Figure DPI Calculator

Enter your image's pixel width and the width it will be printed at. The calculator returns the effective DPI at that size and checks it against the two thresholds journals use: 300 DPI for photos and 600 DPI for line art. Everything runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded and there is no sign-up.

Image width (pixels)

Shown in the file's Get Info / Properties, or in your export dialog.

Printed width on the page

How wide the figure will appear in the journal — usually the column width. Pick a preset below if unsure.

Presets:

Effective resolution:520DPI1800 px ÷ 3.46 in = 520 DPI

300 · Photo

600 · Line art

Photos / microscopy images (journals ask for ≥300 DPI)

OK at this size

Line art / plots with thin lines (journals ask for ≥600 DPI)

Too low — needs at least 2079 px wide

This calculator runs entirely in your browser. Your image is never uploaded, and no data leaves your device.

How the calculation works

Effective DPI is simply your image's pixel width divided by the print width in inches (1 inch = 25.4 mm). Changing the metadata DPI in an editor does not add detail — only more pixels do. If the effective DPI falls short, re-export from your source at a higher resolution or rebuild the figure as vector, rather than upscaling a raster file.

Frequently asked questions

What DPI do journals require for figures?

The common thresholds are 300 DPI for photographs and halftones and 600 DPI for line art, both measured at the final printed size. Some publishers go higher for line art (Elsevier and Springer ask for 1000–1200 DPI), so always confirm against your target journal.

Is my image uploaded anywhere?

No. The calculator is pure client-side math — your pixel and print-size numbers are computed in the browser and nothing is sent to a server.

My image is 800×600 — can I just set it to 300 DPI?

Not by editing metadata. At 300 DPI, 800 px prints at only 2.67 inches (about 68 mm), below most single-column widths. You need more pixels: re-export from the source at higher resolution, or rebuild the figure as vector.

What's the difference between DPI and PPI here?

For this purpose they are interchangeable: both describe how many image pixels land in each printed inch. Journals use the term DPI, so that's what the calculator reports.

Need the exact size, format and font rules per journal?

See the Journal Figure Requirements reference