DPI
DPI may refer to any of the following:
1. DPI (Dot Per Inch) is a measurement of printer resolution that indicates how many ink dots the printer can place in one square inch; the higher the DPI, the sharper the image. Therefore, a printer with 600 DPI is a printer that prints 600 x 600 per square inch or 360,000 dots per inch. Because all printers print using dots, printers with a low DPI may encounter jaggies with printed output. Resolution Enhancement and other edge enhancements help correct the appearance of jaggies with printers that support this technology.
DPI vs PPI
DPI and PPI (Pixels Per Inch) are similar and may be confused as being the same thing. Although similar, they're not the same. DPI is a measurement used for printers and scanners that deal with paper. PPI is also a measurement for resolution but is used for screens like your computer monitor.
Common DPI settings
The DPI setting should be adjusted depending on how the image or photo will be viewed. A low DPI setting is fine if the image is small and has a short view distance (e.g., viewing on a screen). However, if you plan on printing the image, it should use a higher DPI.
A higher DPI improves the image's resolution but also increases the file size. Larger file sizes take more storage space and can be more difficult to work with on lower-end computers.
- 72 DPI: The lowest recommended DPI that should be used on pictures shown on a screen. This DPI is great for website images because the quality is sufficient and the file size is small, which reduces download times and saves on bandwidth costs.
- 300 DPI: The lowest resolution recommended if you plan on printing the image or embedding the image in a document that is printed.
- 400 DPI: If the image contains text, this is the lowest recommended DPI if you plan on printing the picture.
- 600 DPI: Recommended setting if the picture is printed and will be displayed on a wall.
2. DPI, or Dots Per Inch, is also used to determine an image resolution.
When scanning an image you intend to send over e-mail or only viewed on a screen, scan the image as 72 DPI to keep the image size small.
How do I know the DPI of an image?
You can determine the DPI of an image by viewing its properties. To do this, follow the steps for your operating system.
If these steps don't help or you're using another operating system, open the image in an image editor and view its properties in the editor to get the DPI.
Microsoft Windows
- Open File Explorer and browse to the location where the file is stored.
- Right-click the file and select Properties.
- Click the Details tab and scroll down to Image.
- In the Image section, the Horizontal and Vertical resolution displays the DPI.
Apple macOS
- Open Finder and navigate to the image's location.
- Right-click or control-click the file, select Open With, and then Preview.
- In the Preview, go to Tools and select Show Inspector.
- In the General info under image information, you'll find the resolution. If it's not displayed, click More info to find the DPI.
How to change the DPI of an image in Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop measures an image's resolution in PPI (Pixels Per Inch), not DPI. However, the ratio used is 1:1, which means DPI, PPI, and resolution are all the same value. An image's DPI can be adjusted in Adobe Photoshop by following the steps below.
- Click Image in the file menu.
- Click Image Size.
- In the Image Size window, change the resolution to the DPI you desire. For example, if the image is a 300, it can be changed to 72.
When changing an image's DPI (resolution), the dimensions are also changed. If you don't want this to occur, uncheck the "Resample" check box before clicking OK.
3. With an optical computer mouse, the DPI (Dots Per Inch) is what helps determine its accuracy and responsiveness. Examples of a mouse DPI include 400 DPI, 800 DPI, 1000 DPI, 1200 DPI, 1600 DPI, 2000 DPI, 2600 DPI, 4800 DPI, and 12000 DPI. The higher the DPI value, the faster the mouse responds to movement. Some mice may even allow you to adjust the DPI value with a button on the mouse or through the software included with the mouse.
Why does a mouse need a high DPI?
A high DPI mouse is primarily designed for computer gamers who require either a responsive or accurate mouse for computer games. Accuracy is the most important setting for FPS (First-Person Shooter) games, so the user should use a lower DPI (400-800 DPI). Games that require a more responsive mouse but don't need the accuracy, like an RTS (Real-Time Strategy), use a higher DPI (2000+ DPI).
Users who only use their computer to browse the Internet and do office tasks like word processing would use the default or a mid-level DPI (1000-1600 DPI).
Why would someone want a low-DPI mouse?
A low DPI setting gives the user a slower response time, making it more accurate when moving the mouse slowly. For example, you may need to reduce the mouse DPI when using the mouse to draw.
A lower DPI also consumes less power, which extends the life of wireless mouse batteries.
Mice with an adjustable DPI gives you the best of both worlds. You could adjust the DPI with these mice based on how you're currently using the mouse.
How to view or change the mouse DPI?
Below are the steps for viewing and changing a desktop computer mouse DPI.
A laptop touchpad has no DPI settings. Also, if these steps don't apply to your computer mouse, its DPI settings cannot be shown or changed. However, you can still adjust the mouse speed settings through the operating system.
A mouse with a DPI that can be changed is often described as having an "Adjustable DPI." If this is not mentioned or only one DPI is listed, the mouse DPI cannot be adjusted.
DPI adjustment button
Some mice have a DPI button that can be pressed to adjust or switch (shift) between the available DPI values. This button is great for gamers who may be playing a game and want to adjust the mouse settings without leaving the game. For example, in a game with guns, you may want to have a lower DPI when using a weapon like a sniper rifle that requires accuracy.
The DPI adjustment button lets you change the mouse DPI but will not show you the DPI value.
Mouse manufacturer software
Most of the DPI customization happens through the mouse software included with the mouse or that's downloaded from the company's website. In this software, you can view the DPI, set the default DPI, and change how the DPI button works. More advanced software also lets you have profiles that contain custom DPI settings for each program or game on your computer.
Computer acronyms, Inch, Measurement, PPI, Printer terms, Print quality, Resolution, TLA, Video terms