-resolution export option before ordering prints from that file.

What to ask for: a headshot delivery checklist

Whether you’re briefing a photographer or exporting your own files, this covers the essentials:

A full-resolution master file (RAW, TIFF, or high-quality JPEG), ideally 2000 to 4000 pixels on the long edge.
A square 1:1 crop taken from that master, for social platforms and circular avatars.
One or two portrait crops (4:5 or 2:3) for websites, printed bios, or press packs.
Print-ready exports set to 300 PPI at the specific size you need, clearly labelled.
Web-ready compressed copies, sized per the platform table above.
Colour profile confirmed: sRGB for anything screen-based, Adobe RGB or CMYK only if a specific print lab requests it.

Name your files so nobody has to guess later, something like final_print_300ppi_3x4in.jpg, and note any retouching or licensing terms alongside the delivery.

Pro Tip: Ask for turnaround time upfront. High-resolution retouched files with correct print exports take longer to prepare than a quick web-only crop, and knowing that timeline before your session avoids a last-minute scramble before a print deadline. A session preparation guide covers what to expect before you even book.

How a London studio actually delivers these files

A properly run headshot session should end with more than one photo dropped into your inbox. A typical delivery from a professional studio includes the retouched master file, a square high-resolution crop, one or two portrait crops, and web-optimised versions sized for the platforms clients actually use, LinkedIn, agency websites, casting portals.

The square master gets prioritised deliberately. It’s the single most flexible format, letting a corporate client crop for a circular LinkedIn photo while an actor crops the same shoot into a portrait 8×10 for their portfolio, without booking a second session.

Export defaults matter as much as the shoot itself. A high-quality JPEG in sRGB covers web use reliably, while a 300 PPI export handles print without surprises at the lab. Getting this right at delivery stage saves clients from resizing guesswork later.

A photographer’s take on the small mistakes that cost the most

The single biggest resolution mistake isn’t shooting at low quality, it’s over-cropping in camera before there’s any flexibility left to work with. Once a face fills the frame edge to edge, there’s no margin for a circular LinkedIn mask or a portrait print crop, and no amount of exporting fixes that afterwards.

The fix is almost embarrassingly simple: shoot a little wider than feels necessary, then crop with intention once you’re back at the desk. Studios that build alternate crops and both web-ready and lab-ready exports into every delivery save clients from ever hitting this wall.

— Emmet

Book a headshot session with print and web files sorted

Working out pixel maths and PPI conversions yourself is manageable, but it’s one more thing to get right when you’d rather be focused on your CV, your casting submissions, or your company bio. Professional photography sessions offer an alternative to sorting exports yourself, or to an AI generator that hands you a single 1024×1024 file and calls it finished: book a session and you leave with a proper master file, a square crop, a portrait crop, and web-ready versions already sized for the platforms you’ll actually use, as explained in this LinkedIn networking for women: your practical UK guide.

Book a headshot session with print and web files sorted — overview diagram

Sessions often include directed posing, image retouching, and export files prepared for both screen and print rather than a single flat delivery. Actors after portfolio-ready 8×10 headshots get files sized correctly from the start. Corporate professionals and creatives after LinkedIn and team headshots get square masters ready to crop for any platform. Get in touch to check availability and book a session.

Sources

FAQ

Should I shoot photos in 4:3 or 16:9?

Neither, for headshots specifically. Shoot in your camera’s native still-photo aspect ratio (usually 3:2 or 4:3) and crop to square or portrait afterwards, which preserves the most pixels to work with later.

What size ratio is 1080×1350?

That’s a 4:5 portrait ratio, the standard Instagram uses for feed posts, and it works well for website bios and printed materials where a slightly taller crop suits the composition better than a square.

Should headshots be 8×10?

For acting and casting purposes, yes, 8×10 inches is the standard print size, which at 300 PPI means supplying a file sized to 2400 × 3000 pixels. For corporate or online use, a square or 4:5 crop is more common than 8×10.

What does a 3/4 headshot look like?

A three-quarter headshot shows the subject from roughly the chest or waist up rather than a tight face-only crop, giving more visible posture and context while still reading clearly as a portrait rather than a full-body shot.

What’s the minimum resolution for a professional headshot?

For web use, aim for at least 800 pixels on the shortest side. For print, calculate pixels needed using inches × 300 PPI, so a standard 8×10 inch print needs 2400 × 3000 pixels minimum.

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