| DPI - Dots Per Inch

In printing, dots per inch (dpi) is the usual measure of printed image quality on the paper. The average personal computer printer today provides 300 dpi or 600 dpi.

It is probably the most familiar and most misused measure of resolution. It is not the resolution of scanned images. It is not the resolution of images on screen. It is the measure of how many dots of ink or toner a printer can place within an inch. Most printers print the same number of dots horizontally and vertically, though some may have differing numbers. Basically, 600 dpi printers print 600 tiny little dots across one inch and 600 dots vertically for one inch which translate to 360,000 dots per square inch.

The more dots per inch, the higher the resolution, however choosing the higher print quality usually reduces the speed of printing. The average computer screen displays 72dpi. An entry-level inkjet printer can print 300dpi. A decent inkjet and many laser printers produce 600dpi or 1200dpi, while photo printers can print at 2400dpi or higher.

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