How to Measure DPI in Photoshop

Use Photoshop's Image Size tool to determine DPI and other resolution settings.

Dots per inch is a unit of measurement for printed documents determining how many dots are on each vertical or horizontal inch of a printed area. It's a useful number quickly identifying the quality of a printed page; most standard computer printers use 300 DPI, while larger, cheaper documents can use 100 DPI or less. Art-quality prints can be as dense as 1,500 DPI or greater. Photoshop documents can use a variable resolution setting, but determining the DPI of any particular document is relatively simple.

Instructions

1. Start Photoshop from your desktop or Start menu. Click "File" and then "Open." Navigate to and double-click the file you want to check. Any basic photo or PSD file will work.

2. Click the "Image" menu and then "Image Size." The Image Size window opens. The Resolution field displays the pixels per inch value by default, which is the digital equivalent of DPI.

3. Adjust the Resolution field if you want a different DPI. Click "OK." Click "File" and then "Save" to finalize the changes.