ARTWORK MEASUREMENT
Account for canvas padding when calculating a print
Use the visible design dimensions as well as the outer canvas to avoid planning a print from empty pixels.
A transparent canvas can satisfy a large pixel requirement while the visible design occupies only part of it. Dividing the outer width by PPI gives the outer physical size. If the print workflow places the whole canvas at that size, the visible design can be considerably smaller.
Measure the full grid and the design region
Read the outer width and height from the file, then inspect how many pixels the visible artwork spans in an appropriate editor. A hypothetical 5000 by 5400 canvas might contain a 4000 by 4200 design region. Keep both measurements. RSPrintMetric calculates the dimensions you enter; it does not detect transparent padding or measure the visible ink boundary automatically.
Compare the two mappings at one density
At 300 PPI, the full canvas represents about 16.6667 by 18 inches. The 4000 by 4200 artwork region represents about 13.3333 by 14 inches at that same mapping. Both calculations use the same density but describe different rectangles. The empty border belongs to the canvas calculation, not to the visible printed content.
Check how the destination handles transparent space
A receiving workflow may scale the whole canvas, trim empty edges or expose a placement control. Inspect its actual preview and dimensions rather than assuming which behavior it uses. If it trims transparent space, the mapping can differ from placing the complete canvas. Use the current template and the saved asset to verify the visible result in the exact workflow used for this job.
Adjust the preparation deliberately
If the design occupies too little of the intended area, review the source padding, safe margin and canvas plan in an appropriate editor or canvas tool. Preserve every intended design element during any trim. A smaller border can change placement without repairing a low-detail source, so inspect edge quality as well as size. Keep the original and document which rectangle the final physical-size calculation refers to.
Put the example to work
Open the tool, enter your own inputs and review the result. The the formula behind a print-size calculation guide explains the workflow and its limits.
Open RSPrintMetric