How to Change the DPI of an Image in Photoshop

Sometimes, when you print your pictures, you may find that they could be sharper and have more vibrant colors.

When you go to print photos, one important setting that impacts how clear the prints turn out is the image resolution, also known as DPI or dots per inch.

By increasing the DPI before printing, you can get way sharper and more detailed prints.

This article will explain what DPI means, why it is so important for print quality, and walk you through exactly how to change the DPI of an image in Photoshop.

This is important because being able to tweak this setting gives you way more control over your prints.

So, read on to learn this beginner Photoshop skill that can level up your photo editing game.

So What Does DPI Mean?

DPI stands for “dots per inch” and it tells you how many tiny dots fit within a one-inch square area of a digital image. The more dots packed into every inch, the more detailed and sharp the image can be. Low DPI makes images turn out grainy and blurry when you go to print them.

Most home printers need digital photos to have at least 300 DPI to print properly. But going higher, like 400-600 DPI, really makes details pop and look exceptionally crisp.

So before printing, you want to check and possibly change the DPI to get photos ready for primetime.

Why Does DPI Matter for Prints?

Higher DPI equals clearer details, sharper focus, and more vivid colors.

Tweaking this setting prevents pixelation and blurriness when you print your images. Photos with increased DPI have a high enough dot density to really shine and impress when turned into physical prints.

Landscape shots, portraits, events, or objects – all genres of photography can majorly benefit from improved DPI before you send them to be printed. It’s an easy way to take your images from meh to wow!

How to Change DPI in Photoshop

Want to improve your prints by increasing DPI?

For Adobe Photoshop users, it just takes a few simple steps:

STEP 1: Open your photo file in Photoshop.

STEP 2: Click Image in the top menu bar and select Image Size from the dropdown menu.

STEP 3: Check the box next to Resample in the popup window. This lets you add or reduce pixels to change image resolution.

IMPORTANT: If you check the Resample box, it will resize the image. If you only want to change the DPI without resizing the image, uncheck the Resample option.

STEP 4: In the Resolution field, type your target DPI. Anywhere from 300 to 600 is good for quality prints.

STEP 5: Click OK and save your changes to lock in the new increased DPI!

Following those steps tweaks the pixel density within your image file.

This amounts to adding detail and sharpness without needing to resize or crop the photo.

A Few Final Tips:

Now you know the basics of how to change image resolution in Photoshop before printing.

Pretty easy, right?

Here are some closing tips to help you on your way to creating gorgeous prints:

• When changing DPI, stick to reasonable amounts of increase. Something like 72 DPI originally bumped up to 300 or 400 will probably look best. Going above 600 likely won’t improve quality much more.
• Save tweaked files under a new name so you don’t lose the original image.
• Use the highest quality print settings when sending your work to print. Pair this with increased DPI for awesome results!

Understanding image resolution and how to optimize it for printing gives your photos a real advantage.

Crisp landscape vistas, vivid event shots, pin-sharp portraits – they can all shine when you change the DPI in Photoshop before printing.

So tweak that setting, increase density from 72 up to an ideal print range, then get ready to turn your images into head-turning photographic masterpieces!

However, if you want to learn how to change the DPI of an image without Photoshop or in Canva, then you should our other tutorials:

• Change the DPI of the Image without Photoshop
• How to change DPI in Canva

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