dpi question

[justaguy]

I started a design for printing at 72 dpi... but needed for 300dpi

however, when I go to image size > then untick "resample image", and changed the dpi to 300 saved as JPG. would that still print good quality like as if i started out at 300dpi? thanks

[Alk]

err.. ya, if u change the dpi i changes along with the image, so basically ur safe

[Medley]

Do not confuse dpi (dots per inch) with ppi (pixels per inch). The first is a measurement relating to the amount of ink used in printing, and is usually set by the printer. Pixels per inch refers to the resolution of the image you send to the printer.

The proper resolution can depend on a lot of things, but mostly comes down to how much information you have to begin with, and how much information the printer is capable of resolving. Send more info than the printer can handle, and it will either throw away the excess (best case scenario) or attempt to resolve it, creating an image with blocked up detail. Don't send enough, and the print looks grainy and pixelated. Print size and image content also play roles, but we'll save that discussion for another time.

Generally speaking, the best resolution to use for print is either 240 or 300. Either one will give you a good print. But believe it or not, there really is no "one size fits all" best resolution. I've printed very large prints as low as 180 ppi, and they came out great.

-Medley.