The simple number to remember
Print quality is measured in dots per inch, and 300 DPI is the standard for a crisp result. A trading card is 2.5 by 3.5 inches, so a photo needs roughly 750 by 1050 pixels to fill it at full quality.
In practice, aim for at least 1000 pixels on the short side of your photo. That leaves room for cropping into the card frame without dropping below print quality.
Why the original file matters
Resolution is not just about the camera — it is about what happens to the photo afterward. Screenshots shrink images. Messaging apps compress them. Social media downloads strip them down. Each of those can take a great photo below the print threshold.
Always go back to the original file in your camera roll or the photographer's gallery. If someone texts you a photo, ask them to send it as a file or at full quality instead.
- ✓Good: the original photo from the camera roll
- ✓Good: a full-resolution download from the team photographer's gallery
- ✓Bad: a screenshot of the photo
- ✓Bad: a photo saved from social media or a compressed text message
How to check before you upload
You do not need to count pixels by hand. Open the photo at full size on your screen and zoom in on the athlete. If it stays sharp and detailed, it will print well. If it turns soft or blocky, find a higher-quality version.
The good news: any phone photo taken in the last several years, in decent light, at full size, is comfortably above the threshold. Resolution problems almost always come from how the photo was shared, not how it was shot.