DPI vs. PPI

Difference Between DPI and PPI The terms, DPI and PPI are frequently in use by TV manufacturers, photographers…

Difference Between DPI and PPI

The terms, DPI and PPI are frequently in use by TV manufacturers, photographers and those engaged in printing images through usage of various kinds of printers. These terms are more often than not put to use to relate to the resolution of an image or its lucidity. In spite of similarities between these two terms, it is erroneous to use these terms on an interchangeable basis which is being done by several people without knowing their differences. There are major variations between DPI and PPI. While DPI is a relatively old term which was used generally to relate to the resolution of an image, the recent term, PPI is more explicit for what it relates to. The objective of the article is to remove any doubts from the mind of the readers by explaining these terms in detail pertaining to their usage.

The term, DPI, meaning Dots Per Inch in fact is in reality a feature of a Printer. It points out on the number of dots the printer can print in one square inch of paper. These dots in conjunction create an image. The higher the concentration of dots in an inch, the higher the resolution on the photo which is the reason why printers with a high DPI are capable of producing more lucid and sharp images as compared to a low DPI. Where it is mentioned 1000 DPI, it clearly means that the printer can produce 1000 Dots Per Inch of the paper.

The term, PPI indicates Pixels Per Inch and is generally relative to a quality of a photo that has been taken by a camera. All cameras in the market come with the number of mega pixels that it could produce in a photograph.

The PPI is a number that is dependent on both the mega pixels of a camera as well as the size of the photograph. This would be clarified through the example illustrated. Let’s say that you possess a camera measuring six inches by four inches and you have shot with a camera with a 5 MP sensor. The size of the paper is twenty four inches taking the measurement as six inches by four inches. Thus dividing the number of mega pixels sensor supports with this number will provide the number of pixels on each square inch of paper. In this example, it is 5/24. All you need now to do is to find out the square root of the number to find out the PPI of the image. In this case, it is 456 PPI. While printing a photo through a printer, it is best to make sure that the DPI of the Printer is higher or at least equal to the PPI of the image or else, the photo printed by the printer will not be as lucid or razor-sharp as it is originally.

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