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Understand LPI and DPI For Better Packaging Printing - Blog of Shanghai DE Printed Box
Understand LPI and DPI For Better Packaging Printing - Blog of Shanghai DE Printed Box
Reference: http://the-print-guide.blogspot.com/2009/04/image-resolution-for-printing-
lpi-vs.html
When we create an image from a scanner, a phone camera or Adobe Photoshop, we get
a digital raster image. It consists a mosaic of pixels. They are the basic picture elements.
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13/02/2024, 17:19 Understand LPI and DPI for Better Packaging Printing – Blog of Shanghai DE Printed Box
Here is a close up view showing the actual pixels that form the image:
Or:
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13/02/2024, 17:19 Understand LPI and DPI for Better Packaging Printing – Blog of Shanghai DE Printed Box
What is ppi?
Here is the original image with a dialog box showing its dimensions:
Note that the dimensions have a “lock” icon beside them. This is because the relationship
of pixels per inch (ppi) and vertical/horizontal size are “locked” together. Changing one
changes the other as you can see in the below dialog boxes:
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13/02/2024, 17:19 Understand LPI and DPI for Better Packaging Printing – Blog of Shanghai DE Printed Box
Note that as the resolution is changed (from 600 to 300 and 300 to 150 pixels per inch),
only the density of the pixels changes, not the number of total pixels in the image, in this
case 1412 pixels x 2028 pixels, therefore the file size remains the same. Put another way,
each time the resolution in ppi is increased, or lowered, the physical image size changes
but the total number of pixels forming the image (and hence the detail) remains the
same.
Very often the term that is used is “dots per inch” or dpi.
Technically the terms are not interchangeable – however, in daily usage, when speaking
about digital images the terms are considered as meaning the same thing.
You may sometimes hear the term “spi” – samples per inch. This refers to a scanner’s
resolution – i.e. it ability to acquire an image at so many samples per inch (e.g. 300 spi).
Again, in practical usage, when speaking about digital images – ppi, dpi, and spi
can be understood as meaning the same thing.
Instead a digital camera captures data based on the “megapixel” ability of its CCD sensor.
For example, a 14.2 megapixel camera might capture an image that’s 4592 pixels by 3056
pixels, which equals 14,033,152 total pixels. When you open the file into an image-
editing program a resolution must be assigned to the file. Most programs, including
Photoshop, use 72 ppi as the default resolution.
Because printing presses can only lay down 100% ink or 0% ink, digital images acquired
from scanners, digital cameras, or created directly in “paint” applications need to be
converted into a binary (on/off) format. This is done through a process called halftone
screening.
The result is that the image will be converted to dots of either 100% or 0% ink with
the original tones being simulated, in this case, by the size of the dots. Bigger dots
represent darker tones – smaller dots represent lighter tones:
What is lpi?
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13/02/2024, 17:19 Understand LPI and DPI for Better Packaging Printing – Blog of Shanghai DE Printed Box
The fineness of the screen, and hence the level of detail in the original that can be
preserved, is determined by how densely packed the dots are and is indirectly
described by how many rows – or lines of dots are used per inch (or centimeter) to
create the image. These virtual lines are highlighted in red below:
In this example the image is made up of 85 lines of dots per inch – expressed more
commonly as an 85 lines per inch halftone – or more simply stated: an 85 lpi halftone
image.
The key thing to remember is that although the halftone image is made up of dots
– the level of detail that it can reproduce is described in terms of lpi NOT dpi.
Of course, in order to pack more lines of dots into an inch – the smaller the dots become
and hence the greater amount of image detail that is preserved.
40 lpi halftone:
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13/02/2024, 17:19 Understand LPI and DPI for Better Packaging Printing – Blog of Shanghai DE Printed Box
It is the relationship of how densely packed the original pixels are (see part 1) compared
to the frequency of lines per inch of the halftone screen dots that determines what image
resolution is appropriate for its reproduction in print.
To illustrate this principle I’ll take a section of the same image at different resolutions
(ppi/dpi) and reproduce it using the same 150 lpi halftone screen:
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13/02/2024, 17:19 Understand LPI and DPI for Better Packaging Printing – Blog of Shanghai DE Printed Box
Here the image ppi/dpi is one half of the halftone screen resolution (lpi). As a result the
halftone reproduces the individual pixels of the original. This visible artifact is termed
“staircasing,” the “jaggies,” or “pixelation.”
Here the image ppi/dpi is two thirds of the halftone screen resolution (lpi). As a result the
halftone still reproduces the individual pixels of the original – but they are less visible.
