Resolution reference
1280 × 1024 resolution (SXGA)
Short answer
1280 × 1024 (SXGA, 5:4) is a 5:4 landscape resolution with 1,310,720 pixels (1.31 megapixels). A 5:4 monitor shape - unusual today, and awkward in every video frame.
Key takeaways
- 1280 × 1024 is 5:4, landscape, 1,310,720 pixels (1.31 MP).
- A 5:4 monitor shape - unusual today, and awkward in every video frame.
- For video, YouTube's 720p tier applies: 5 Mbps at 24-30 fps, about 38 MB a minute.
- Printed at 300 DPI it is 4.3 × 3.4 inches.
1280 × 1024 specifications
| Width × height | 1,280 × 1,024 pixels |
|---|---|
| Also called | 1280x1024, SXGA, 5:4 |
| Aspect ratio | 5:4, decimal 1.2500 |
| Orientation | landscape |
| Total pixels | 1,310,720 (1.31 megapixels) |
| Compared with 1080p | 0.63× the pixels of 1920 × 1080 |
| Diagonal | 1,639 pixels |
| Rotated | 1024 × 1280 |
| Encoder safe | Yes: both sides are even, as H.264 and HEVC with 4:2:0 color require |
1280 × 1024 compared with common resolutions
| Resolution | Pixels | 1280 × 1024 has |
|---|---|---|
| 720p (1280 × 720) | 921,600 | 1.42× as many |
| 1080p (1920 × 1080) | 2,073,600 | 63% as many |
| 1440p (2560 × 1440) | 3,686,400 | 36% as many |
| 4K UHD (3840 × 2160) | 8,294,400 | 16% as many |
1280 × 1024 vs 1366 × 768 and 1280 × 1024 vs 1600 × 900
1280 × 1024 has 25% more pixels than 1366 × 768 (1366 × 768). On a 15.6-inch screen that is 105 vs 100 pixels per inch, so text and fine detail look sharper at 1280 × 1024. A game or encoder has to process 1.25× as many pixels per frame, which costs frame rate on the same graphics card and, at equal quality, file size.
900p (1600 × 900) has 10% more pixels than 1280 × 1024. On a 15.6-inch screen that is 105 vs 118 pixels per inch, so text and fine detail look softer at 1280 × 1024. A game or encoder processes only 91% as many pixels per frame, which helps frame rates and keeps files smaller.
| 1280 × 1024 | 1366 × 768 (1366 × 768) | 900p (1600 × 900) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pixels | 1,310,720 | 1,049,088 | 1,440,000 |
| Aspect ratio | 5:4 | 683:384 | 16:9 |
| YouTube bitrate, 24-30 fps | 5 Mbps | 5 Mbps | 5 Mbps |
| Desktop space (vs 1080p) | 63% | 51% | 69% |
Where 1280 × 1024 is used
SXGA was the standard of 17- and 19-inch LCD monitors in the early 2000s. Its 5:4 shape is unusual: slightly taller than 4:3, so it fits neither 4:3 nor 16:9 video without bars.
- Classic 17- and 19-inch square-ish LCD monitors, still common in offices and industry.
- Screen recordings that need pillarboxing in 16:9 and heavy cropping in 9:16.
- Some security and medical displays.
Pixel density (PPI) by screen size
Pixel density is the diagonal in pixels (1,639) divided by the screen diagonal in inches. The last column is the distance at which a person with normal vision stops seeing individual pixels (one arcminute of visual acuity).
| Screen diagonal | PPI | Pixels blend at about |
|---|---|---|
| 11.6 inches | 141 | 24 in (62 cm) |
| 13.3 inches | 123 | 28 in (71 cm) |
| 14 inches | 117 | 29 in (75 cm) |
| 15.6 inches | 105 | 33 in (83 cm) |
Print sizes for a 1280 × 1024 image
| Print resolution | Inches | Centimeters | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 DPI | 4.3 × 3.4 | 10.8 × 8.7 | Photo prints, magazines |
| 240 DPI | 5.3 × 4.3 | 13.5 × 10.8 | Inkjet photo prints |
| 150 DPI | 8.5 × 6.8 | 21.7 × 17.3 | Posters seen from a meter or more |
| 72 DPI | 17.8 × 14.2 | 45.2 × 36.1 | Screen only; too coarse for print |
Free tool:DPI and print size calculator
Video at 1280 × 1024: bitrate and file size
| Frame rate | Bitrate | Per minute | Per 10 minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24-30 fps | 5 Mbps | about 38 MB | about 380 MB |
| 48-60 fps | 7.5 Mbps | about 56 MB | about 560 MB |
Uncompressed, one 1280 × 1024 frame is 3.9 MB as 8-bit RGB, or 2.0 MB in the 8-bit 4:2:0 format video codecs work in. At 30 fps that is 472 Mbps of raw video, which is why every delivery format compresses it.
