What DPI Is \u2014 and What It Isn’t<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
DPI stands for Dots Per Inch. It refers specifically to the physical dots a printer deposits on paper. A monitor doesn’t work in dots \u2014 it works in pixels. So when someone talks about “300 dpi” in relation to an image file, they’re technically talking about PPI \u2014 Pixels Per Inch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The distinction matters because it creates confusion. The DPI of a file is just a way of measuring the same number of pixels relative to a physical size. Changing the DPI of a file without changing the pixel count changes absolutely nothing about the file or how it looks on screen. What changes is the physical size at which the printer reproduces the image \u2014 and that is where resolution starts to matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Actually Determines How Large You Can Print: Total Pixels<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What matters is the total number of pixels in the image \u2014 width \u00d7 height. That number determines the detail available for a given print size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A 2848 \u00d7 4288 pixel image can be measured at 72 dpi, 150 dpi, 300 dpi, or any other number. The pixel count is identical in every case. What changes is the physical size at which those pixels are distributed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At 72 ppi, this image prints at 39.5 \u00d7 59.5 inches (100.4 \u00d7 151.4 cm) \u2014 an enormous size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Photoshop, to change the resolution without affecting the pixels:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 1<\/strong> \u2014 Go to Image \u2192 Image Size The result: physical dimensions reduce to 9.5 \u00d7 14.3 inches (24.1 \u00d7 36.3 cm) \u2014 but the file remains 34.9M and the pixels are exactly the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Important<\/strong>: as long as Resample Image is unchecked, you can change the DPI as many times as you like without affecting image quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s a common mistake \u2014 and an understandable one \u2014 to treat resolution and quality as the same thing. They aren’t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A file can be 300 ppi and still be poor quality \u2014 if the original image is out of focus, poorly lit, excessively noisy or carelessly upsampled. Conversely, a 150 ppi file can be excellent quality \u2014 if it was captured with technical rigour, good light, and the right equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Objectively, the pixel count only tells us how many pixels the file contains. As with most things, quantity and quality are separate questions \u2014 though the two can absolutely coexist. When both come together, you’re in the best possible position. That’s precisely what our artwork photography and digitisation service is designed to deliver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This has a practical consequence for upscaling: a clean, well-captured file at 150 ppi responds well to artificial enlargement because the existing pixels contain real information \u2014 the algorithm has something to work with. A file of compromised quality at the same resolution amplifies the problems rather than solving them. Upscaling doesn’t improve a weak file; it exposes it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is where the question that actually matters comes in \u2014 and the answer depends on several factors: the intended viewing distance, the paper surface, and the nature of the detail in the work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The reference we use at Kilford:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 200\u2013300 ppi native at the final print size covers the vast majority of fine art printing scenarios. Within that range, in our experience, the difference between the two resolutions disappears completely once the print is on a wall. What rarely improves the situation is upscaling \u2014 artificially enlarging the file to hit an arbitrary number. More often than we’d like, we receive files that have been upscaled before sending \u2014 soft, with haloing and compression artefacts already baked in. The printer faithfully reproduces what it receives. A clean native file at 150 or 200 ppi will outperform a poorly upscaled file at 300 ppi every time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To calculate the maximum print size at a given resolution:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Width in pixels \u00f7 desired resolution = print width in inches Example with a 6000 \u00d7 4000 pixel image:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 At 200 ppi \u2192 30 \u00d7 20 inches (76 \u00d7 51 cm) To convert the result to centimetres, multiply by 2.54.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your megapixel count is width \u00d7 height in pixels. For example: 3000 \u00d7 2000 = 6,000,000 = 6 megapixels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Native resolution is the number of pixels the camera, scanner, or original file contains \u2014 without any resizing or resampling. This is the number that determines the real detail available. \u2014 DPI\/PPI is a unit of measurement, not a measure of quality If you have questions about your file’s resolution or quality for gicl\u00e9e printing, get in touch. It’s exactly the kind of conversation we have before starting \u2014 not after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is the difference between DPI and PPI?<\/strong> What DPI do I need for gicl\u00e9e printing?<\/strong> Does changing DPI in Photoshop affect quality?<\/strong> Can I print a 150 ppi file as fine art gicl\u00e9e?<\/strong> What is native resolution?<\/strong> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A resolu\u00e7\u00e3o da imagem e os megapix\u00e9is s\u00e3o alguns dos termos mais mal compreendidos utilizados na imagem digital, tanto por entusiastas como por profissionais<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":1393,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"authors":[21],"class_list":["post-1921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","authors-nicholas-kilford"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kilford.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1921","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kilford.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kilford.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kilford.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kilford.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1921"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/kilford.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1921\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6836,"href":"https:\/\/kilford.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1921\/revisions\/6836"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kilford.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1393"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kilford.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kilford.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1921"},{"taxonomy":"authors","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kilford.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/authors?post=1921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/kilford.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Image-Size-Photoshop_1-2.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow to Change DPI Without Affecting Quality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step 2<\/strong> \u2014 Uncheck Resample Image \u2014 the pixel count is locked
Step 3<\/strong> \u2014 Change the resolution to 300 and watch the physical dimensions change while the file size stays identical<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/kilford.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Image-Size-Photoshop_2.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nResolution and Quality are Not the Same<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What Resolution Do I Need for Gicl\u00e9e Fine Art Printing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 150 ppi can produce very good results for large format prints \u2014 especially on textured papers, for work viewed at normal gallery distances, and when the source file is of good quality. It’s not a resolution to avoid; it’s a resolution to use knowingly.
