Scrapbook paper comes in a handful of standard sizes, and digital paper packs usually ship in several of them at once. Knowing which is which saves you from printing a beautiful pattern at the wrong scale. Here is what each size is for, how many pixels it needs at print quality, and which file to pick.
The four sizes at a glance
| Size | Inches / mm | Pixels at 300 DPI | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 x 12 | 12 x 12 in (305 x 305 mm) | 3600 x 3600 | Full scrapbook layouts, album pages, print shop orders |
| US Letter | 8.5 x 11 in (216 x 279 mm) | 2550 x 3300 | Home printing in North America, cards, tags, wrap |
| A4 | 8.27 x 11.69 in (210 x 297 mm) | 2480 x 3508 | Home printing in Europe, the UK, Australia and most of the world |
| 6 x 6 | 6 x 6 in (152 x 152 mm) | 1800 x 1800 | Cards, mini albums, pocket pages, layering |
12 x 12 in: the scrapbook standard
Most scrapbook albums are built for 12 x 12 pages, and that is the size patterned paper is designed at. At 300 DPI a 12 x 12 sheet needs 3600 x 3600 pixels, which is what our JPG files are. Most home printers cannot feed a 12-inch-wide sheet, so you either print at a shop, use a wide-format printer, or print a section of it on Letter or A4. Our step-by-step guide covers all three: how to print 12×12 scrapbook paper.
US Letter and A4: for your home printer
These are the sheets your printer already uses. A good digital paper pack gives you ready-made PDFs for both so you do not have to resize anything. Two details are worth knowing:
- Letter and A4 are not the same shape. A4 is slightly narrower and taller. Printing a Letter file on A4 paper (or the reverse) with “Fit to page” changes the scale and leaves margins, so pick the file that matches your paper.
- Same scale as 12 x 12. In our packs the Letter and A4 pages show the pattern at its true size, cropped to the sheet. A floral that is 1 inch wide on the 12 x 12 file is 1 inch wide on your Letter print too.
6 x 6 in: the small format
6 x 6 paper pads are popular for cardmaking because a 6 x 6 square covers a standard card front with room to trim. In a mini PDF the whole 12 x 12 design is scaled down to 6 x 6, so motifs are half their full size, which often suits small projects better. Our mini files put one 6 x 6 square on each Letter page with crop marks so you can trim it exactly. Ideas for using them are in our handmade cards guide.
What does 300 DPI mean, and does it matter?
DPI (dots per inch) describes how many pixels are packed into each printed inch. 300 DPI is the standard for sharp prints viewed up close, which is how paper crafts are seen. You can calculate the pixels any size needs by multiplying inches by 300: a 5 x 7 card panel needs 1500 x 2100 pixels. If you print a file larger than it was made for, each pixel gets bigger and edges soften. That is why a 12 x 12 file should be 3600 pixels wide, not the 1000-pixel previews you see online.
Common card and project sizes
- A2 card (folded): 4.25 x 5.5 in. Mat layers are usually about 4 x 5.25 in. Fits two to a Letter sheet.
- A7 card (folded): 5 x 7 in. One panel per Letter sheet with room for a strip.
- Square card: 5.5 x 5.5 in or 6 x 6 in. Use the 6 x 6 mini files.
- Pocket page cards: 3 x 4 in and 4 x 6 in. Six 3 x 4 cards fit on one Letter page.
Which file should you download?
Printing at home: the PDF that matches your paper (Letter or A4). Making cards or minis: the 6 x 6 file. Ordering full sheets from a print shop or designing in Canva, Procreate or Silhouette: the 12 x 12 JPGs. Every Hearth Paper pack includes all four, so you never have to choose at checkout.
