How to change the DPI of an image
- Drop your JPG or PNG images into the box or choose them.
- Type the DPI you need, or pick 300 for print. The preview shows the old and new DPI and the print size it gives.
- Download the image. Its pixels are exactly the same; only the DPI value inside the file has changed.
DPI doesn’t change pixels
A digital image is a grid of pixels. DPI (dots per inch, often called PPI for images) is only a note in the file that says how big to print that grid. Changing it from 72 to 300 shrinks the print size and makes the same pixels sit closer together on paper, but adds no detail. To get more detail you need a photo with more pixels to begin with; enlarging a small image in an editor makes more pixels, not more detail.
When the number matters
Print shops, photo labs and some upload forms check the DPI field and reject files that say 72, even when the image has plenty of pixels. Setting it to 300 fixes that without any loss. Word processors and design apps also use it to choose the size an image first appears at when you insert it.
| Use | Common DPI |
|---|---|
| Photo prints, magazines | 300 |
| Office printing, posters seen from a distance | 150 to 200 |
| Line art and text scans | 600 |
| Screens | Ignored: only the pixel size counts |