[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":372},["ShallowReactive",2],{"\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-to-check-dpi-of-a-pdf":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":362,"extension":363,"meta":364,"navigation":367,"path":368,"seo":369,"stem":370,"__hash__":371},"content\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-to-check-dpi-of-a-pdf.md","How to Check the DPI of a PDF (A Beginner's Guide)",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":351},"minimark",[9,18,23,29,45,52,56,59,103,107,114,121,150,157,162,165,169,180,185,203,207,214,218,221,244,248,251,271,278,282,285,312,316,336],[10,11,12,13,17],"p",{},"You have finished your book, brochure or flyer, and the printer says: \"Please make sure your images are ",[14,15,16],"strong",{},"300 DPI",".\" If you're not sure what that means or how to check it, you're not alone. This guide explains DPI in plain language and shows you how to check any PDF in under a minute.",[19,20,22],"h3",{"id":21},"what-does-dpi-mean","What Does DPI Mean?",[10,24,25,28],{},[14,26,27],{},"DPI stands for \"dots per inch.\""," It tells you how many tiny dots of detail are packed into each inch of a printed image.",[30,31,32,39],"ul",{},[33,34,35,38],"li",{},[14,36,37],{},"More dots per inch"," means a sharper, more detailed print.",[33,40,41,44],{},[14,42,43],{},"Fewer dots per inch"," means a softer, blurrier, sometimes blocky print.",[10,46,47,48,51],{},"You'll also see the term ",[14,49,50],{},"PPI (pixels per inch)",". For checking images in a document, people use DPI and PPI to mean the same thing: how much image detail there is for every inch of paper.",[19,53,55],{"id":54},"why-do-printers-ask-for-300-dpi","Why Do Printers Ask for 300 DPI?",[10,57,58],{},"At normal reading distance, about 300 dots per inch is where the human eye stops noticing individual dots. That's why 300 DPI is the standard for anything printed and held in your hands, including books, magazines and business cards. Amazon KDP and IngramSpark both ask for 300 DPI images.",[60,61,62,75],"table",{},[63,64,65],"thead",{},[66,67,68,72],"tr",{},[69,70,71],"th",{},"What you're printing",[69,73,74],{},"DPI to aim for",[76,77,78,87,95],"tbody",{},[66,79,80,84],{},[81,82,83],"td",{},"Books, magazines, flyers, photos",[81,85,86],{},"300",[66,88,89,92],{},[81,90,91],{},"Posters and banners seen from a distance",[81,93,94],{},"150–200",[66,96,97,100],{},[81,98,99],{},"PDFs only read on a screen",[81,101,102],{},"72–150",[19,104,106],{"id":105},"why-a-pdf-doesnt-have-one-dpi","Why a PDF Doesn't Have \"One\" DPI",[10,108,109,110,113],{},"This is the part that confuses most beginners. A PDF is like a container. It can hold text, shapes and several images, and ",[14,111,112],{},"each image has its own DPI",".",[10,115,116,117,120],{},"Even more surprising, the ",[14,118,119],{},"same image can have different DPIs"," depending on how big you make it on the page. Here's a simple example:",[30,122,123,129,139],{},[33,124,125,126,113],{},"A photo is ",[14,127,128],{},"1,800 pixels wide",[33,130,131,132,135,136,138],{},"Place it ",[14,133,134],{},"6 inches wide",": 1,800 ÷ 6 = ",[14,137,16],{},". Sharp. ✅",[33,140,141,142,145,146,149],{},"Stretch it to ",[14,143,144],{},"12 inches wide",": 1,800 ÷ 12 = ",[14,147,148],{},"150 DPI",". Blurry in print. ❌",[10,151,152,153,156],{},"The number that matters is called the ",[14,154,155],{},"effective DPI",": the image's pixels divided by the size it's actually printed at.",[10,158,159],{},[14,160,161],{},"Effective DPI = image width in pixels ÷ printed width in inches",[10,163,164],{},"What about text and logos made of shapes (vector graphics)? Good news: they don't have a DPI at all. They're drawn with math, so they print sharp at any size. Only photos, screenshots and other pixel-based images need checking.",[19,166,168],{"id":167},"how-to-check-the-dpi-of-a-pdf-for-free","How to Check the DPI of a PDF for Free",[10,170,171,172,179],{},"You don't need Adobe Acrobat Pro. Fileverter's ",[173,174,178],"a",{"className":175,"href":177},[176],"text-primary","\u002Ftools\u002Fpdf\u002Fpdf-dpi-checker","PDF