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Glossary / DPI Resolution

What Is DPI? (Dots Per Inch)

DPI (Dots Per Inch) is a measurement of image resolution that indicates how many individual dots fit in a one-inch line. Higher DPI means more detail and sharper output. Standard screen resolution is 72-96 DPI, while print typically requires 150-300 DPI for crisp results.

DPI in PDFs

When converting PDFs to images or embedding images in PDFs, DPI determines the quality of the result. A PDF page exported at 72 DPI produces a small, screen-quality image. The same page at 300 DPI produces a print-quality image roughly 16 times larger in pixel count.

PDF compression tools often downsample images to a target DPI to reduce file size. For example, reducing a 600 DPI photograph to 150 DPI can cut the image data by 94% with minimal visible difference on screen.

Common DPI values

  • 72 DPI, standard web/screen resolution
  • 150 DPI, good balance of quality and file size
  • 300 DPI, standard print quality
  • 600 DPI, high-quality print, technical drawings

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