Calculators

PPI Calculator

Calculate your screen's pixel density (PPI / DPI). Enter your display diagonal and resolution. Free, runs in your browser.

Works for both PPI on screens and DPI for print workflows.

Calculator

PPI calculator

Enter screen size and resolution to calculate display density. Use the print section below for DPI conversion.

DPI calculator searches often mean print DPI, while PPI is the correct term for screens. This tool supports both.

Fill diagonal, width, and height to calculate screen density.

Display pixel density

Start with your screen diagonal and pixel resolution.

Tip: use the marketed screen diagonal and the native panel resolution, not scaled desktop resolution.

Enter screen values

Fill diagonal, width, and height to calculate screen density.

PPI

Classification

Pixel size

Common devices

Load a common device to compare its pixel density instantly.

iPhone 15 Pro

2556 × 11796.1in

PPI

461

Ultra-high mobile density

iPhone SE (2022)

1334 × 7504.7in

PPI

326

Retina-class density

iPad Air 11

2360 × 164010.86in

PPI

265

Sharp desktop-class density

MacBook Pro 14

3024 × 196414.2in

PPI

254

Sharp desktop-class density

24-inch 1080p Monitor

1920 × 108024in

PPI

92

Standard density

27-inch 4K Monitor

3840 × 216027in

PPI

163

Standard density

Galaxy S23

2340 × 10806.1in

PPI

422

Retina-class density
Fill image size and target print size to estimate print DPI.

For print

Use image dimensions and target print size to estimate print DPI.

Tip: enter final print size in inches for a standard DPI estimate.

Enter print values

Fill image size and target print size to estimate print DPI.

Print DPI

Print quality

Print width

Print height

PPI calculator modes

Screen PPI

Calculate display pixel density from screen diagonal and resolution.

Device presets

Compare common phones, tablets, laptops, and monitors without typing every value manually.

Print DPI

Estimate print dots per inch from image dimensions and physical output size.

How to use this PPI calculator

1. Start with the real panel size

Use the advertised screen diagonal and the native panel resolution, not a scaled operating-system value. That keeps the pixel density calculation honest.

2. Compare density, not just resolution

The same pixel dimensions can look much sharper on a smaller screen. PPI lets you compare phones, tablets, laptops, and monitors on a more useful basis.

3. Use the print section separately

When you need a physical output estimate, enter the image size and final print size in inches. That gives you a practical print DPI number without mixing it into the screen result.

How to use this PPI calculator

This PPI calculator is designed to answer the most common question about display sharpness: how densely packed are the pixels on a screen? To calculate that, you need the screen diagonal and the horizontal and vertical resolution. Once those three inputs are available, the tool can estimate how many pixels fit into each inch of the display. That gives you a more meaningful density metric than resolution alone, because 1920 by 1080 looks very different on a 24-inch monitor than it does on a much smaller phone screen. The same page also supports print-style DPI calculations below, because many users search for DPI calculator when they actually need a mix of screen density and print sizing help.

PPI vs DPI: what is the difference?

PPI means pixels per inch and usually describes displays. DPI means dots per inch and is more correct in printing contexts, where physical ink dots or printer output density matter. In real search behavior, though, users often mix the terms. Someone searching for a dpi calculator may mean print resolution, mouse sensitivity, or even screen pixel density. That is why this tool treats both concepts carefully instead of pretending the overlap does not exist. For screens, PPI is the right metric because it tells you how tightly the display packs pixels into the panel. For print, DPI is the better term because it refers to how much printed detail fits into each inch of the final output. The practical overlap is that both are density ideas, but the medium changes what is actually being measured.

What is Retina display PPI?

Retina display is Apple’s branding for screens whose pixel density is high enough that individual pixels become hard to distinguish at a typical viewing distance. It is not one universal PPI threshold, because the required density depends on how far away the screen is from your eyes. A phone held close needs much higher density than a desktop monitor viewed from farther away. That is why a smartphone can need well over 300 PPI to feel Retina-class, while a larger display may still look sharp at a lower number in practical use. A PPI calculator helps give that context by turning raw resolution and screen size into a density figure you can actually compare across devices.

PPI for common screen sizes

The same resolution can feel dramatically different across devices because screen size changes the density. A 1080p image on a small phone can land in a very high PPI range, while the same pixel dimensions on a larger monitor feel far less dense. A 24-inch 1080p monitor often lands near the lower end of what many users consider comfortably sharp for everyday desktop work. A 27-inch 4K monitor jumps much higher. Phones regularly push into the 300-plus PPI range, while tablets and laptops vary more depending on price tier and intended use. That is why comparing devices by resolution alone is incomplete. Screen size has to be part of the calculation.

DPI for print: what you need for good quality

Print DPI matters because an image that looks fine on screen can still print poorly if the output size is too large. A low DPI print may look soft or visibly pixelated, especially for photos, product images, or detailed graphics. Around 150 DPI is often considered a lower acceptable threshold for casual viewing at normal distance, while 300 DPI is the usual target for quality print work. Higher values like 600 DPI can matter in specialized print workflows, but many everyday projects do not need that much detail. A print DPI calculator helps you estimate whether a given pixel file is enough for the physical size you want to print without guessing.

How to find your device's PPI

If you do not already know your device’s screen size and resolution, you can often find them on the manufacturer’s spec page, in a product listing, or in a trusted review. Once you have the diagonal and pixel dimensions, the calculator can do the rest. If you are comparing phones, tablets, laptops, and monitors, using the same PPI formula across all of them makes the comparison much cleaner than relying on marketing language alone. The exact viewing experience still depends on contrast, panel quality, scaling, and viewing distance, but pixel density is one of the most useful baseline numbers for comparing display sharpness objectively.

Related tools

FAQ

What is a PPI calculator?

A PPI calculator estimates display pixel density from screen size and resolution.

What is the difference between PPI and DPI?

PPI is mainly used for screens, while DPI is more correct for print output, even though users often mix the terms in search.

How do I calculate PPI?

Use the diagonal resolution formula: square root of width squared plus height squared, divided by screen diagonal.

Is 300 PPI good?

Yes. Around 300 PPI is already very sharp for many devices, especially phones and high-density displays.

What is Retina display?

Retina is Apple’s label for displays dense enough that pixels are hard to notice at normal viewing distance.

Can this also work as a DPI calculator?

Yes. The page includes a print DPI section because many users need both screen density and print resolution guidance.

What print DPI is good enough?

Around 300 DPI is the usual quality target for print, while 150 DPI is often a lower acceptable threshold for less demanding output.

Why does the same resolution look different on two screens?

Because screen size changes pixel density. The same resolution spread across a larger panel produces lower PPI.