# PPI vs DPI

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ppi-vs-dpi/418868>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 12, 2007, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ppi-vs-dpi/418868 "2007-09-12T02:51:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ppi-vs-dpi/418868/1 "2007-09-12T02:51:10Z")

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I’ve got a designer freaking out because the photos I gave him are 180 PPI. “Photos have to be 300 DPI or they will look bad in print!”

Am I correct in thinking PPI does not equal DPI? We’re talking display vs. print. If I open an image in Photoshop and look at “image size,” it might tell me the image is 180 PPI and 8 x 10 inches. If I use that image in print but size it to 4 x 5, it seems to me I’ve effectively created 360 DPI.

If i’m wrong, please correct me!

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**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ppi-vs-dpi/418868/2 "2007-09-12T02:58:37Z")

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You’re right.  
The designer wants 300 DPI **at the final size.**