Let's explain that because it is a bit confusing: Let us imagine you have a 1 x 1 inch, 144 ppi image and your monitor only has 72 dpi (dots per inch), the image is actually going to be displayed 2 x 2. Why ? Well that is because your monitor only shows 72 pixels per square inch so it needs 2 inches to show the 144 pixels that make up one edge of the image.
Now if we understand how an image adjusts itself depending on the monitor or screen resolution then it will be easy to figure out that the relationship between image resolution and screen frequency determines the quality of the detail in the printed image.
Two things to consider when printing:
· Laser Printers: Most desktop laser printers have a resolution of 600 dpi, for image setters the resolution is 1200 dpi or higher. In order to determine the appropriate resolution of your image when ready to print in any laser printer, check your "screen frequency" and that is found in your printer documentation or consult your service provider.
· Ink jet Printers: The printing method is different, although most inkjet printers have approximately a resolution of 300 to 600 dpi and are quite good printing images of up to 150 ppi.
Last item to consider: The digital size of your image is proportional to the pixel dimension. Image resolution can be compromised between image quality and the size of the file. The more detail your image has the heavier the file will be and more difficult to store and edit. The format of the image, such as GIF, JPEG and PNG vary significantly for the dimensions of the same pixel.