Photo scan: how many dpi do i need?
Depending on the type of your photo, it differs with how many DPI you have to scan the images with. For example, if you want to scan an image from paper, you need different DPI settings than if you want to scan slides. In this practical tip, we will explain which DPI number you need for your photo scan.
DPI Guide for Photo Scan: Preparations
- Before starting the scan, you should remove dust and dirt from your images. You can use a brush or a cloth, for example.
- You should also remove dirt from your scanner. Use a microfiber cloth or something similar and wipe it lightly over the scan surface.
Scan images from paper
Photos on paper, for example in magazines, are usually printed at 300 DPI.
- If you do not want to enlarge the photo on paper, a resolution of 300 DPI is sufficient on your scanner.
- However, if you want to edit it after scanning, a value of 500-600 DPI is appropriate.
- An even higher resolution than 600 DPI tends to deteriorate the quality of the image. The photo is then drawn through with unsightly grid patterns.
Read film templates with the scanner
There is more image information in film originals such as slides or negatives than in photos printed on paper. Therefore, you need to increase the DPI number significantly so that the quality does not suffer when you enlarge it.
- Remove the frame and the glass around the slides. Otherwise, color rings are created when scanning.
- For slides or negatives, a DPI number between 2, 500 and 4, 000 makes sense. Here you still have enough scope for enlargements and the size of the data is in an acceptable range.
In the next practical tip, we will show you the best scanner software so that you can get even more out of your scanner.