No one is an expert in every field, and many of us are not experts in technology.  Constantly changing and always moving forward, one can often feel as if he is left behind.  Fortunately, there is always ways to improve upon our knowledge base.  For instance, have you ever wondered what is meant by a dot or pixel?  Ever wondered what the difference is?  Or how one or both might affect your image’s quality? “Dots per inch”, or DPI, is a term that has been around since the invention of the printer, and is a term that is used to describe the amount of ink used per pixel, or the number of ink dots in each pixel.  High DPI equals higher quality image with superior tone, but it also indicated longer print times and more ink expense per print. If ink expense is a concern, lower DPI can help tremendously.  Because DPI is based on two dimensions, halving it will actually produce a quarter of the ink dots made.  For instance, 100 DPI is the equivalent of 10,000 dots per square inch, whereas 50 DPI produces only 2,500 ink dots per square inch. “Pixels per inch”, or PPI, is now a commonly used term.  It has not, though, been a recognized expression for as long as DPI.  PPI is more specific in its meaning, and changing PPI is done primarily to change the size of a printable image.  There are two ways that changing PPI can affect an image.  This is determined by whether a program is set to re-sample or not.  To put it simply, if re-sample is off, proportions are constrained and changing the PPI of an image also changes the width and height of that printable image.  It is important to recall that changing PPI changes the “printable” size, not the on-screen size.  Therefore, there is also the option of using re-sampling.  With re-sample on, changing the PPI will not change the size of the printable image (only the resolution), but lower PPI will appear small on screen.  This is often used for images being uploaded to the internet.  Cameras and scanners produce images at PPI larger than most websites will display.  Using re-sampling and lessening the PPI, creates a more website friendly image, which is also harder for individuals to copy to their own hard drive due to low resolution. While both terms affect resolution and image quality, they do have their own applications and are not exactly interchangeable.  However, do not be surprised to find these terms used incorrectly.  DPI is often used in place of PPI despite the actual difference in definition. Hopefully, this article has helped you gain some insight into the world of digital imagery and you will be inspired to continue your learning quest. For further investigation, you might consider websites like www.smartcomputing.com, or www.suite101.com.  These sites and others like them cater to the beginner and novice crowds.

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