low resolution an all modes

including RAW (72 dpi) after downloading to computer and saving. I just bought a Canon 40D, this is my first advanced camera so I'm sure there's something I'm doing wrong.

Alex

72 dpi is a figure assigned to the picture by the software you're using. That's because low-end monitor screens are 72 dpi.

It means nothing with regard to your pictures. Ignore it...

-js

Ignore it. It's just a number. The resolution is determined by the number of pixels. The 72 dpi is only relevant if/when you want to print an image, but (a) most printers will ignore it and let you print at whatever size you like, and (b) you can easily change it anyway without affecting your image.

yup, even if you send it to the lab for printing, they'll ignore the embedded 72 dpi setting.

Hmmmm. I'm not at all sure that the 72 dpi is embedded. Isn't it assigned by the image editor in use?

When I look with Zoombrowser, File Viewer or DPP (all Canon software) I don't see any such number in the EXIF. When I look with Paint Shop Pro XI it's 180 dpi. Which, BTW, is a preferences setting in PSP.

-js

Some editors will insert a default 72 DPI tag if the DPI of an image isn't defined.... For Canon cameras, I think the DPI tag is inserted in the images by the camera.. If you do nothing to an image and view the properties under windows, the 72 DPI will appear... Also, my old 10D was tagging the images as 180 DPI and everything I opened them with showed 180 DPI.

But back to the original question.... Notice that no digital camera makers put the image DPI in their camera specifications. This is because it's essentially meaningless parameter.

I'm not sure there's a difference but I meant to say ppi and not dpi.

When I shoot in RAW it's now showing up as 240ppi on the RAW screen as well as the Photoshop screen.

When I'm not shooting in RAW it shows as 72ppi, if that's normal should I just raise it to 300ppi in the Photoshop "image size" window for printing a photo?

Low resolution in all modes

I posted this question yesterday but after deleting my cookies the question seems to have disappeared from the forums.

When I shoot in RAW it now does show as 240 ppi on the RAW screen as well as the Photoshop screen but when I shoot in JPEG it still shows as 72ppi on Photoshop.

If thats normal should I just raise it to 300ppi on the photoshop "image size" screen for printing a photo?

Those numbers mean nothing until you're ready to output to a printing device. Just ignore them.

If you do a search on the forums you'll find many, many, many threads discussing DPI.

Mark

The DPI of an image is the picture size not the resolution... A 1000 pixel wide image printed at 100 DPI is 10 inches wide.

Alex Mar wrote in post #4111734
should I just raise it to 300ppi in the Photoshop "image size" window for printing a photo?

It. Doesn't. Matter.

A photo is always resized to fit whatever it's going to be printed or displayed on. You have a certain number of pixels in the photo. The print or display size is a certain number of inches. When you divide the two you'll get the number of pixels per inch for that particular print or display.

The number that you see in Photoshop is of no concern at all for ordinary photo work. It is only of interest for those doing graphic designs—magazine advertisements, etc., and perhaps for those working with scanned documents.

Just quit worrying about it. That number is irrelevant to the photographer, and other photo editors don't even bother to show it.

I do want to output to a printing device (sending it out, not printing it myself) so what I'm asking is should I raise the ppi in the image size window or will the person that prints my photo take care of that?

Forget about it. The print lab will resize your image according to the size of the print you order. Just send them the full image left after cropping for print proportions and/or aesthetic reasons.