dots per inch
Print quality metric
Dots per inch (often abbreviated DPI) measures resolution—how many individual dots fit in a linear inch.
Higher DPI means finer detail and sharper images.
The term applies to printers, scanners, and displays: This printer outputs at 1200 DPI.
In digital images, DPI affects print quality but not screen appearance.
Often confused with pixels per inch, which measures screen resolution.
- halftoneDot-based image reproduction
- sharpnessKeenness of edge, mind, or image
- detailSingle small element
- printTransfer text to paper
- digital imagingCreating pictures via sensors
resolution · bitmap · dithering · resampling · scanner · pixel density · ink · jaggies · grain · dots · interpolation · raster · clarity · quality · pixels · high definition · enlargement · toner