Posting 1280 × 1024 to social platforms
How the frame lands in each common shape, either fitted whole with bars or scaled up to fill and cropped:
| Target frame | Fit with bars | Fill and crop |
|---|---|---|
| 9:16 (TikTok, Reels, Shorts), 1080 × 1920 | 1080 × 864 picture, 55% of the frame is bars | Keeps 45% of the picture (crops the width) |
| 16:9 (YouTube), 1920 × 1080 | 1350 × 1080 picture, 30% of the frame is bars | Keeps 70% of the picture (crops the height) |
| 4:5 (feed portrait), 1080 × 1350 | 1080 × 864 picture, 36% of the frame is bars | Keeps 64% of the picture (crops the width) |
| 1:1 (square), 1080 × 1080 | 1080 × 864 picture, 20% of the frame is bars | Keeps 80% of the picture (crops the width) |
Free tools:Crop video to 9:16Crop video to 16:9Crop an image to 4:5
How to resize to 1280 × 1024
- In an editor, set the sequence or export frame size to 1280 × 1024; if the source has a different shape, choose scale to fill (crop) or scale to fit (bars) rather than stretch.
- With FFmpeg, exact size:
ffmpeg -i in.mp4 -vf scale=1280:1024 -c:a copy out.mp4 - With FFmpeg, keep the whole picture and add bars:
ffmpeg -i in.mp4 -vf "scale=1280:1024:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease,pad=1280:1024:(ow-iw)/2:(oh-ih)/2" -c:a copy out.mp4 - Upscaling a smaller source to 1280 × 1024 makes the file bigger without adding detail; scale down from a larger master when you can.
| Scale | Size | Pixels |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | 320 × 256 | 81,920 |
| 50% | 640 × 512 | 327,680 |
| 75% | 960 × 768 | 737,280 |
| 150% | 1920 × 1536 | 2,949,120 |
| 200% | 2560 × 2048 | 5,242,880 |
Check a file against 1280 × 1024
Extension and MIME type are labels, not proof of the container. Dimensions and duration come from this browser's media reader. The frame rate is measured by playing the first frames muted; a file faster than your screen's refresh rate reads low. This does not detect codecs, bitrate, corruption or platform upload compatibility. Files and measurements are not sent anywhere.
Frequently asked questions
Is 1280×1024 4K?
No. 4K UHD is 3840×2160 (8,294,400 pixels); 1280×1024 has 1,310,720, 16% of that. By its 1024-pixel short side it falls in YouTube's 720p quality tier.
What aspect ratio is 1280×1024?
5:4, a width-to-height ratio of 1.25.
What bitrate should a 1280×1024 video use for YouTube?
YouTube recommends 5 Mbps at 24-30 fps and 7.5 Mbps at 48-60 fps for its 720p tier (SDR). That is about 38 MB per minute at standard frame rates, before audio.
How does 1280×1024 compare with 1080p?
It has 63% of the pixels of 1920×1080 (1,310,720 vs 2,073,600). Encoding time and file size at equal quality scale roughly with pixel count.
What is 1280×1024 resolution called?
1280 × 1024 is also called SXGA, 5:4. A 5:4 monitor shape - unusual today, and awkward in every video frame.
How many megapixels is 1280×1024?
1,310,720 pixels, which is 1.31 megapixels. A 12-megapixel phone photo (4032 × 3024) has 9.3× as many.
How big can I print a 1280×1024 image?
At 300 DPI, the usual photo-print target, 4.3 × 3.4 inches (10.8 × 8.7 cm). At 150 DPI, fine for posters viewed from a distance, twice that: 8.5 × 6.8 inches.
Sources and how we checked
- YouTube Help: Recommended upload encoding settings (checked 2026-10-05)
Pixel counts, ratios, PPI, print sizes, data rates and platform fits are computed from the width and height. Device figures are the makers' own; bitrates are YouTube's recommendations. Reviewed October 6, 2026 by the Koldflux team.