What Is DPI Resolution: Beginner's Guide to Quality

By Tata Rossi 15 days ago, Photography Tips

When you purchase through affiliate links on our site, we may earn a commission. Here’s how it works.

DPI (Dots Per Inch) describes the number of separate color dots a printer can recreate within a linear inch of a printed page. The larger the DPI, the clearer and more detail-rich the printed picture will look. Even though DPI is very important for printing, it shouldn’t be mixed up with resolution, which is a relevant but distinct parameter that is essential for both digital and printed-out images.

Understanding what is the difference between 1200, 600, and 300 DPI resolutions is essential for image editing experts since services like FixThePhoto frequently enhance high-resolution photos while ensuring they meet the necessary printing standards.

You need to know what DPI is considered high resolution for printing to ensure the picture will look clear and detailed on paper. It’s a crucial parameter for photographers and designers interested in print photography since it affects the quality of the printed image – whether it’s a poster, a booklet, or a glossy magazine.

✔️ DPI ensures the picture looks clear and high-quality. The bigger the value, the more ink drops are placed next to each other.

✔️ The same applies to scanning. Similar to a printer, scanners also evaluate quality in DPI, as it determines the number of data points obtained from an image during the scanning process.

✔️ DPI value can change from printer to printer. A regular inkjet or laser printer can deliver pictures with a DPI of 300 or more, while pro-grade models can double or even triple that number.

Difference Between DPI and Image Resolution

dpi vs ppi difference

DPI (Dots Per Inch): DPI is a numeric value that reflects the number of ink or toner dots applied by your all-in-one photo printer to each inch of a printed picture. This characteristic has a direct effect on the sharpness and clarity of the image. 300 is the minimum DPI for a high-resolution image, but it’s recommended to go even higher than that for large-scale, professional-quality prints.

Resolution: Meanwhile, resolution reflects the number of pixels in a digital picture and is usually described in pixels per inch (PPI). Higher values mean larger numbers of pixels being included in a picture, providing a more detailed result. However, resolution in isolation doesn't determine the print quality since it has to be paired with an appropriate DPI value to ensure you receive high-quality prints.

To put it simply, resolution describes the digital quality of an image, while DPI allows you to know how that quality will translate to a physical medium.

How to Find DPI of an Image in Photoshop

Learning what is the DPI resolution of a specific picture is very simple if you have photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop shows the resolution in PPI, but its PPI to DPI conversion ratio is 1:1, so it still makes it extremely easy to learn the DPI of a photo.

You merely need to do the following:

STEP 1. Open Photoshop on your PC or laptop.

STEP 2. Go to File > Open and pick the desired picture.

STEP 3. Once the picture is open, click Image > Image Size.

STEP 4. Pick Pixels/Inch in the drop-down menu next to Resolution. This will display the resolution number.

find dpi resolution in adobe photoshop

How to Find DPI of Image on Windows

If you’re using a Windows OS and want to learn the DPI of a picture, the process is just as straightforward.

Simply perform the following:

STEP 1. Launch File Explorer and find your image file.

STEP 2. Right-click on the picture file and choose Properties.

STEP 3. Select the Details menu at the top.

STEP 4. Scroll down to locate the Dimensions and the DPI Resolution of the file.

find dpi resolution on windows

How to Find DPI of Image on macOS

If you’re on a Mac, you can discover the DPI resolution by employing the default Preview application.

STEP 1. Launch Finder and go to your picture.

STEP 2. Right-click or control-click the image and pick Open With > Preview.

STEP 3. When in Preview, click on Tools > Show Inspector.

STEP 4. Choose General Info from the dialog window, which should be the first tab at the top.

STEP 5. Browse the file data to learn the resolution or press More Info in the second tab at the top to discover the DPI.

find dpi resolution on mac

FAQ

  • • What is DPI short for?

DPI is short for Dots Per Inch. It describes the number of separate dots that can fit into a 1-inch space. DPI is usually employed for conveying the sizes of printed images, with higher values signifying superior quality and level of detail.

  • • What’s the correlation between DPI and print quality?

DPI has a direct effect on the sharpness and clarity of a printed picture. Higher DPI values provide a more professional-looking and detailed print, while lower values can lead to the picture looking pixelated or unfocused.

  • • What is a high-resolution DPI for photo printing?

300 DPI is the industry standard when it comes to most professional prints. That said, if you plan to print out a large-format image that will only be viewed from a large distance, then a lower value (between 150-200) is also acceptable.

  • • Is DPI the sole parameter that determines the print quality?

No, there are other important factors as well. The original resolution of the file the printer quality, the paper used, and the printing method can also hugely impact how the printed image will look.No, there are other important factors as well. The original resolution of the file the printer quality, the paper used, and the printing method can also hugely impact how the printed image will look.

  • • Is it possible to adjust the DPI of a picture?

Yes, it’s possible to adjust DPI with the help of specialized photo editing software. However, raising the DPI of a low-resolution picture won't increase its quality and can even lower it if the software does a poor job of adding the missing pixels.

  • • How do DPI and PPI differ from each other?

DPI (Dots Per Inch) is employed in printing, while PPI (Pixels Per Inch) describes the pixel density of images displayed on monitors. Even though many people use both terms interchangeably, PPI is related to digital imagery, while DPI matters when it comes to printing.

  • • Does increasing the DPI boost the quality of an image?

Should you need to increase the resolution of an image, boosting the DPI can improve the quality of a print if the picture has a high enough resolution. However, just changing the DPI value of a low-resolution photo isn’t going to provide the desired results.

  • • What DPI is used for high-resolution professional image prints?

Professional prints ordinarily require a DPI of 300 or more. This way, you can rest assured the image will look clear, detailed, and suitable for gallery exhibitions and artistic prints.

  • • How to find out the DPI of a picture?

The best option is to use a dedicated image editor like Adobe Photoshop. Simply launch the application, open the desired picture, and click on “Image Size” or “Properties” to find out its DPI and resolution values.

SAVE UP TO 66% OFF SAVE UP TO 66% OFF