Image DPI Checker & Changer
Check the DPI of any JPG or PNG image and change it to 72, 96, 150, 300, 600 DPI or a custom value. Change print-resolution metadata without resizing or uploading your image. If you need to calculate print dimensions, use our Image Print Size Calculator. To check width-to-height proportions, use our Aspect Ratio Calculator. If you need to strip GPS or camera info, use our EXIF data remover. If you need to combine captures, try our Screenshot Stitcher.
- Check current image DPI
- Change to 300 DPI
- Keep original pixel dimensions
- Calculate print size
- Batch process images
- Private browser processing
- No signup
Drag and drop images, or paste from the clipboard
Select ImagesJPG, JPEG and PNG · up to 20 files · 25 MB per file
Your images are processed locally in your browser and are never uploaded.
Your images are processed locally in your browser and are never uploaded.
How to Check Image DPI
- Upload a JPG or PNG image, or paste one from your clipboard.
- The tool reads the physical-resolution metadata stored inside the file — the pHYs chunk for PNG, the JFIF density block and EXIF resolution tags for JPEG.
- View the current DPI, the exact pixel dimensions and the print size those two values produce in both inches and centimetres.
If nothing is found, the image DPI checker says “Not specified” rather than inventing a number. Plenty of screenshots and web exports genuinely carry no resolution tag at all, and pretending they are 72 DPI would be misleading.
How to Change an Image to 300 DPI
- Upload your image.
- Choose the 300 DPI preset, or type a custom value.
- Leave the mode on “Change DPI Only”.
- Press Change DPI.
- Download the processed file.
Your pixel dimensions stay exactly as they were. A 3000 × 2000 pixel photo is still 3000 × 2000 pixels after the change; only the number that print software reads has been rewritten. That is what most print shops mean when they ask you to “send it at 300 DPI”.
What Does 300 DPI Mean?
DPI stands for dots per inch: how many image dots a printer should place into one inch of paper. It is a density instruction, not a measure of how much data your file contains. Combine it with the pixel dimensions and you get a physical size.
For example, 3000 × 2400 pixels at 300 DPI prints at roughly 10 × 8 inches. The same file at 150 DPI covers 20 × 16 inches using exactly the same pixels, spread twice as far apart.
Does Changing DPI Increase Image Quality?
No — not when only metadata changes. The pixels in the file are the entire detail budget of your image. Rewriting a tag from 72 to 300 does not create new detail, sharpen edges or recover a blurry photo. It changes the intended physical print size, nothing more.
Where it does matter: many print services validate the DPI field before accepting artwork. Setting it correctly can be the difference between a rejected upload and a clean one, even though the pixels are identical.
DPI vs PPI
Strictly speaking, PPI (pixels per inch) describes an image or a display, while DPI (dots per inch) describes the ink dots a printer physically lays down — and printers usually use several dots to reproduce one pixel. In practice, image editors, print portals and online tools use the two terms interchangeably for the same stored value, which is why this DPI changer treats them as one number.
72 DPI vs 96 DPI vs 150 DPI vs 300 DPI vs 600 DPI
72 and 96 DPI are mostly legacy screen conventions; they still appear as defaults in exports from web tools. 150 DPI is a practical choice for large prints and signage that nobody inspects from 20 centimetres away. 300 DPI is the familiar high-quality print target for photographs, magazines and brochures. 600 DPI shows up in workflows with fine text or line art, where crisp edges matter more than file size. None of these is a universal rule — the right value depends on the press, the paper and the viewing distance.
| DPI | Typical use | 3000px image print width |
|---|---|---|
| 72 | Legacy screen and web export metadata | 41.67 in (105.83 cm) |
| 96 | Default screen density used by Windows and many browsers | 31.25 in (79.38 cm) |
| 150 | Posters, banners and larger prints viewed from a distance | 20.00 in (50.80 cm) |
| 240 | Photo printing where a small size reduction is acceptable | 12.50 in (31.75 cm) |
| 300 | Common high-quality print target for photos and brochures | 10.00 in (25.40 cm) |
| 600 | Line art, fine text and some detailed print workflows | 5.00 in (12.70 cm) |
How Large Can I Print My Image?
The formula is simple: print width = pixel width ÷ DPI. A 4000 × 3000 pixel photo prints 13.33 × 10 inches at 300 DPI, 16.67 × 12.5 inches at 240 DPI and 26.67 × 20 inches at 150 DPI. The tool shows all of these automatically as soon as you add an image, so you can pick a print size that your pixels can genuinely support.
