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A
Anonymous
March 26, 2012
Question

How to view resolution (ppi/dpi) and bit depth of an image

  • March 26, 2012
  • 6 replies
  • 80913 views

Hello,

how can I check the native resolution (ppi/dpi) and bit depth of my image files (jpeg, dng and pef)?

If it is not possible in lighroom, is there a free app for Mac that makes this possible?

Thank you in advance!

6 replies

Rikk Flohr_Photography
Community Manager
Rikk Flohr_PhotographyCommunity Manager
Community Manager
January 20, 2023

Additionally, you can preview PPI in the Print Module calculated for the Paper Size and printable dimensions:

Rikk Flohr: Adobe Photography Org
    I
    ilanl81914590
    Participant
    January 19, 2023

    Definitivamente seria una excelente utilidad para Lightroom, el poder ver los PPI/DPI de cada foto. Especialmente en mi caso, que trabajpo en el area editorial y constantemente hay que negociar entre el tamano para imprimir la foto en un libro y su resolucion. En este momento tengo que asistirme en ese particular con Bridge, pero, repito, deberian incluir esta utilidad en la siguiente actualizacion, o que algun experto desarrollara un plugin.

    Per Berntsen
    Community Expert
    Per BerntsenCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    January 19, 2023
    quote

    It would definitely be an excellent utility for Lightroom, to be able to see the PPI / DPI of each photo. Especially in my case, I work in the editorial area and constantly have to negotiate between the size to print the photo in a book and its resolution. At this point I have to assist myself in that particular with Bridge, but, I repeat, they should include this utility in the next update, or that some expert develops a plugin.

     

    PPI is meaningless without the pixel dimensions.

    LrC does display the pixel dimensions in the Metadata panel, and you can easily figure out at what size an image can be printed at any PPi value.

    Pixel dimensions divided by PPi value = Printed dimensions in inches.

     

    A
    Anonymous
    July 24, 2016

    All you have to do is open any image in Photoshop. Click File > File Info > Camera Data and it should show you Image Size, Resolution, and Orientation. Format (jpeg, raw) can be found under File > File Info > Basic at the very bottom!

    A
    Anonymous
    March 27, 2012

    Thank you for responding so quickly!

    The reason for wanting to view bit depth and dpi/ppi in Lr4 is, quite simply, curiosity. I'm new to post processing and I want to learn to understand the effects of specific attributes.

    DPI/PPI:

    Thanks to your clear and concise explanations, I can forget that attribute for now.

    What got me thinking originally was the fact that, according to the Preview app on Mac, RAW-files are 72ppi while JPEGS with identical dimensions from the same camera are 300ppi. This seemed rather odd to me, and still does. I guess it means that by default (based either on default settings of Mac Os or the camera) RAW files are viewed (at 100%, in Mac Os) and printed (if based on dpi) in a larger physical size than JPEGs with identical dimensions.

    Bit depth:

    I have used several different cameras, which probably have different native bit depths. I assume that Lr converts all RAW files to 16 bits, but the original/native bit depth still affects the quality, right? Therefore, it would be nice to be able to check the native bit depth of an image and e.g. compare it to an image with a different native bit depth.

    Checking the native bit depth in Lr would be the most convenient option. Furthermore, I already tried the Preview app, and it reported RAW bit depth as 16 despite the fact that my camera is only 14 bit. Hence Preview doesn't seem to be capable of reporting the native bit depth.

    So, do you know if it is possible to view native bit depth in Lr4 or elsewhere?

    Thank you in advance!

    D
    dj_paige
    Legend
    March 27, 2012

    Jep Jepjep wrote:

    I guess it means that by default (based either on default settings of Mac Os or the camera) RAW files are viewed (at 100%, in Mac Os) and printed (if based on dpi) in a larger physical size than JPEGs with identical dimensions.

    It doesn't mean anything like that. The PPI that shows up when the photo moves out of the camera and into some piece of software is completely and totally meaningless. If you are trying to interpret its meaning (as you did above), you will wind up with the wrong conclusion.

    Regarding bit depth, Lightroom will show you the camera used for each photo. From there, you should know what bit depth is used. I can't imagine why you'd want to know this, how it fits into any workflow, but there it is.

    S
    Scooby007
    Participating Frequently
    March 27, 2012

    Paige... It doesn't mean anything like that. The PPI that shows up when the photo moves out of the camera and into some piece of software is completely and totally meaningless.

    It's perfectly relevant if you're placing jpeg captures directly into InDesign, as size on page will change.

    OP... How to view resolution (ppi/dpi)

    It's best not to think of ppi and dpi as interhangeable concepts like that. PPI is how densely a piece of software says the pixels in a file should be for some eventual end use, aka printing or page layout (since it has no effect on screen dislpay). You could use DPI that way if you really want, but DPI is better reserved for talking about how many dots a printer lays down. You could never say a printer is 600ppi, so overall the two terms are not interchangeable.

      web-weaver
      web-weaver
      Inspiring
      March 26, 2012

      Jep Jepjep,

      You ask: "how can I check the native resolution (ppi/dpi) and bit depth of my image files (jpeg, dng and pef)?"

      There is no such thing as a native res of an image. An image has a certain pixel dimension, let's say 2000 x 3000.

      If you print this at a size of 6.66" x 10" you get a resolution of 300 ppi/dpi . If you print a size of 10" x 15" you get a resolution of 200 ppi/dpi.

      That means the resolution in ppi/dpi is the result of the calculation of total pixel dimension divided by desired output size.

      Thus ppi/dpi is always dependant on your desired output size and is not "native" to an image.

      Native to an image is only the pixel dimension that is determined by your camera's sensor.

      D
      dj_paige
      Legend
      March 26, 2012

      Native resolution is somewhat meaningless, and pointless to check. It doesn't matter what the number is, as it doesn't affect anything you do. When you go to print, then you might want to compute the resolution, but other than that, don't waste your time.

      The bit depth of JPGs is always 8, so why do you need to spend time to check that?

      The bit depth in Lightroom of RAW and DNG is always 16, so why do you need to spend time to check that?

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