If a photo is 2 megapixels, how many DPI is that?

Question: If a photo is 2 megapixels, how many DPI is that!?
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

It depends on the setting on your camera and many cameras are set at either 72 or 96 DPI!.!.!. and then again, some don't give you a choice!.!. However, it is the pixel count that matters because you can have any image any size you want at any given DPI!. Meaning a 640x480 pixel size image can be 300 DPI and the same image set up to 1280x1024 can still be set at 300 DPI!.!.

Don't get DPI and PIXELS confused for they are NOT the same!. It is pixel density that matters and virtually nothing else!.

In order to make a good looking print you need at least 200 pixels (picture elements) per inch of an image you wanna print!. If you want a 8x10 that looks good, from a scan or a digital camera, you need no less than 1600x2000 PIXELS!.!. and it doesn't matter what the so called DPI is either!.!.

Part of the trouble is, we are not printing via standard lithograph process anymore here and most places are printing via ink jets!. If you use a eye loop on a picture from National Geographic you WILL see tiny color dots, some shaded different colors, some 1 color, but the fact is, you see the dots!.!. OK, this is 300 DPI because of the color masks the ink from the rollers has to go thru and blend, via the dots, the color you see!.!.

In a ink jet the process is like spray painting a car!. The nozzle's are turned on and off to spray their color onto the paper when needed, however other colors are being sprayed at the same time, blending all the colors your printer has to make all the colors in the rainbow, to be seen on your paper!.

IF you see any dots!.!.!. they be far smaller than in a magazine, if you can see any at all!.!.!. If the printer company could make their printer spray a single - dot - it may take somewhere from 1200 to over 3000 to make a 1 inch line, with 1 dot next to the other!.!.!.

So, back to your question, a 2 mega-pixel image could be had with 72 DPI or it could be made with 300 or more DPI and in many higher end photo editing programs you can imbed this info into the picture it's self if needed, if sent to a litho printer who need a set # of dots per inch in order for him to print!.!.

http://www!.dpreview!.com/news/0807/080703!.!.!.

Bob - TucsonWww@QuestionHome@Com

Depends on the size of the print you want!. 2 megapixels will typically be 1200 X 1800 dots!. Divide it by size of print and you get the DPI!.

In order to get a good quality print, you need at least 125 DPI -- and more is better!.Www@QuestionHome@Com