How To Scale An Image for Monitor Display

or Printing
While I believe it is very useful to understand the math and concepts presented on
this page, many imaging programs and scanner and printer software control
applications will do most of the scaling and sizing math transparently by allowing
the user to just 'plug in' numbers for image, scan or print size. Understanding the
math behind digital imaging will insure that you will have the knowledge necessary
to produce images that are suitable for a wide variety of different output needs.

It is important to know what you intend to use your image for before you scan it or
take the picture. As we mentioned previously, you will need higher pixel resolution
files for printing than you will need for web or email attachment use. In digital
image creation and workflow pixel resolution (dimensions in pixels) is the first
and most important decision. 'What pixel resolution do we need to print to 8X10
inches at 300 ppi output resolution?' -- ' What is the scanning dpi necessary to get
2400X3000 pixels from my 35mm film?' -- 'What pixel resolution does it take to fill
up half my monitor display when it is running 1024X768 resolution?' We will adjust
the DPI of the scanner or the resolution setting of the digital camera or resize the
image in our editing program to scale the digital image to the pixel resolution that is
required for a specified print size or for display on a computer monitor.

Pixel resolution and assigned PPI (print or output resolution) are independent of each
other but the ratio between the pixel dimensions of your digital image and the PPI
selected for printing is what determines the printed size of your photograph. Or, in
the case of scanning, the selected scanning DPI in relation to the size of your original
scanned media is what determines the pixel resolution (dimensions) of your scanned
image.

It is important to understand that DPI is a user assigned number for scaling media to
a required pixel resolution during scanning. PPI is used to scale existing digital
images to a required size for printing (output resolution). After you have scanned
your media or taken a digital photo at your selected pixel resolution you can then
change the assigned PPI number to scale the image's pixels to print at any size on
paper. Just remember that 240-360ppi is the threshold for photo quality. Changing
the assigned PPI after a digital image is created does not change it's pixel
resolution. Changing the assigned PPI of an existing digital image only changes
print size that would be created when printing that digital image.

For printing purposes each pixel in your digital image is going to be converted into
ONE DOT of color information on your print. This matrix of 'dots' when viewed at
normal viewing distances give the viewer the illusion of a continuous tone
photograph.  As mentioned above, printed output generated at 240-360 PPI is
considered by most to be a safe threshold for seeing digital prints as a continuous
tone photograph.

You don't need to be concerned about your home printer's native output resolution. If
your printer is capable of 1440X2800 dpi output the printer will do the necessary
math and interpolation behind the scenes to make the 8X10 at 300 ppi image you
have scaled in your image printing program. The 240-360 ppi threshold we have
given is an 'equivalent' standard. In other words, if you have enough pixels to print to
required size at 240 ppi or higher output resolution, you will get photo quality prints
from any of the current batch of home printers. Some of the higher end commercial
printing machines like Fuji's Frontier system, LightJet, and Chromira do a little
better with 300 ppi and above.

There are 4 related variables involved that can be arranged in simple math equations
that will allow to you solve all of your digital image resolution and scaling
requirements. The four variables are as follows: PIXEL RESOLUTION - DPI/PPI -
ORIGINAL MEDIA SIZE - PRINTED OUTPUT SIZE.

Some Formulas For Scaling DPI/PPI For Scanning Or Printing

1. Determining the necessary pixel resolution for printing to a required print size or
for computer monitor display:

FOR PRINTING: Multiply the length and the width of your intended print size (in
inches) by 300 (printing at the equivalent of 300 PPI is universally accepted as
generating photo quality output) This formula will give you the pixel resolution
(length and width in pixels) that you need to have to print to your required size with
photo quality. Actually, some printing systems will work with quite nicely with 240
or 360 PPI. 300 is a safe minimum when you don't know the actual requirements of
your printer.
FOR MONITOR DISPLAY: Decide the approximate fractional area of the monitor
you'd like your image to cover and divide that into the current monitor resolution.
PRINTING EXAMPLE: You want to print a digital file to 16X20 inches. Multiply 16 times
300 and get 4800 and 20 times 300 to get 6000. Your digital file will need to have a pixel
resolution of 4800X6000 pixels to print to 16X20 with a print output resolution of 300 PPI.

MONITOR EXAMPLE: Filing up 1/2 the monitor's side to side viewing area with an image
when running 1024X768 pixel monitor resolution. Divide 1024 by 1/2  and we get 512 pixels
necessary to cover half the monitor's 1024 pixel side to side viewing area. 

2. Determining the pixel resolution (pixel dimensions) of a document or photo to be

scanned:

The scanned media's length and the width dimension (in inches) multiplied times
scanning DPI equals the length and width pixel resolution of the resulting digital
image.
EXAMPLE: Scanning a 4X6 inch photograph at 300 dpi will yield a 1200X1800 pixel digital
image. 300 times 4 = 1200 and 300 times 6 = 1800. The resolution of this image is 1200X1800
pixels

3. Determining the proper DPI setting for scanning to a required pixel resolution
(pixel dimensions):

Length or width of the required pixel resolution divided by the length or width of the
media to be scanned gives you the required scanning DPI.

EXAMPLE: You want a 300 pixel wide image for computer screen placement from a scan of a
4X6 inch print. 6 is the width of the print so divide 300 by 6 and you get 50 as your setting for
scanning dpi.

4. Determining the required printing resolution for a given print size and existing
digital image:

pixel resolution (length or width dimension) divided by the corresponding dimension

(in inches) of the required print size equals printing resolution in PPI.
EXAMPLE: A 2400X3000 pixel file that you wanted to print at 16X20 inches would require a
print output resolution of 150 ppi since 2400 divided by 16 equals 150.

5. Determining print size for an existing digital image for any given printing
resolution

pixel resolution (length or width dimension) divided by printing DPI equals print
dimension.
EXAMPLE: You want to see what the print size of a 2400X3000 pixel image would be when
printed at 400 dpi. Divide 2400 by 400 PPI equals 6 and 3000 divided by 400 PPI equals 7.5.
Printing this file at 400 PPI would produce a 6 by 7.5 inch print.