DPI Checker: Check the DPI and Print Size of Any Image

What the DPI checker shows you

Every image is a grid of pixels. DPI (dots per inch) is a number saved in the file that says how many of those pixels go into one printed inch. The checker reads that number and does the math: a 3000 x 2400 pixel image at 300 DPI prints at 10 x 8 inches.

If the file has no DPI saved, the checker says so. Many programs then fall back to a default: Photoshop shows 72 ppi, Windows often shows 96 dpi. That default is a guess. It is not a property of the image.

DPI does not change the quality, pixels do

You can change a file from 72 to 300 DPI without changing one pixel. The image looks the same on screen and holds the same detail. Only the suggested print size changes, from big to small.

So the useful question is: does the image have enough pixels for the print you want? That is why the checker shows the biggest print at 300 DPI. 300 DPI is the usual target for photo prints and art prints you look at up close. 150 DPI is often fine for posters that hang on a wall and are seen from a few feet away.

How to get a file that prints at 300 DPI

• Work out the pixels first. Multiply each print side in inches by 300. An 8 x 10 inch print needs 2400 x 3000 pixels. The DPI calculator does this for any size, in inches or cm.
• If the image has enough pixels, only the DPI tag is wrong. Change it in your editor without resampling, and the print size follows.
• If it has too few pixels, raising the DPI does not help. You need a bigger source file or an upscaler before you sell it as a print.

Stock sites set their minimum in megapixels, not DPI, so the DPI tag rarely matters there. Print-on-demand shops and printable downloads on Etsy are where it counts. Our guides on how to sell digital art and how to sell on Etsy cover the next steps.