PhotoRiyaHow to check the DPI of an image
Drop a picture onto the box above. The tool reads its width and height in pixels and the DPI stored in the file, and fills in the calculator. You instantly see the printed size at that DPI, the largest print at 300 DPI (sharp) and 150 DPI (acceptable at a distance), and a table of paper sizes with the DPI the picture would give on each.
Many pictures have no DPI stored, or just 72. That is normal and doesn't matter: DPI is a label, not a quality. What decides print quality is how many pixels you have for the size you print.
DPI doesn't change your pixels
A picture of 3000 × 2000 pixels has 6 million pixels whatever its DPI says. Changing the DPI from 72 to 300 doesn't add detail or make the file bigger: it only changes how large the picture would be on paper when each inch uses that many pixels. 3000 pixels at 300 DPI is 10 inches wide, and at 150 DPI it's 20 inches.
So the question isn't what DPI your file has, it's whether it has enough pixels for the print you want. This calculator answers that.
How many DPI do you need?
As a rule of thumb, 300 DPI gives sharp, photographic prints viewed at arm's length, 150 to 200 DPI is enough for larger prints viewed from a little further away, and 100 DPI or less is only fine for banners and billboards. Your printer may ask for something specific, so check with them.
Questions people ask
How do I check the DPI of an image?
Drop the image onto the tool above. It shows the pixel size and the DPI stored in the file, if there is one, and calculates the print size.
What DPI is my image if the file doesn't say?
A file with no DPI has no fixed print size. The tool uses 300 DPI as a starting point and lets you change it, so you can see the size at any resolution.
Does changing the DPI improve image quality?
No. DPI only decides how big the picture prints. To make the picture larger without losing sharpness you need more pixels, which means a higher resolution original.
What is the difference between DPI and PPI?
PPI, pixels per inch, describes how many pixels a picture or screen has per inch. DPI, dots per inch, describes how many ink dots a printer puts per inch. People use them as if they were the same for pictures, and this tool does too.
How big can I print a 12-megapixel photo?
A 4000 × 3000 pixel photo prints at about 13.3 × 10 inches at 300 DPI, or 26.7 × 20 inches at 150 DPI.
Is my picture uploaded to a server?
No. If you drop in a picture, only its size and DPI are read, inside your browser tab. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Is the calculator free?
Yes. There is no limit and no account. PhotoRiya is open source under the MIT and Apache 2.0 licenses.
More free tools
- Pixels to inches converter with DPI and print sizesConvert pixels to inches, cm and mm at any DPI, and inches to pixels, with a pixel-size chart.
- RGB to CMYK converter with print previewConvert pictures from RGB to CMYK with ICC profiles, and see how the colours will print.
- Image converter to PNG, JPG and WebPConvert TIFF, WebP, BMP, TGA, GIF, ICO, EXR and HDR pictures to PNG, JPG or WebP.