Where does the famous "300 DPI" rule come from?

Historically, 300 DPI comes from an era when offset presses used screens of about 150 LPI (Lines Per Inch). For good quality, you needed a resolution 2x the screen ruling = 300 DPI.

But today? It's more nuanced.

The real standards by application

📊 Coated offset (brochures, posters, magazines)

Standard: 300 DPI

Why: ~150 LPI screen, 300 DPI needed for fine detail

📰 Newspaper offset (newspapers, low quality)

Standard: 150 DPI

Why: Newsprint fibers are coarse, no need for fine detail

🖨️ Digital (Xerox, Ricoh, HP Indigo)

Standard: 200-300 DPI depending on the machine

Why: Digital presses are less precise than offset, but more than newsprint

🏷️ Labels / flexography

Standard: 300+ DPI

Why: Fine detail, small text

What if you have less than 300 DPI?

It depends on the context:

❌ 150 DPI for a detailed color poster = pixelated, bad
✓ 150 DPI for a simple poster (flat colors) = OK
✓ 200 DPI for a corporate brochure = Acceptable
❌ 72 DPI for anything = always bad

What actually matters

1. Image type: A detailed photo needs 300 DPI. A flat color area needs only 72 DPI.

2. Final size: If you print at 10cm x 10cm, 300 DPI is 1181 x 1181 pixels. If you print at 100cm x 100cm, 300 DPI is 11811 x 11811 pixels (huge). Sometimes 150 DPI is enough for large formats.

3. Viewing distance: A sign on a building viewed from 10m? 150 DPI is more than enough. A detail viewed up close? 300 DPI.

With PrintCheck

We scan your resolution and tell you:

✓ 300 DPI for coated offset = OK
⚠️ 150 DPI detected, 300 recommended for fine detail
❌ 72 DPI = too low for printing

Summary: the real rule

300 DPI is the ideal, but what matters is your context (print process, format, content). PrintCheck analyzes your file and tells you exactly if it's good.

300 DPI: Myth or Reality? The Truth About Print Resolution