June 2026  ·  4 min read

Your Etsy file is too large - here is how to fix it

You finished your design in Canva, went to upload it to Etsy, and got an error. File too large. Etsy only allows files up to 20MB and your PNG is 45MB. This happens to almost every Etsy seller at some point and it is not your fault. Canva exports PNG by default and PNG files are 3 to 10 times larger than JPG for the exact same image.

Why PNG files cause this problem

PNG is a lossless format which means it keeps every pixel of information. That sounds good but for print files it creates massive file sizes with no visible quality benefit. A wall art design at 300 DPI exported as PNG will almost always exceed Etsy's 20MB limit. The same file exported as JPG at high quality will be 3 to 6MB and look identical when printed.

The quick fix

The fastest fix is to convert your PNG to JPG before uploading. In Canva, go to Share, then Download, then change the file type from PNG to JPG. Set quality to 100 percent. Your file will be a fraction of the size and Etsy will accept it.

If your file is still too large after converting to JPG, the issue is usually the pixel dimensions. At 300 DPI, a 24x36 inch print needs 7200x10800 pixels which creates a large file even as JPG. You can reduce the pixel dimensions slightly without affecting print quality at common sizes like 8x10 or 11x14.

What about print quality?

A common worry is that JPG will look worse than PNG when printed. For print files this is not true. Professional print labs use JPG for all print orders. At 300 DPI and high JPG quality, the difference between PNG and JPG is invisible to the human eye on a printed page. What actually causes blurry prints is low resolution, not the file format.

The DPI problem nobody tells you about

Even if your file uploads successfully, you might get complaints from buyers that their print came out blurry or pixelated. This is almost always a DPI problem. Print quality requires at least 300 DPI at the actual print size. A file that looks sharp on your screen at 72 DPI will print blurry at any size larger than a postcard.

To check your DPI, right click your file on Windows and go to Properties then Details. On Mac, open the file in Preview and go to Tools then Show Inspector. If the DPI is below 300, you need to re-export from your design software at a higher resolution.

Fix both problems automatically

If you want to skip all of this, Printable Prep checks your file for both problems automatically. Drop your file in, and within seconds it tells you if the file is too large, converts it to an optimised JPG if needed, and checks whether your print resolution is high enough to avoid blurry prints. It runs entirely in your browser so your files never leave your computer.

What about ZIP files?

If you are selling multiple print sizes in one listing, you might be hitting the 20MB limit on a ZIP file. This happens when you pack too many sizes into one ZIP. The solution is to split your files into ratio packs. Instead of one ZIP with all sizes, create one ZIP for portrait sizes, one for square, and one for landscape. Each ZIP stays under 20MB and buyers get a cleaner download experience.

Printable Prep handles this automatically for ZIP files. Upload your ZIP and it splits the files into ratio folders and repackages them so each ZIP stays under the limit.

The 20MB limit catches almost every new seller off guard at least once. Now you know exactly why it happens and how to fix it. If you want to check your files before uploading to avoid the problem entirely, try Printable Prep free. No account needed, nothing to install, and your files never leave your computer.