A PBR texture resolution guide is a texel-density guide. 1K, 2K, 4K, and 8K are pixel budgets, not quality grades. Double the edge length and you quadruple memory and streaming cost. Spend that budget where the camera can see it.

What 1K, 2K, 4K, and 8K actually mean

Convention in 3D is square power-of-two maps:

  • 1K — 1024×1024 (about 1 million pixels per map)
  • 2K — 2048×2048 (about 4 million)
  • 4K — 4096×4096 (about 16 million)
  • 8K — 8192×8192 (about 64 million)

A full PBR set multiplies that by map count. Albedo, normal, roughness, and metalness at 4K is four times one 4K image. That is why packing extra channels matters in real-time. Learn map roles in what PBR textures are before you inflate every file “for safety.”

Match resolution to screen coverage

Ask how many screen pixels the surface covers at the closest typical shot. A kitchen island that fills a 4K still can use 4K wood or floor textures. The same wood on a distant cabinet can live at 1K or 2K. Unwrap a 4-meter wall to one 2K tile and each texel covers about 2 mm—a solid archviz start. Hero marble or a product logo may need 0.5–1 mm per texel, which pushes 4K. Mipmaps hide excess resolution as soon as the object shrinks.

Games and real-time budgets

  • 1K — trim, decals, distant props, mobile unique materials.
  • 2K — default for unique game assets and tiled trims.
  • 4K — hero weapons, vehicles, first-person hands, walkable floors.
  • 8K — rare in shipped games unless virtual texturing streams it.

Prefer fewer unique 4K sets and more tiled CC0 materials from Locker3d. Tiling a 2K concrete slab across a warehouse beats unique 8K islands you will never see. Normal maps show resolution loss first—keep those sharp.

Archviz, product, and stills

Offline stills tolerate heavier maps because you render once. Interiors that crop into a tabletop or a facade joint look more expensive at 4K. Full-room cameras at 2K often hold up if scale is right. 8K helps film crops, print, and extreme close-ups of stone or brushed metal. Do not run 8K on every wall because a client might zoom. Zoom is a reason for one hero material, not a whole library.

Memory, mipmaps, and packing

VRAM cares about GPU size, not the PNG on disk. Practical savings:

  • Drop roughness and metalness one resolution step when detail is low-frequency.
  • Pack AO, roughness, and metalness into one texture when the engine allows it.
  • Use GPU compression in games; keep lossless masters for offline.
  • Instance the same tiled material instead of unique copies per mesh.

A practical resolution checklist

Start from the shot, not the filename. If the surface is under 10% of the frame, try 1K or 2K. If it is a walkable floor or a product hero, start at 2K–4K and A/B. If the normal map pixelates before the albedo, raise resolution or tighten UVs. Locker3d assets are CC0, so you can downscale masters for LODs. Blender import steps: how to apply PBR textures in Blender. Also see PBR textures for beginners and the blog.

Frequently asked questions

Is 4K always better than 2K for PBR textures?

No. 4K helps when the surface fills a large part of the frame. On a distant wall or a mobile prop, 4K wastes memory and can look identical to 2K after mipmapping.

Do I need the same resolution for every PBR map?

Not always. Albedo and normal benefit from the highest resolution you can afford. Roughness and metalness can often drop one step if their detail is broad. Keep UVs aligned so maps still overlay.

What resolution are Locker3d CC0 textures?

Locker3d lists available sizes per asset. Pick the largest you need for the shot, then downscale copies for real-time LODs. CC0 lets you resize and recompress freely for commercial projects.