Just the Pixels, Ma'am

I explained in my last article why DPI (Dots Per Inch) doesn't matter for most of what you'll do with images of your artwork. So what does matter? Well, as Sgt. Joe Friday from Dragnet might have said, "Just the pixels, ma'am".

Only Pixels Count
The total number of pixels in an image determines its resolution, or the ability to show fine detail. In a low resolution image with fewer, the individual pixels are readily seen and the detail is obscured. In a high resolution image with more, the fine detail becomes visible and the image appears sharper. It's that simple ... more pixels equals higher resolution.

The resolution of an image is often described in millions of pixels, or megapixels. Camera manufacturers have steadily improved sensor technology, and inexpensive consumer cameras today produce images with 6-8 megapixels. Unfortunately, we've been convinced we need all those pixels, even though it's often more resolution than we can use. A good 4" by 6" print, for example, needs only 2 megapixels. And your computer screen needs even fewer.

... But Not Too Many
When an image is displayed on a screen, each pixel on the screen displays one pixel from the image. A common screen size today is 1,024 pixels wide by 768 pixels high. That's less than 1 megapixel (the width times the height). If an image has more pixels than the screen, only part of the image will be displayed and you must scroll to see the rest of it. Or, if your software compresses the image to fit the screen, it is throwing away some of the pixels. Either way, the extra ones are just wasted.

Like Goldilocks, you don't want too many or too few in an image, but just the right number. I recommend 800 pixels on the longer side of an image as a good size for juried entries. At that size, your artwork will fill most computer screens without the file being too large. But if an image is to be printed, you'll need more pixels and will want to know both the DPI and the size to be printed.

Gallery Requests Revisted
With all of this in mind, let's take a look at several recent requests from galleries for images.

“Save images as jpegs, at 300 DPI.” Wrong ... you didn't specify the image size in pixels, and DPI doesn't matter, so I don't know what you'll get.

“Images should be approximately 800 x 600 pixels at 72 DPI.” Excellent ... you'll get exactly what you want (but skip the DPI next time so you don't keep the myth alive).

“Suggested minimums: 800 pixels in either direction at 150 DPI.” Good try ... but what's the maximum size (and 150 DPI doesn't make it medium resolution).

So as the announcer says at the end of Dragnet, "The story you have just seen is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent." Don't you be one of the guilty.

And click here to learn more about resolution in the Learning Center at ShootMyArt.com™.