• Around The HomeToggle Menu

    • Entertainment
    • Productivity
    • Smart Home
  • FamilyToggle Menu

    • Parenting
    • Toys
    • Pets
    • Travel
  • ReviewsToggle Menu

    • Phones
    • Tablets
    • Laptops
    • Desktops
    • Wearables
    • Audio
    • Cameras
    • Headphones
    • Printers
    • Smart Home
    • TVs
    • Gaming and Video
  • One Cool ThingToggle Menu

    • Frugal Tech
    • Kickstarters
    • Videos
  1. Home
  2. Around The Home
  3. Productivity
  4. How to Convert to 300 dpi in Photoshop

How to Convert to 300 dpi in Photoshop

By: Ashley Donohoe | December 4, 2018
  • Share
  • Share on Facebook

Dots per inch (DPI) refers to how many ink dots there are for each inch of an image printed on a piece of paper. When you want to have something printed professionally or need a high-quality print at home, 300 DPI is the standard for print resolution because it accommodates high detail in graphics. While you won't find an option specifically to change the DPI resolution in Photoshop, you can update an image's pixels per inch (PPI) to 300, which causes Photoshop to update the print resolution accordingly. However, it's important to note that making this change does not make a low-quality image look better.

Man working at home
credit: 10'000 Hours/DigitalVision/GettyImages

How DPI and PPI Relate

It's common for the terms DPI and PPI to be confused and used interchangeably because both are related to resolution and clarity, but they differ in a focus on print versus digital image quality. The DPI refers to how sharp an image can print in terms of the number of physical printed dots. PPI refers to an actual image's resolution in terms of how many pixels there are for each inch on your computer's screen.

For example, printing a 300 DPI image means there are 300 dots for each inch on the paper. An image displayed at 100 percent size with a 300 PPI has 300 pixels for each inch on your screen.

Video of the Day

Change DPI in Photoshop

To set the resolution at which your image prints, you can change your image's PPI through Photoshop's image sizing options. After you open the image in Photoshop, select the "Image" menu and choose "Image Size" to access those settings. Type "300" in the box for "Resolution," which is the term Photoshop uses for the PPI, and make sure that "Pixels/Inch" is set on the unit drop-down menu.

Below the image size options, you'll see a checkbox and menu named "Resample" that is checked by default. This option makes Photoshop update your image's actual height and width dimensions to align with the new 300 PPI resolution, and this increase in image size can make low-quality images look worse and pixelated. Therefore, if you want your image's actual dimensions to remain the same and the quality to be unaffected, uncheck the "Resample" option. Finally, click "OK" to update the image settings and then save the image.

Effects of Changing Print Resolution

After you set an image's PPI to 300, your image will use 300 pixels per each inch on your screen. You will also be able to see the updated 300 PPI value listed as the "print resolution" in the print preview within Photoshop. However, changing the image's resolution does not make an originally low-quality image display or print in high quality because you're limited by the image's original quality. Therefore, it's recommended to start with a high-quality image in the first place if you need to print it in good quality, whether you are creating a graphic on your own or seeking photos from another source.

Show Comments

Related Articles

How to Change the Resolution of a Photo on My Computer

How to Change the Resolution of a Photo on My Computer

Around The Home
Productivity
By: Ashley Donohoe
How to Convert a Photo to High Resolution

How to Convert a Photo to High Resolution

Around The Home
Productivity
By: Kay Piem
How to Stretch a Picture With Photoshop

How to Stretch a Picture With Photoshop

Around The Home
Productivity
By: Techwalla Internet Editor
How to Set the DPI in Photoshop

How to Set the DPI in Photoshop

Around The Home
Productivity
By: Katrina Stackhouse
How to Resize Pictures to 4X6

How to Resize Pictures to 4X6

Around The Home
Productivity
By: April Kohl
How to Print Five by Five Photos

How to Print Five by Five Photos

Around The Home
Productivity
By: William Carne
  • HOW WE SCORE
  • ABOUT US
  • CONTACT US
  • TERMS
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • COPYRIGHT POLICY
  • Advertise

An error occurred. Try again later.

Thanks for signing up!
© 2019 Leaf Group Ltd. Leaf Group Media

Get great tech advice delivered to your inbox.

Keep your family productive, connected, entertained, and safe.

Please enter a valid email.