Rule of thumb: divide the pixel size (dimension) of the image by the resolution (at least 300 ppi) to get the maximum print size in inches. This comes in handy when trying to figure out what size you can print something (4×6? 8×10?) and have it still look good. Resolution also helps you figure out how much you can enlarge a photo. This is just a broad overview, but if you take away one thing, it’s that the resolution you want depends on whether you want the file on-screen only, or print.

You don’t need a fancy program to do this most computers come with a basic image editing program that will do the trick. The best way is to open up the picture in an image program and view the file properties. Heavy file size can be a clue, but not in all cases. You can’t tell by the length-width dimensions, either. Just because it looks good on your computer screen doesn’t mean it’s hi-res. Hint: Make sure your phone-camera is taking a high enough resolution to look good when printed. Prevent printing regrets (because ink is expensive)! Use hi-res photos for sharp prints and to prevent jagged lines. This resolution makes for good print quality, and is pretty much a requirement for anything that you want hard copies of, especially to represent your brand or other important printed materials.

Hi-res images are at least 300 pixels per inch (ppi). Plus, they are very lightweight (fewer pixels), so they help websites load quickly. This makes them great for the web, because that’s all your computer screen will display, anyhow. Lo-res images have around 72-pixels, or squares of color, per inch. Today, we usually only see pixelated images when images are enlarged or zoomed-in too much, or printed from a lo-res file. Ah, the memories ( retro video games, anyone?).Įarly video games looked pixelated because they used minimal colors on purpose to preserve memory and processing power. Those of us who pre-date smartphones might recall this distinctive, low-tech aesthetic from back in the day. This look is called “pixelated” because you can distinguish each pixel, in a block pattern. You can see why enlarging lo-res images gives blurry results.

The lo-res image on the right looks great at its normal size (100%), but when we zoom in, it looks choppy. You can see pixels when you zoom in really closely to a picture, or if you try to enlarge an image beyond what it can handle. You usually don’t notice individual pixels because they all blend together to form the picture that you recognize. Images are made of tiny pixels (picture elements), or squares of color. Hi-res stands for high resolution, or denser image quality. In order to understand when a hi-res image is a must (such as for printing and enlarging), let’s go into what hi-res is in the first place. It can determine whether your company logo looks fuzzy vs. There really is a difference between lo- and hi-res. Moments later, he replies back: “Do you have that in hi-res?” Your coworker asks for a photo, so you quickly email him the one from the web.

Zoom logo high resolution