Etsy's 20MB File Limit: Fit Everything in 5 Files
Etsy caps digital listings at 5 files, 20MB each. The ZIP-splitting method that fits a full multi-size pack inside the limit, with real size math.
Etsy's digital-listing limits are fixed: 5 files, 20MB each, 100MB total. No Pro plan lifts them. Every printable seller eventually hits the wall — usually the day they add a 24x36 file at 300 DPI, which alone can be 15–25MB. Here's the packaging system that fits everything anyway.
Step 1: know what actually weighs 20MB
Rough JPEG sizes at quality ~85, 300 DPI:
| File | Pixels | Typical JPEG |
|---|---|---|
| 8x10 | 2400x3000 | 2–4 MB |
| 16x20 | 4800x6000 | 6–10 MB |
| 24x36 | 7200x10800 | 14–24 MB |
| Same 24x36 as PNG | 7200x10800 | 40–80 MB ❌ |
Two immediate rules: JPEG for photos/paintings (PNG only for flat graphics that need it), and any single image flirting with 20MB should drop to quality 80–82 — visually identical, ~30% smaller.
Step 2: group into ratio ZIPs
A ZIP counts as one file no matter what's inside. The standard structure:
File 1: ratio-2x3.zip (4x6, 8x12, 12x18, 16x24, 20x30, 24x36)
File 2: ratio-3x4.zip (6x8, 9x12, 12x16, 18x24)
File 3: ratio-4x5.zip (4x5, 8x10, 16x20)
File 4: iso-a.zip (A5, A4, A3, A2, A1)
File 5: 11x14 + size-chart PDF (zipped together)
Grouping by ratio isn't just tidy — it means a buyer with an 8x10 frame opens one small ZIP, not a 95MB everything-archive on their phone.
Worked example: a 24-file pack at 87MB
A seller's full per-size pack is 24 JPEGs totalling 87MB, with the 2:3 family alone at 34MB (the 20x30 and 24x36 are 11MB and 16MB).
- 87MB across 5 ZIPs averages 17.4MB each — feasible, but the 2:3 ZIP at 34MB busts the cap.
- Split the heavy family:
ratio-2x3-small.zip(4x6→16x24, 18MB) andratio-2x3-large.zip(20x30 + 24x36, 16MB). Merge 11x14 into the 4:5 ZIP to free a slot. Result: 5 files, all under 20MB, nothing dropped.
This is fiddly to do by hand every listing. The Ratio-Pack Generator's Pro mode builds the per-size pack and auto-splits ZIPs at 20MB with sane names, so what comes out is upload-ready. (The free tier's 5 ratio masters usually fit the cap without splitting at all — that simpler strategy is covered in how many sizes to include.)
Step 3: sanity-check before upload
- Every ZIP < 20MB (Etsy rejects at the cap, not near it).
- File names readable by a stressed buyer:
mountains_16x20in_300dpi.jpg, notfinal_v3 (2).jpg. - A size chart in File 5 so nobody has to guess — and honest DPI claims per size, per what DPI printables need.
Ratio-Pack Generator
Turn one image into every print ratio buyers ask for — 300 DPI, cropped in your browser. Free, instant, nothing uploads.