Guide

DPI and pixels for print: which one should you look at first?

Start with the physical print size and the actual pixel dimensions. A DPI number by itself cannot create missing detail.

“300 DPI” is not a magic quality switch

The same 300 DPI requires very different pixel counts for a business card and an A4 page. DPI is density; pixels are the source material.

Changing metadata does not add detail

If an image is 1000 pixels wide, typing 300 into a DPI field does not suddenly make it 3000 pixels wide. It only changes how those pixels may be interpreted for print size.

Web images are mostly about pixel dimensions

For a browser, the displayed CSS size and the image dimensions matter much more than a print-resolution metadata field.

Your printer’s template wins

A print shop may require a specific resolution, bleed, color mode, or template. Use the calculator for planning, then follow the current production specification.

Use this order

Final physical size → printer’s recommended DPI → required pixel dimensions → compare with the source image.

Starting with “set it to 300 DPI” hides the real question: do you actually have enough pixels for the size you want?