What is DPI?
DPI tells you how sharp an image will print: it's the number of image pixels that land in each inch of paper. For most print, aim for 300.
DPI or PPI?
Strictly, an image's resolution is PPI (pixels per inch), and DPI (dots per inch) describes the ink dots a printer lays down. Most design tools and printers say DPI for both, so this hub does too.
Match pixels to print size
An image has a fixed number of pixels. Its DPI depends on how large you print it.
Pixels = print size in inches × DPI
A 4 × 6 in photo at 300 DPI needs 1200 × 1800 pixels. Print that same image at 8 × 12 in and it drops to 150 DPI, because the same pixels are spread over twice the width.
Enter a print size to see the pixels you need:
Working in millimeters? Use the Millimeters to Pixels converter.
Pick the right DPI
300 DPI is the usual target for anything people hold or read up close. Prints seen from farther away can use less, because the eye can't resolve the detail.
| Typical target | |
|---|---|
| Business cards, flyers, brochures, books, packaging | 300 DPI |
| Posters viewed from a few feet away | 150–300 DPI |
| Banners and signs viewed from across a room or street | Often 150 DPI or less |
Large-format printers often publish their own minimums, so check with your printer. Going well above 300 DPI usually adds file size without visible detail.
Check images, not vectors
DPI only applies to raster images, such as photos, PNGs, and JPGs. Vector shapes and live text are drawn from paths, so they print sharp at any size.
Some effects, such as shadows and blurs, can be turned into images when you export a PDF. Those images have a resolution too.
Check DPI in your design tool
- Photoshop: open Image > Image Size and turn off Resample. Changing the width or height now shows the resolution you'd get at that print size.
- InDesign: select a placed image and open the Links panel. Effective PPI is the resolution at the size you've placed it.
- Figma: there's no DPI setting. An image's DPI depends on its size on the canvas. See Check image resolution (DPI).
Avoid common mistakes
- Upscaling a small image. Resampling to more pixels blurs the existing ones. It doesn't add detail.
- Changing the DPI number only. Setting a 72 DPI image to 300 without resampling keeps the same pixels, so it just prints smaller.
- Trusting the screen. An image can look sharp on screen and still print soft. Check the numbers at the final print size.
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