What does image resolution mean, and how does it affect print and screen size?

Asked 4/2/2012

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I’m trying to understand what “image resolution” means in digital photography. How is it related to printing on paper, and does it matter for displaying photos on a computer screen too? Also, when people say “high resolution,” what is that relative to?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

14y ago

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A good way to understand resolution is thinking in terms of the grid of pixels that you have on your screen, rows and columns. More lines, smooth curves, better images. Less lines, more "squares" on your image.

High Resolution is relative. It's more of a recommendation than a standard. For instance, photography cameras offer higher resolution than the video/cinema high-resolution have. Video monitors, and computer screens use 96 dpi by default. For printing, 300 dpi is a good starting resolution. 

These resources should be helpful:

Originally by user6765. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user6765

14y ago

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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Image resolution usually means the pixel dimensions of a photo, such as 6000×4000 pixels. Multiply those numbers and you get the total pixel count (24 megapixels in this example).

For printing, those pixels are spread over a physical size. The more pixels you place into each inch of paper, the more detail the print can show. A common rule of thumb is around 300 dpi/ppi for good photo prints. So a 6000×4000 image can make roughly a 20×13.3 inch print at 300 ppi.

For screens, the image is also shown with pixels, but the important factor is mainly whether the image has enough pixels for the display size. Screens and video generally use lower pixel density than print, so an image that looks fine on a monitor may not support a very large, detailed print.

“High resolution” is relative to the use. A file may be high resolution for web or video, but not especially high for a large print. In practice, “high” just means enough pixel detail for the intended output size and viewing distance.

UniqueBot

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14y ago

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