If you've ever had something printed, you were probably asked to provide images at 300 DPI. But what does that actually mean? DPI stands for Dots Per Inch and is commonly used in the printing world. It refers to the number of ink dots a printer can produce per inch (2.54 cm). The higher the DPI, the sharper and more detailed the print will be. The standard resolution for professional printing is usually 300 DPI, although other values can also be used.
Digital print files are always set up with a preset DPI that corresponds to the final DPI at which they will be printed. This ensures that during the design process you can immediately see whether images and text have the proper resolution for a sharp print. For instance, if you use an image at 100 DPI on a poster designed for 300 DPI, the image will clearly be much less sharp than the rest of the poster.
Why don’t we just use one standard DPI?
You might wonder: why make things so complicated? Why not just use one standard DPI for everything? The answer is simple: not every situation requires the same resolution. The farther away you are from a print, the less detail you perceive, and the lower the DPI can be without compromising image quality.
The most common standard is 300 DPI, mainly used for printed materials viewed up close, such as magazines, books, and brochures. But larger prints work differently. A poster in a bus shelter is often printed at 150 DPI because it’s viewed from a slightly greater distance. A billboard along the highway might be printed at just 10 DPI, as it’s viewed from tens of meters away. To the naked eye, you won’t notice any difference at that distance, but the lower DPI makes the printing process more efficient and prevents unnecessarily large file sizes.
The Same Image for Different Applications
Imagine you have an image that’s 4000 x 3000 pixels—a standard resolution for a photo. If you want to print this image in a magazine at the standard 300 DPI, you can print it up to 25.4 centimeters high. How does that work?
3000 pixels high ÷ 300 DPI = 10 inches = 25.4 centimeters
But what if you want to use that same image for a billboard? That’s possible too, even though the original resolution doesn’t change. For a billboard, a much lower DPI is sufficient, such as 30 DPI, because it’s viewed from a greater distance. The calculation then becomes:
3000 pixels ÷ 30 DPI = 100 inches = 2.54 meters
By adjusting the DPI settings smartly, you can use the same image across different media—ranging from small print formats to massive billboards—without compromising the result.
Smaller Files
There’s another important advantage: smaller file sizes. The higher the DPI, the more detail and pixels are required, resulting in a larger digital file. Imagine printing a billboard that’s 3 × 2 meters at 300 DPI. This would create an enormous file—far too large to work with efficiently. However, if you print the same image at 30 DPI, the file becomes 100 times smaller. How does that work?
300 DPI = 300 dots horizontally × 300 dots vertically = 90,000 dots per square inch
30 DPI = 30 dots horizontally × 30 dots vertically = 900 dots per square inch
Since 900 dots is 100 times fewer than 90,000 dots, the file size is also 100 times smaller. This saves storage space and makes working with large files much more efficient. That’s why there isn’t a one-size-fits-all DPI standard. Instead, the resolution is always adjusted based on how and where the print will be viewed.
72 DPI for the web
Digital images often have a default DPI setting of 72, which is actually a bit strange. DPI stands for "dots per inch," referring to the number of ink dots a printer places on paper. But as long as an image isn’t printed, DPI doesn’t really exist.
DPI doesn’t exist until an image is printed.
So, where does the 72 DPI standard come from? It dates back to the early days of computers. One of the first computers, the Apple Macintosh, had a screen resolution of 72 pixels per inch. Images were displayed using the same ratio, which led to the "72 DPI" standard.Even though modern screens have long surpassed this resolution, the standard has stuck around. However, in the digital world, the 72 DPI setting doesn’t actually serve any real function; it only affects how a file is interpreted when printed.
DPI vs PPI vs Resolution
PPI is used for screens such as TVs, computer monitors, and phones. Essentially, both terms measure the same thing—the density of image points—but they apply to different platforms: DPI for print and PPI for screens.
Another commonly used term is resolution. Resolution refers to the total number of pixels or dots in an image. The higher the resolution, the more pixels or dots are used. This applies to both print and digital images. A high-resolution print has a high DPI, while a high-resolution photo simply means the image contains a large number of pixels.Resolution is therefore used not only to describe print quality but also to indicate the image quality of digital visuals.
Our workflow
Our process is entirely digital, which makes sense since we don’t work with physical products. Moreover, most of our visuals are used digitally, primarily on websites and social media. The requirements for digital image usage are largely the same: a DPI of 72 is commonly used, and platforms tend to follow similar image resolution standards. This allows us to optimize our 3D renders by default for digital use, making our process more efficient and consistent.
That said, our visuals are sometimes printed as well. In those cases, we collaborate with the client and the printing company to determine the optimal settings. What DPI is suitable? What resolution fits the purpose? By making these choices deliberately, we can fine-tune our visuals for the specific print application they’re intended for.
What DPI does my image have?
Curious about the DPI of your image? You can easily check this yourself on both Windows and Mac. Here’s a quick guide on how to do it:
Windows
1 - Open File Explorer and navigate to the desired image.
2 - Right-click on the image and select ‘Properties’.
3 - Go to the ‘Details’ tab.
4 - Scroll down to find the ‘DPI resolution’. (listed as Horizontal Resolution and Vertical Resolution).
Mac
1 - Open Finder and navigate to the desired image.
2 - Right-click (or hold Control and click) on the file, then choose ‘Open With > Preview’.
3 - Once the image is open, go to ‘Tools’ -> ‘Show Inspector’ (or press Command + I).
4 - Select ‘More Info’ to find the DPI, usually listed under ‘General Info’ or ‘Resolution’.
Concusion
DPI (Dots per Inch) is a term used when printing images. It indicates the resolution of a print: the higher the DPI, the sharper and more detailed the final result. This can be confusing because digital files also have a DPI setting, even though it doesn’t affect how an image is displayed on a screen. DPI only becomes relevant once an image is physically printed.
The DPI you need depends on the medium you're printing on. A magazine requires a much higher resolution than a billboard by the roadside because it’s viewed up close. That’s why it’s important to coordinate with the printer to determine which DPI is most suitable for your specific application. This ensures your prints look their best without using unnecessarily large files.