DPI Checker"," does it in your browser, and your file never leaves your computer.",[181,182,184],"h4",{"id":183},"_1-open-the-pdf-dpi-checker","1. Open the PDF DPI Checker",[10,186,187,188,191,192,194,195,198,199,202],{},"Go to the ",[173,189,178],{"className":190,"href":177},[176],". Pick your target: ",[14,193,86],{}," for print, ",[14,196,197],{},"200"," for large posters or ",[14,200,201],{},"150"," for screen.",[181,204,206],{"id":205},"_2-add-your-pdf","2. Add Your PDF",[10,208,209,210,213],{},"Drag your PDF onto the page or click ",[14,211,212],{},"Choose PDF",". The checker reads every page.",[181,215,217],{"id":216},"_3-read-the-summary","3. Read the Summary",[10,219,220],{},"At the top you'll see:",[30,222,223,229,235],{},[33,224,225,228],{},[14,226,227],{},"Images:"," how many pictures are in the file.",[33,230,231,234],{},[14,232,233],{},"Lowest DPI:"," your weakest image. If this is 300 or more, you're done.",[33,236,237,240,241,113],{},[14,238,239],{},"Average DPI"," and how many images are ",[14,242,243],{},"below your target",[181,245,247],{"id":246},"_4-find-the-problem-images","4. Find the Problem Images",[10,249,250],{},"Below the summary, each page lists its images with three numbers:",[30,252,253,259,265],{},[33,254,255,258],{},[14,256,257],{},"Pixels:"," the image's real size, like 1,800 × 1,200.",[33,260,261,264],{},[14,262,263],{},"Placed size:"," how big it's printed, like 6\" × 4\".",[33,266,267,270],{},[14,268,269],{},"Effective DPI:"," green means fine, yellow means a bit low, red means too low.",[10,272,273,274,277],{},"Tick ",[14,275,276],{},"Only show images below 300 DPI"," to see just the ones that need attention.",[19,279,281],{"id":280},"how-to-fix-a-low-dpi-image","How to Fix a Low-DPI Image",[10,283,284],{},"If the checker finds a blurry image, try these fixes in order:",[286,287,288,294,300,306],"ol",{},[33,289,290,293],{},[14,291,292],{},"Use a bigger original."," Go back to the original photo or export a larger version. This is the best fix.",[33,295,296,299],{},[14,297,298],{},"Make it smaller on the page."," Halving the printed width doubles the DPI. A 150 DPI image placed at half the size becomes 300 DPI.",[33,301,302,305],{},[14,303,304],{},"Check your PDF export settings."," Presets like \"Smallest file size\" often shrink images to 150 DPI or lower. Choose a \"High quality print\" or \"PDF\u002FX\" preset instead.",[33,307,308,311],{},[14,309,310],{},"Don't just upscale it."," Enlarging a small image in an editor makes the numbers go up, but it doesn't add real detail, so it will still look soft.",[19,313,315],{"id":314},"quick-recap","Quick Recap",[30,317,318,321,327,333],{},[33,319,320],{},"DPI measures how much detail an image has per printed inch.",[33,322,323,324,326],{},"Aim for ",[14,325,16],{}," for anything printed.",[33,328,329,330,332],{},"Every image in a PDF has its own ",[14,331,155],{},", based on how big it's placed.",[33,334,335],{},"Text and vector logos are always sharp; only photos and screenshots need checking.",[10,337,338,339,344,345,350],{},"Ready to check your file? Open the ",[173,340,343],{"className":341,"href":177},[176,342],"font-bold","free PDF DPI Checker",". If you're preparing a book cover, the ",[173,346,349],{"className":347,"href":348},[176],"\u002Ftools\u002Fpublishing\u002Fkdp-cover-calculator","KDP Cover Calculator"," checks DPI together with size, bleed and fonts.",{"title":352,"searchDepth":353,"depth":353,"links":354},"",2,[355,357,358,359,360,361],{"id":21,"depth":356,"text":22},3,{"id":54,"depth":356,"text":55},{"id":105,"depth":356,"text":106},{"id":167,"depth":356,"text":168},{"id":280,"depth":356,"text":281},{"id":314,"depth":356,"text":315},"Learn what DPI means, why printers ask for 300 DPI, and how to check the resolution of every image in a PDF for free, without uploading your file.","md",{"date":365,"slug":366},"2026-10-25","how-to-check-dpi-of-a-pdf",true,"\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-to-check-dpi-of-a-pdf",{"title":5,"description":362},"blog\u002Fhow-to-check-dpi-of-a-pdf","KTZehp5pyAY7jNV8JrD9MCHKSXoaL5TxztZRBlcb9eM",1792934425386]