Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/10/27

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Re: web sizing images
From: "Austin Franklin" <darkroom@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Sun, 27 Oct 2002 15:04:18 -0500

Hi Jim,

> This is how I understand dpi as well.  DPI doesn't really matter until you
> send a file to your printer.

Printers print in DPI (Dots Per Inch), and that DPI is typically somewhat
fixed, say, 360/720/1440.  You send PPI (Pixels Per Inch) to the printer
driver, and these pixels get converted to printer dots.  One printer dot is
NOT the same as a pixel.

Monitors display in PPI (Pixels Per Inch), but that is not how they are
spec'd, and that number is typically not stated...because it is a function
of the video mode/video card and monitor combination.  A 21" (diagonal)
monitor that displays 1600 x 1200 has an XY physical dimension of 3/4/5, so
21"/5 = 1600/X = 1200/Y so X = 16.8" and Y = 12.6", so your actual PPI
resolution of the monitor is 1600/16.8 (or 1200/12.6, as the pixels are
typically square) or ~95 PPI.

> I believe the standard for Windows
> nowadays is
> 96dpi,

I assume you mean for monitors?  There really is no "standard", as it
depends on the display mode, but in general, as you've said, the highest is
around 96/100.

To complete the "PI" (Per Inch) loop, scanner scan at SPI (Samples Per Inch)
and the output of the scanner is Pixels...with no real physical dimension,
though there is a size stored with the data, it is really irrelevant to the
data, but is *possibly* used when you print the image...but that's a
different issue entirely.

Austin

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