elent

When I upload a photo to Photoshop and then check the image size, PS shows the picture (usually a humungus dimension) at 72 dpi. Does this affect the print quality? I change the dpi to 220 or whatever and all works well, I was just wondering if it is a quality issue and i need to reset some parameter in PS or elsewhere? Thanks

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

You sure it’s not showing PPI? (Pixels Per Inch)

russelray Loc: La Mesa CA

I suspect you'll be subject to some grief for using "dpi" when you meant "ppi" since Photoshop only shows dimensions in ppi. However, I just bought a print shop here in San Diego, and in talking to the printers there, they understand that in today's world, dpi & ppi are pretty interchangeable. In my new print shop, we don't actually use ppi or dpi for printing. We use lpi, which is lines per inch. However, our customers don't need to know that because they can't do anything with that information. They simply want the best, and that's what we give them. In translating to something they will understand and can work with at home, we would prefer at least 300 ppi/dpi, but it depends what we're printing on--matte paper, glossy paper, acrylic, aluminum, canvass, etc.

LWW Loc: Banana Republic of America

72 DPI/PPI is an old screen res standard.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

You will discover that if you change the resolution in PS from 72 ppi to 600n without resampling, there will be no difference in the image - the file size will be the same, and the image will still be whatever pixels wide by pixels high it was. Resampling will make a huge difference, however.

This should help

https://photographylife.com/dpi-vs-ppi

artBob Loc: Near Chicago

Best and safest procedure: 300 ppi at the dimensions you want the print.

LWW Loc: Banana Republic of America

That’s been my preferred number as well for quality print work.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

👍👍 Exactly. First DPI does not equal PPI. Secondly, the 72 DPI is a default value that you’ll find in the EXIF data, regardless of the actual resolution of the image. This “magic” number, although pointless today, originated with Apple when it was both the screen resolution of the monitor and the print resolution of the concurrent Apple printer. Ignore it.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Yes! Those terms should be blocked from UHH.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

Well next time someone starts an acronym thread, I will add:

dpi and

ppi

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

opps

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

An image that's 72 ppi with dimensions of 55.55 inches by 83.33 inches is EXACTLY the same resolution as one that's 300 ppi with dimensions of 13.33 inches by 20 inches.

Doesn't matter. Either one is 4000 x 6000 pixels (which is the size image a typical 24MP camera creates). Keep in mind the "ppi" means "pixels per inch".

Changing from 72 ppi to 300 ppi (or anything else you might choose) will make no difference, so long as you don't let Photoshop "resample" the image. "Uncheck" that box.

Alternatively, if you change the inch dimensions with "resample" unchecked, you'll see the ppi change automatically.

72 ppi was a common computer monitor/Internet resolution year ago, but is hardly used today (some "recording" devices such as cameras default to it).

Today 100 ppi is the most common for monitors (and the Internet).... But even higher resolutions (so-called "4K" and "5K") are becoming more common, but are far from wide usage yet.

If you set a 5x7" image to 100 ppi and view it "at 100%" in Photoshop, measure the image and you'll find it's pretty darned close to 5x7" on your screen.

100 ppi is a good resolution to use for images that will be displayed online.

If you will be making prints, the resolution needed depends upon the print process, the size of the print (the distance it will be viewed from) and other factors.

But 240 ppi is a good minimum resolution for many print processes (including photo quality inkjets such as you might be using at home).

Personally I use 300 ppi.... mostly because the math is easier and I can do it in my head! That 5x7" print mentioned above needs to be 1500x2100 pixels.

"Dpi" is a printing term. "Ppi" is a digital term. They are often used interchangeably... though technically they aren't. I wouldn't worry about it.

artBob Loc: Near Chicago

These bottom lines are the essentials in a nutshell: "But 240 ppi is a good minimum resolution for many print processes (including photo quality inkjets such as you might be using at home).

Personally I use 300 ppi.... mostly because the math is easier and I can do it in my head! That 5x7" print mentioned above needs to be 1500x2100 pixels.

"Dpi" is a printing term. "Ppi" is a digital term. They are often used interchangeably... though technically they aren't. I wouldn't worry about it."

elent

That's what I needed to know.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

More correctly, dpi is either scanner samples per inch or printer dots per inch. Dots always have dimensions! Pixels are JUST NUMBERS.

A pixel can be REPRESENTED (printed or displayed) by any number of dots.

A dot captured by a scanner typically gets represented by one pixel in the resulting file, but there can be scaling interpolation.

The dpi field in an EXIF table tells graphic arts applications how large to scale an image when it is first loaded into a page layout program. It is (misleadingly) called dpi only because of its heritage in the scanner industry.