DPI

• Screen displays usually are fairly low resolution devices, and typical DPIs are often as low as 72 DPI, or 90 DPI.
  
  
• Low resolution is often much more obvious in printed documents, so these are usually prepared at a higher DPI. Typical home/office often printers have a resolution of 300 DPI to 600 DPI. Professional quality printers (used for magazines, etc.), usually have higher resolutions, and arund 1500 DPI is typical.

1. The bitmap can be kept (not scaled) at same number pixel size, in which case it will appear very small on the output medium.
   
   For example:
   
   Imagine you have a 300 by 300 pixel bitmap.
   
   
   • If you display this bitmap on a 90 DPI screen display, without scaling, it will appear 3.33 inches by 3.33 inches on the screen (because 300 / 90 = 3.33).
     
     
   • If you print this bitmap on a 600 DPI printer, it will appear 0.5 inches by 0.5 inches on the paper (because 300 / 600 = 0.5).
   
   
2. The bitmap can be scaled up to keep the same physical size (in inches) by increasing the pixel size, in which case jaggies will appear.

• Resolution (Definition)

• Computer Graphics Dictionary (Advances in Computer Graphics and Game Development Series)

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• Graphic Design Speak: A Visual Dictionary for Clients and Designers

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