dots per inch

Definition: Measure of resolution of device as density or frequency of points or dots which can be addressed or referred to by the device. * E.g. an ink-jet printer capable of 2000 dots per inch can lay up to 2000 dots of ink per linear inch.
Confusion per inch
Do not confuse this with the actual output resolution of printer which will always be smaller than dpi because each of the half-tone dots must be used in groups to simulate variation in tone i.e. to create the half-tone cell. Actual output resolution, given a 2000dpi printer, may be equivalent to a screen frequency of a modest 120 or so lines per inch. Note, that to add to the confusion, dpi is at times used, inaccurately, as if equivalent to lpi (lines per inch).

Related Terms: lpi, ppi

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