\u2014 Below 150 ppi, from certain sizes onwards, detail loss starts to become visible \u2014 particularly on smooth papers and in work with fine detail or high spatial frequency.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Formula<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Height in pixels \u00f7 desired resolution = print height in inches<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 At 300 ppi \u2192 20 \u00d7 13.3 inches (51 \u00d7 34 cm)<\/p>\n\n\n\nNative Resolution vs. Interpolated Resolution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Interpolated resolution \u2014 obtained through upscaling \u2014 is not native resolution. The software estimates the missing pixels. The quality of the source file determines how well that estimation goes: a clean, well-captured file tolerates enlargement far better than a compromised one.
At Kilford, file quality issues are flagged before the job runs \u2014 not discovered after.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 What determines the available detail is the total pixel count \u2014 for a given print size
\u2014 Changing DPI with Resample Image unchecked does not affect quality \u2014 the pixel count stays the same
\u2014 Changing DPI with Resample Image checked changes the pixel count \u2014 and can affect quality
\u2014 Resolution and quality are not the same thing \u2014 a 300 ppi file can be poor quality; a 150 ppi file can be excellent
\u2014 200\u2013300 ppi native at print size is the recommended range for fine art printing
\u2014 150 ppi native can work well for large format, textured papers, and good-quality source files
\u2014 Upscaling rarely improves \u2014 and frequently makes things worse, especially with compromised source files<\/p>\n\n\n\nFAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
DPI (Dots Per Inch) refers to the physical dots a printer deposits on paper. PPI (Pixels Per Inch) refers to the pixel density of a digital image file. The two are often used interchangeably but describe different things. When preparing files for printing, PPI is the relevant measurement \u2014 DPI is what the printer does with the result. A Canon imagePROGRAF Pro prints at up to 2400 dpi \u2014 but those dots are not mapped one-to-one to the pixels in your file. Multiple dots across multiple ink channels combine to reproduce the colour and tone of each pixel through dithering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
200\u2013300 ppi native at your final print size covers the vast majority of fine art gicl\u00e9e printing scenarios. Within that range, the difference is imperceptible under normal viewing conditions. What matters is that the resolution is native \u2014 upscaling a lower-resolution file to hit 300 ppi rarely improves the result and often makes it worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A: It depends on whether Resample Image is checked. With Resample Image unchecked, changing the DPI only changes the physical output size \u2014 the pixel count stays the same and quality is unaffected. With Resample Image checked, the pixel count changes \u2014 the software adds or removes pixels, which can affect quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes \u2014 with the right conditions. Viewing distance is key here: at normal gallery distances, the difference between 150 and 300 ppi is imperceptible. A clean, well-captured or natively created file at 150 ppi native can produce excellent results, particularly for large format prints on textured papers. The key word is native \u2014 a file upscaled to 150 ppi is a different situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Native resolution is the pixel count your camera, scanner, or created digital file contains without any resampling. It represents the real detail available in the file. Interpolated resolution \u2014 obtained by upscaling \u2014 is not native: the software estimates the missing pixels. For fine art gicl\u00e9e printing, native resolution at print size is always what we aim for. It isn’t always possible \u2014 but it’s the starting point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n