Change JPG DPI
A JPEG can store its resolution in two places. The JFIF header holds a density unit plus horizontal and vertical density values, and the EXIF block can hold XResolution, YResolution and a resolution unit. This JPG DPI changer rewrites the JFIF density and updates existing EXIF resolution tags so both agree, while leaving camera data, orientation, GPS, copyright, colour profile and the compressed image scan untouched.
Change PNG DPI
PNG keeps physical resolution in a small chunk called pHYs, stored as pixels per metre rather than per inch. The conversion is exact: 300 DPI equals 11,811 pixels per metre. The PNG DPI changer replaces that chunk, or inserts a valid one after the header when a file has none, and copies every other chunk — including palette, transparency, colour profile and the compressed image data — byte for byte.
Change DPI Without Losing Quality
Tools that open an image, redraw it on a canvas and export it again silently recompress your photo, and every round trip costs a little detail. This tool never decodes pixels in the default mode. It edits a handful of metadata bytes and rewrites the rest of the file verbatim, so a JPEG keeps its original compression and a PNG keeps identical image data.
Resize an Image for a Specific Print Size
Changing the DPI tag and actually producing enough pixels for a large print are different jobs. If you need an 8 × 12 inch print at 300 DPI, the file has to contain 2400 × 3600 pixels. Switch to “Resize for Print”, enter the size and DPI, and the tool tells you the required pixel dimensions before it does anything. Upscaling stays switched off unless you enable it, because enlarging pixels invents data rather than recovering it.
Private Browser-Based DPI Changing
Every step runs in your browser tab using local JavaScript — reading metadata, rewriting it and building the download. Your files are not uploaded to a server, and no account or API key is needed. Anonymous usage counts (for example, that a DPI change happened) may be recorded, but never filenames, dimensions or image content.
Need something else? Try the image compressor to shrink file sizes, or circle crop an image for round avatars.
Image DPI: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check the DPI of an image?
Upload a JPG or PNG above. The tool reads the physical-resolution metadata stored inside the file — the pHYs chunk in PNG, or the JFIF density and EXIF resolution tags in JPEG — and shows the DPI along with the pixel dimensions and the print size those values produce.
How can I change an image to 300 DPI?
Select your image, leave the mode on “Change DPI Only”, choose the 300 DPI preset and press Change DPI. Then download the file. The pixel dimensions stay exactly the same; only the print-resolution metadata is rewritten.
Does changing DPI increase image quality?
No. When only metadata changes, the pixels are untouched, so there is no extra detail. DPI tells printing software how densely to place those existing pixels on paper.
Can I change 72 DPI to 300 DPI without resizing?
Yes. That is exactly what the default mode does. A 3000 × 2000 pixel image stays 3000 × 2000 pixels; the intended print size simply becomes smaller and denser.
What size is a 300 DPI image?
There is no single size. Divide the pixel dimensions by 300. A 3000 × 2400 pixel image at 300 DPI prints about 10 × 8 inches.
What is the difference between DPI and pixels?
Pixels are the real data in the file. DPI is a number stored alongside them that describes how many of those pixels should occupy one printed inch.
What DPI should I use for printing?
300 DPI is a common target for photo and brochure printing viewed up close. Large posters and banners are often produced at 150 DPI or less because they are viewed from further away. Ask your print provider when in doubt.
Can I change JPG DPI?
Yes. The tool rewrites the JFIF density fields and, where resolution tags already exist, the EXIF XResolution and YResolution values, without recompressing the JPEG scan data.
Can I change PNG DPI?
Yes. The tool replaces or inserts the PNG pHYs chunk with the pixels-per-metre value matching your chosen DPI. All other chunks, including the compressed image data, are copied byte for byte.
Does changing DPI reduce image quality?
Not in “Change DPI Only” mode. The compressed image data is never decoded, so there is no generation loss. Only the “Resize for Print” mode re-renders pixels.
Are my images uploaded?
No. Files are read and rewritten in your browser using local JavaScript. Nothing is sent to a server and no account is required.
Can I change multiple images to 300 DPI?
Yes. Add up to 20 files, choose your DPI and use “Apply to All”. Each processed image gets its own download button, and two or more results can be downloaded together as a ZIP.
Why does my image say DPI is not specified?
Many images — especially screenshots and web exports — contain no physical-resolution metadata at all. The tool reports that honestly instead of guessing 72 or 96 DPI. You can still assign any DPI you need.
Why do different programs show different DPI values?
A JPEG can carry both a JFIF density and an EXIF resolution, and they can disagree. Some programs read one, some the other. Changing the DPI here normalises both values so they match.