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Home » Other Tips » Graphic & Image Tips » Why DPI doesn't matter

Why DPI doesn't matter

One of the most common question on web boards asks what DPI images should be saved at for viewing on the web.  Most likely the original poster read somewhere that web browsers all view images at 72 dpi, saved an image at 72 dpi, and it looked bad.  Here's the secret - DPI doesn't matter for viewing images on the web. 

You want proof?  Here are 4 image all 200 pixels by 200 pixels. 

300 dpi example

72 dpi sample

1,000 dpi sample

1 dpi sample

Notice something?  Yeah you do.  They're all exactly the same size on your screen.  They are all 200 pixels square. 

Confused?
DPI is a printing term.  It means dots per inch and how many dots a printer can put down in a single inch.  But we're not printing.  So don't worry about it. 

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