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13/02/2024, 17:19 Understand LPI and DPI for Better Packaging Printing – Blog of Shanghai DE Printed Box
Here the image ppi/dpi is equal to the halftone screen resolution (lpi). As a result the
halftone still reproduces the individual pixels of the original – but they are much less
visible.
Here the image ppi/dpi is 1.5 times greater than the halftone screen resolution (lpi).
Although some original image pixels may still be visible, in general, the halftone no
longer resolves the individual pixels of the original – just the tones they represent.
This minimum required original resolution can be represented by the formula: 1.5 X lpi
= ppi @ 100% reproduction.
Here the image ppi/dpi is twice the halftone screen resolution (lpi). As a result the
halftone no longer resolves the individual pixels of the original – just the tones they
represent.
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13/02/2024, 17:19 Understand LPI and DPI for Better Packaging Printing – Blog of Shanghai DE Printed Box
This ideal required original resolution can be represented by the formula: 2 X lpi = ppi
@ 100% reproduction.
Here the image ppi/dpi is four times the halftone screen resolution (lpi). The image file
size is about 7 times larger than the 225 ppi/dpi image but provides effectively no
difference in the final reproduction.
To illustrate this principle, I’ll take a section of an image rendered at different resolutions
(ppi/dpi) that has been converted from grayscale to CMYK and reproduce it using the
same 150 lpi halftone screen:
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13/02/2024, 17:19 Understand LPI and DPI for Better Packaging Printing – Blog of Shanghai DE Printed Box
Here the image ppi/dpi is one half of the halftone screen resolution (lpi). As a result the
halftone reproduces the individual pixels of the original. This visible artifact is termed
“staircasing,” the “jaggies,” or “pixelation.” That being said, the jaggies are less severe
than we saw in the grayscale image at the same ppi/dpi. Also the numbers on the sail
appear clearer. This suggests that it might be possible to use a lower image resolution
for reproducing a CMYK image than can be used for a grayscale image.
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13/02/2024, 17:19 Understand LPI and DPI for Better Packaging Printing – Blog of Shanghai DE Printed Box
Here the image ppi/dpi is two thirds of the halftone screen resolution (lpi). As a result the
halftone still reproduces the individual pixels of the original – but they are less visible.
Here the image ppi/dpi is equal to the halftone screen resolution (lpi). Because the CMYK
image is a composite of four individual halftone images it tends to lessen the visibility of
the individual pixels of the original.
This minimum required original resolution for a CMYK image can be represented by
the formula: lpi = ppi @ 100% reproduction.
Here the image ppi/dpi is 1.5 times greater than the halftone screen resolution (lpi). The
halftone no longer resolves the individual pixels of the original – just the tones they
represent.
This ideal original resolution can be represented by the formula: 1.5 X lpi = ppi @
100% reproduction.
https://www.deprintedbox.com/blog/image-resolution-for-printing-lpi-and-dpi/ 12/19
13/02/2024, 17:19 Understand LPI and DPI for Better Packaging Printing – Blog of Shanghai DE Printed Box
Here the image ppi/dpi is twice the halftone screen resolution (lpi). As a result the
halftone no longer resolves the individual pixels of the original – just the tones they
represent.
Here the image ppi/dpi is four times the halftone screen resolution (lpi). The image file
size is about 7 times larger than the 225 ppi/dpi image but provides effectively no
difference in the final reproduction.
https://www.deprintedbox.com/blog/image-resolution-for-printing-lpi-and-dpi/ 13/19
13/02/2024, 17:19 Understand LPI and DPI for Better Packaging Printing – Blog of Shanghai DE Printed Box
However, there is another type of halftone screen in use which does not have a
traditional lpi. Instead, this type of screening organizes the halftone dots in random
appearing patterns. Below are three different vendor’s offerings :
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13/02/2024, 17:19 Understand LPI and DPI for Better Packaging Printing – Blog of Shanghai DE Printed Box
1) If the image is resized/scaled in the page layout application – it may no longer have an
appropriate resolution:
2) If the image is resized/scaled when the file is converted to the PDF format – it may no
longer have an appropriate resolution:
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13/02/2024, 17:19 Understand LPI and DPI for Better Packaging Printing – Blog of Shanghai DE Printed Box
3) If the workflow of the printed paper box supplier is setup to resample incoming
documents – they may no longer have an appropriate resolution. Most prepress RIPs are
set, by default, to downsample incoming files to 300 ppi/dpi.
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