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The resolution of a printed image and an image displayed on the screen

Source: licencja: CC 0.

Rozdzielczość obrazu drukowanego i wyświetlanego na monitorze

You will learn
  • what image resolution is,

  • how to distinguish between an image of high resolution and an image of low resolution,

  • what an image displayed on the screen and an image on a printoutprintoutprintout are composed of,

  • what the abbreviations dpi and ppi mean,

  • how to adjust the resolution of an image depending on its purpose

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nagranie abstraktu

pixelpixelpixel is the smallest controllable element of a picture:

  • displayeddisplayeddisplayed on the screenscreenscreen (of a computer monitor, television set, telephone, tablet, smartphone),

  • printed on paper (using printing techniques in which an image is represented by dots),

  • captured with the use of image processing devices (a digital camera, scanner).

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Source: GroMar, licencja: CC BY 3.0.
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nagranie abstraktu

Image resolutionresolutionresolution is the precision in representing the details of a bitmap imagebitmap imagebitmap image. The resolution of an image displayeddisplayeddisplayed on the screen indicates the number of pixels per inch (approximately 2.5 cm). The unit of the resolution of the image displayed on the screen is ppi. The higher resolution, the higher image quality and consequently the larger file sizesizesize.

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Ilustracja interaktywna przedstawia napis ppi. Na ilustracji pod literami widoczne są numery, a na nich podpisy. 1. pixels {audio}, 2. per {audio}, 3. inch {audio}
The unit of the resolution of an image displayed on the screen
Source: GroMar, licencja: CC BY 3.0.
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nagranie abstraktu

Colour in displays is obtained by mixing the three primary colours of the RGB model. Therefore a pixelpixelpixel consists of three subpixels emitting red, blue and green light. For example, a full HD matrixmatrixmatrix, i.e. of the resolution 1920 × 1080, has 1920 pixels in every line and 1080 lines. The sizesizesize of the pixel depends on the predicted distance of viewing the screenscreenscreen and it decreases with this distance. Pixel density depends on the size of the pixel. It amounts to 90 ppi for LCD monitors and to 300 ppi for smartphones. The matrix resolution of digital cameras is expressed in megapixels.

The relationship between matrix resolution and image size

Matrix resolution

Image size

2 megapixels

1600 x 1200

3 megapixels

2048 x 1536

4 megapixels

2272 x 1740

5 megapixels

2592 x 1944

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nagranie abstraktu

The number of dots per inch (approximately 2.5 cm) is a measure used for specifying the resolutionresolutionresolution of images generated by printing devices. For instance, the resolution 600 dpi indicates that 600 printed dots are placed in a line within the span of 1 inch of an image.

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Ilustracja interaktywna przedstawia napis dpi. Na ilustracji pod literami widoczne są numery, a na nich podpisy. 1. dots {audio}, 2. per {audio}, 3. inch {audio}
The unit of the resolution of a printed image.
Source: GroMar, licencja: CC BY 3.0.
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nagranie abstraktu

Changing the sizesizesize of an image is connected with the issue of maintaining its quality. Resolution and bitmap size depend on the parameters of a device which is the source of the image. The number of dots containing the information about the image is fixed. Changing the image size entails the change in its resolution. Increasing the size leads to decreasing its resolution, while decreasing the image size results in increasing its resolution.

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Source: GroMar, licencja: CC BY 3.0.
Important!
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nagranie abstraktu

Memorise! 1 inch = 2.54 cm.

Task 1
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nagranie abstraktu

Imagine that you want to print a 13 cm x 9 cm picture enlarged two times on a printer of the resolutionresolutionresolution of  600 dpi. Calculate the resolution at which the image must be scanned.

Task 2
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nagranie abstraktu

Download the prepared image. Check how much disc space it takes up. Change the resolution of the image according to the following purposes and check how its size changes.

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zdjęcie do pobrania do zadnia
Source: GroMar Sp. z o.o., licencja: CC BY 3.0.

Purpose

Resolution

Size

printing of a photograph

300 dpi

medium quality printing

image to be displayed on the screen

large format printing

Task 3
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nagranie abstraktu

Download the included file and prepare it for printing in the 10 cm x 15 cm format. Apart from changing the resolution of the image, you must also crop it.

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Zdjęcie do pobrania do zadania
Source: GroMar Sp. z o.o., licencja: CC BY 3.0.
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nagranie abstraktu

Image resolutionresolutionresolution is an important parameter affecting its quality. It is connected with the number of pixels in the case of an image displayeddisplayeddisplayed on the screenscreenscreen or with the number of dots per the unit of length in the case of a printed image. It should be selected depending on the purpose of the image. Image editors enable to change image resolution.

Exercises

Exercise 1
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Wersja alternatywna ćwiczenia: The higher the resolution of an image: Możliwe odpowiedzi: 1. the higher image quality, 2. the larger file size, 3. the lower image quality, 4. the smaller file size
zadanie
Source: GroMar, licencja: CC BY 3.0.
Exercise 2

Prepare 10 images which you can use to create a gallery to be placed on a web site. You can download them from the internet (remember to conform to copyright). The size of each image should be 150 px by 100 px and their resolution – 72 ppi.

Exercise 3

Explain in English why changing the size of a bitmap image decreases its quality.

Exercise 4
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Wersja alternatywna ćwiczenia: Indicate which pairs of expressions or words are translated correctly. Możliwe odpowiedzi: 1. rozdzielczość - resolution, 2. piksel - pixel, 3. ekran - screen, 4. wydruk - printout, 5. obraz bitmapowy - matrix, 6. rozmiar - large format printing
zadanie
Source: GroMar, licencja: CC BY 3.0.
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Interaktywna gra, polegająca na łączeniu wyrazów w pary w ciągu jednej minuty. Czas zaczyna upływać wraz z rozpoczęciem gry. Jeden ruch to odkrywanie najpierw jednej potem drugiej karty z wyrazem. Każdy wyraz jest odczytywany. Kolejny ruch to odkrywanie trzeciej i czwartej karty. W ten sposób odsłuchasz wszystkie wyrazy. Nawigacja z poziomu klawiatury za pomocą strzałek, odsłuchiwanie wyrazów enterem lub spacją. Znajdź wszystkie pary wyrazów.
Source: Zespół autorski Politechniki Łódzkiej, licencja: CC BY 3.0.

Glossary

bitmap image
bitmap image

obraz bitmapowy

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wymowa w języku angielskim: bitmap image
displayed
displayed

wyświetlany

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wymowa w języku angielskim: displayed
large format printing
large format printing

druk wielkoformatowy

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wymowa w języku angielskim: large format printing
matrix
matrix

matryca

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wymowa w języku angielskim: matrix
pixel
pixel

piksel

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wymowa w języku angielskim: pixel
printout
printout

wydruk

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wymowa w języku angielskim: printout
resolution
resolution

rozdzielczość

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wymowa w języku angielskim: resolution
screen
screen

ekran

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wymowa w języku angielskim: screen
size
size

rozmiar

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wymowa w języku angielskim: size

Keywords

pixelpixelpixel

printoutprintoutprintout

resolutionresolutionresolution

screenscreenscreen