dpi

Abbreviation for dots per inch, measure of the resolution of images produced by computer screens and printers. The dot pitch limits the maximum number of dots per inch (the density of illuminated points). This is usually greater than the screen resolution, which is given in terms of pixels (picture elements) such as 800 x 600. The number of dots per inch is dependent on the screen size. Because of the common confusion between dpi and pixels, the term pixels per inch is often preferred as a measure of image sharpness on display screens.

Dpi is also the common measurement of image quality in printing. A computer printer might print at 600 dpi. When very high dpi figures are referred to they may not represent actual dpi but interpolated dpi, where the location and character of the additional dots are calculated by software.