If you’ve ever heard the terms PPI or DPI and wound up scratching your head, you’re not alone. What do these acronyms stand for and what do they mean?
PPI stands for pixels per inch. Similarly, DPI stands for dots per inch. These terms can be used interchangeably, as they both mean the same thing: the amount of pixels in an inch of your image, and this makes up your resolution.
How does this relate to designing? Well, for images on the internet that need quick loading times, 72ppi is the standard. So if you’re designing for the web, that should be your resolution. If you’re designing for print, 300ppi is your minimum resolution. If you’re scanning an image, 600-1200ppi is preferable in order to get a crisp, clear image. And if you’re sending someone a proof, 150ppi is an acceptable resolution so that you can send it in an email attachment and it won’t take long to load.
I hope that you’ll find this quick guide to resolution handy, and the next time someone mentions PPI/DPI it won’t leave you scratching your head.
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