4 Simple Ways to Find the DPI of an Image on a Computer

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A user-friendly guide to finding the DPI of a picture or photo on a computer

Co-authored by Rain Kengly Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: September 22, 2024 Fact Checked

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Properties Menu (Windows)

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File Explorer (Windows)

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Microsoft Paint (Windows)

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Preview (Mac)

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Video

DPI stands for Dots Per Inch, and it's important if you're looking to print an image. You'll need to make sure the DPI is high enough for the printed product comes out as clear as possible. Luckily, this can be checked in a few simple steps. This wikiHow will show you how to check the DPI resolution of an image using your Windows or Mac computer.

Things You Should Know

On Windows, right-click the image and click "Properties." Click the "Details" tab and find the DPI underneath the "Image" header.
Alternatively, open the image in Microsoft Paint. Click "File" and then "Properties." Find "Resolution."
On Mac, open the image in "Preview." Click "Tools" and then "Show Inspector." Find the "Image DPI."

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Using Properties Menu (Windows)

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If the image is in your Pictures folder, use the File Explorer to navigate there now.
2
Right-click the image and click Properties. This will be at the very bottom of the pop-up menu.
- A new window will open.
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This is the tab at the top, between Security and Previous Versions.
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View the DPI. Scroll down to the Image header. You'll find the DPI next to Horizontal resolution and Vertical resolution.
- If you need to change the DPI, you'll need to use a program such as Adobe Photoshop to convert and/or resize it.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using the File Explorer (Windows)

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Click the Start menu and click the folder icon, or press the Windows key + E.
This is the tab at the top, next to Share.
If this isn't already selected, the files will be shown in list format.
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Right-click the column headers and click More…. In most cases, you'll already have the column headers: Name, Date, and Type.^{[1]
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- A pop-up window will open.
You'll need to scroll down to find these options. Check the box next to both options and then click OK to add them as column headers in the File Explorer.
You should see the DPI immediately underneath the "Horizontal resolution" and "Vertical resolution" headers.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using Microsoft Paint (Windows)

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A pop-up menu will open.
2
Hover over Open with and click Paint. This can be found in your list of applications. If you don't have this program, you can easily download it from the Microsoft Store.
- The image will open in Microsoft Paint.
This will be at the top-left corner.
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Click Properties. You can find this towards the bottom of the menu, next to the checkmark icon.
- A new window will open.
You'll see the image's DPI next to Resolution.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Using Preview (Mac)

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Navigate to the image and right-click it. You can use the Finder to locate the file.
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Select Open With, and then click Preview. This program comes pre-built into Mac devices.
- The image will open in Preview.
This is the tab at the top.
A new panel will open.
You can find the DPI next to Image DPI.