How to check the DPI of an image on phone, Windows and Mac

Every design file has a fixed number of pixels, such as 4032 × 3024. That count decides how big it can print sharp. The DPI number stored in the file is only a note about how close to pack those pixels.

So checking DPI is really two checks: find the pixel size, then divide by the print size you need. The steps below show where to find both on each device.

Pixels matter more than the DPI tag

DPI in an image file (more correctly PPI, pixels per inch) is a label that any program can change in a second. Changing it adds no detail. The pixels are the real material the printer works with.

The sum you need is simple:

Real DPI = pixel width ÷ print width in inches

Example: A client sends a 4032 × 3024 photo of a block print and wants it on a 44 inch dupatta. 4,032 ÷ 44 = about 92 pixels per inch. Whatever the file's tag says, it will print soft at that width.

Many cameras and phones write 72 DPI into every photo by default. Windows shows 96 dpi when a file has no tag at all, which is common for screenshots. Neither number tells you anything about print quality. Megapixels, which phones show, are width × height ÷ 1,000,000, so they tell you the total size but not the width you need for the sum.

On an Android phone

Android gallery apps show the pixel size and file size, but not the DPI tag. That is fine, because pixel size is what you need.

In Google Photos:

1. Open the design.
2. Swipe up on it, or tap the three-dot menu and choose Details.
3. Read the size, shown as megapixels (MP) and as width × height in pixels.

In the Samsung Gallery and most other phone galleries, open the image and swipe up or tap the info (i) or Details option. The pixel size appears in the file details.

Note: If the file came as a WhatsApp document, open it from the chat, save it to the gallery, and check there. A design that arrived as a normal WhatsApp photo is usually only 1,280 to 1,600 pixels on the long side.

On an iPhone

The Photos app shows pixel size on iOS 15 and later.

1. Open the Photos app and tap the design.
2. Swipe up, or tap the info button (a small "i" in a circle).
3. The second line shows megapixels and pixel size, for example "12 MP · 4032 × 3024".

The Files app is different. Press and hold a file and tap Get Info, and you mainly see the file size in MB. To see pixels, share the file, choose Save Image, and check it in Photos.

On Windows

Windows shows both the pixel size and the DPI tag.

1. Right-click the image in File Explorer and choose Properties.
2. Open the Details tab.
3. Scroll to the Image section and read Dimensions, Width and Height (in pixels), and Horizontal resolution and Vertical resolution (the DPI tag).

To check a whole folder of designs at once, switch File Explorer to Details view. Right-click any column header, choose More, and tick Dimensions, Horizontal resolution and Vertical resolution.

Warning: A Horizontal resolution of 96 dpi usually means the file has no DPI tag, and Windows filled in its default. Do not reject or approve a file on that number. Use the pixel width.

On a Mac

Preview, which comes with every Mac, shows both numbers.

1. Open the image in Preview.
2. Choose Tools > Show Inspector, or press Command + I.
3. The General Info tab shows the pixel size. The More Info tab shows the DPI tag and the colour profile.

You can also choose Tools > Adjust Size. The box shows width and height in pixels, plus Resolution in pixels/inch. If you only want to look, close it with Cancel so nothing changes.

In Photoshop

Photoshop shows the pixel count and print size together, and it can work out the print size for you.

1. Open the design and choose Image > Image Size (Alt + Ctrl + I on Windows, Option + Command + I on Mac).
2. Read Dimensions at the top, in pixels.
3. Untick Resample.
4. Type the DPI you want in Resolution, for example 150 or 300.
5. Width and Height now show the largest print size in inches at that DPI. Press Cancel to leave the file unchanged.

With Resample off, Photoshop only changes the label and the print size, never the pixels. That makes it a safe way to answer "how big will this print?"

Tip: Once you know the pixel size, add it to the file name, for example D1045_6600x5400px.tif. The printer can then see the size without opening the file.

Pixels to inches table

Use this to read a pixel width as a print width. Each cell is pixels ÷ DPI, rounded.

Pixel width	At 150 DPI	At 200 DPI	At 300 DPI
1,600 px (WhatsApp photo)	10.7 in	8 in	5.3 in
3,000 px	20 in	15 in	10 in
4,032 px (12 MP phone photo)	26.9 in	20.2 in	13.4 in
6,600 px	44 in	33 in	22 in
8,700 px	58 in	43.5 in	29 in
13,200 px	88 in	66 in	44 in

For centimetres, multiply inches by 2.54. For any other size, the fabric DPI calculator does the sum both ways: print size to pixels, or pixels to print size.

For a repeat, check the tile against its own printed size. A tile that prints 11 inches wide needs 1,650 px at 150 DPI, however wide the fabric roll is.

Print, enlarge or ask for the original

Once you have the real DPI at the final size, three questions settle what to do.

1. Is it 150 or more (200 or more for sarees, dupattas and fine lines)? Print as it is.
2. Is it lower, and is this the original file from the designer? Enlarge it. Our AI image upscaler enlarges a design 4× or 8× free, up to about 36 megapixels, and adds real detail. The download is a PNG tagged 300 DPI.
3. Is it lower, and did it come through WhatsApp photo mode, a screenshot or a PDF catalogue? Ask the client for the original file sent as a document first. Enlarge the copy only if there is no better source.

A 4× enlargement often turns a "too small" file into a usable one. A 1,600 × 1,600 px tile becomes 6,400 × 6,400 px, which covers a 21 inch repeat at 300 DPI or a 42 inch repeat at 150 DPI.

Typing 300 in the DPI box does not count as fixing it. The 300 DPI converter page explains the difference between relabelling a file and adding pixels.

What to do next

Open your design, note its pixel width, and divide by the print width in inches. If the answer is under 150, put the design through the AI image upscaler and check the new size in the fabric DPI calculator before you send it to the printer.