High resolutions above 600 DPI are better suited for professional archive work due to the longer scan time and larger storage requirements. Generally, a 600 DPI scan is the best image resolution and pixel count for paper photographs. However, if you’re planning to take them to a print shop, you should go for a higher resolution. To save time and storage space, you should think about your intended use of the photos rather than just going for the maximum resolution every time.įor example, if you’re just planning to upload the photo to social media or view them on a computer screen, 150 dots per inch/pixels per inch is fine. While it may be tempting to always use the highest resolution, scanner DPI setting, or pixel count possible, we don’t recommend it. Meanwhile, the same photo scanned at 600 dots per inch can still look good as larger prints.Īnother thing to keep in mind is that higher resolutions have a higher pixel count – meaning larger file sizes. For example, a 4×6 photo scanned at 300 DPI will still look great as a printed image in its original size, but it will lose overall quality if you order a larger print. Larger DPI scan resolutions are great if you want to display or print larger photographs. Scanning the same photo at 600 DPI will give you a digital photo that’s 2400 pixels wide and 3600 pixels tall.
For example, if you scan a 4×6 photo at 300 DPI, you’ll receive a digital image that’s 1200 pixels wide and 1800 pixels tall. What a higher DPI does is make your digital photo larger. While it’s true that higher resolution scans will turn out more detailed, cranking up the DPI can’t add more detail to the original photo. Having higher DPI values doesn’t automatically make your photographs better. How DPI Settings Affect The Digital Image Quality For example, scanning at 300 DPI means each inch will be made up of 300 dots. Most photographs, documents, and images are scanned at 300 DPI or 600 DPI, with the DPI representing the number of dots for every inch scanned. Image resolution on the screen is calculated in pixels per inch (PPI), while the measure for print is dots per inch (DPI). This measure of details on a scanned image is called the resolution. In other words, the more pixels used to record the digital photo or document, the more detailed it becomes. When scanning a photograph, scanners “capture” the physical photo or document by recording it as a grid of pixels. So when you save a digital photo, you’re actually saving an array of pixels that combine to form the image. When millions of these colored pixels merge in a grid, that creates your digital image.
Digital Imagesĭigital images are made up of many pixels with three values: red, green, and blue (RGB). In this section, we cover need-to-know information about digital photos and how your flatbed scanner works. *I wouldn't be surprised if they converted SVG to another format incorrectly.Understanding Digital Photos And Scanningīefore we explain the differences between 300 DPI and 600 DPI, it’s essential to know the basics of digital imaging. Publisher can be switched to CYMK mode) but just checking again and again and following the manufacturer guidelines seems to be the best way to improve your results. In my experience with any kind of printing it is hard to get things perfect first time.
To ensure the highest quality of printing, please use high resolution images. Allow bleeding area as specified in our product page. To customize your poker cards, create images that are 300DPI and CMYK color mode. You should always check their FAQ in future: They only print at 300 DPI.Īs is mentioned in a comment Graphic Design may be more informative: Īs to why your cards came out incorrectly there could be any number of issues including incorrect exporting or due to compression their end*. Another web printing service discusses is here: A Note About DPI. From a quick Google search it would appear the standard industry DPI is 300.