What Is DPI And Why Is It Important?

Images whether on-screen or printed are actually made up of little dots of colour, referred to as DPI (Dots Per Inch). 

The more dots per inch that your image has the more details can be added so the clearer the image will look and the higher quality the image will be.

Wouldn’t it just be easier to use the same DPI for all your images? 

Unfortunately no

The higher DPI you use the larger the file becomes which can cause issues for online images. Similarly using images with a low DPI for print can cause the images to look blurred and pixelated 

So knowing what DPI to use will ensure your images look their best for each project that you do.

72 DPI is the resolution of your screen and so when you are creating images or graphics for the web you should use this lower DPI which also keeps the size of your images small to improve internet performance. 

300 DPI is the resolution your images need to be for printing, also referred to as high resolution. Using a lower DPI image (otherwise known as a low-resolution) on your printed material can cause it to look pixelated and blurred. 

This is why when creating files for printed materials it’s not advised to use images downloaded from the internet (there is also a copyright issue but that’s for another post) as they will usually be 72 DPI (maybe 96 DPI at most) which as mentioned above is not a high enough DPI for printing.

Need more help with understanding DPI and why you need to get it right for your printed and online files? Then contact Adam today and find out more about preparing your files for print or creating design and branding for your business as well as the other Black Square Print Media services.