Source: https://restorebunny.com/guides/best-dpi-to-scan-old-photos/ # Best DPI to Scan Old Photos: 300, 600, or 1200? A practical resolution guide for 4×6 prints, wallet photos, enlargements, restoration, and archival master files—with a free calculator. Scanning & preservation10 min readUpdated 11 October 2026 ## Try it on your own photo Have your scan ready? Repair a copy, then compare faces and details with the original. [Restore my photo]()1 credit per successful photo · Account required[See credit packs]() Quick answer ## The short version Use 600 DPI for most old family prints you may restore or enlarge. Use 300 DPI for same-size reproduction and easy sharing, and test 1200 DPI for wallet-size prints or unusually fine detail. Scan at true optical resolution, in colour, and keep an untouched lossless master. ## Do you have a physical print or just a digital file? A scanner DPI setting controls a new capture from a physical object. If your source is already a JPG from a phone or message, changing a DPI tag does not perform a new scan or recover extra source detail. Read its actual pixel dimensions first and calculate what remains after the intended crop. Use the [photo resolution checker]() for an existing file. Use the scan DPI calculator when planning a capture from a measured print. This avoids confusing a file's stored density tag with its usable pixels. ## Quick pixel comparison for a 4×6-inch print - 300 DPI: 1200×1800 pixels, or 2.16 megapixels. - 600 DPI: 2400×3600 pixels, or 8.64 megapixels. - 1200 DPI: 4800×7200 pixels, or 34.56 megapixels. - Doubling scan resolution quadruples pixel count. This arithmetic does not establish that the print contains four times as much real detail. ## The practical DPI guide - **300 DPI:** good for viewing, sharing, and printing at roughly the original physical size. - **600 DPI:** the best default for old family prints that may need restoration, cropping, or a moderate enlargement. - **1200 DPI:** worth testing for wallet photos, contact prints, small studio portraits, and genuinely fine surface detail. - **2400 DPI and above:** usually a film or specialist-capture setting, not a useful default for ordinary paper prints. ## DPI, pixels, and print size DPI describes how many samples the scanner takes across each inch of the physical print. A 6×4-inch photo scanned at 600 DPI becomes about 3600×2400 pixels, or 8.6 megapixels. The same print at 1200 DPI becomes 7200×4800 pixels and four times the pixel count. Use the [free photo scan DPI calculator]() to calculate dimensions and an approximate uncompressed file size before you scan a whole album. ## Work backwards from the print you want Suppose a 4×6-inch original needs to fill an 8×10-inch frame. At 300 scan DPI, the scan has 1200×1800 pixels; a fill crop leaves 1200×1500 pixels, or 150 PPI on the larger paper. At 600 scan DPI, the 2400×3600 capture leaves 2400×3000 pixels after that same crop, or 300 PPI. At 1200 scan DPI, the file gets larger again, but the original may not contain extra real detail. Crop requirements matter as much as scanning resolution. Use the [8×10 print calculator]() to compare filling the paper with keeping the whole photograph and borders. For other frames, the [print-size calculators]() show the required pixels and geometric crop before you scan or order. ## Settings for a restoration-ready master 1. Scan the complete print, including borders, rather than cropping in the scanner. 2. Use colour mode even for a black-and-white print so paper tone, stains, and annotations remain available. 3. Choose the scanner's true optical resolution; interpolated settings only manufacture extra pixels. 4. Turn off automatic sharpening, dust removal, colour restoration, and aggressive contrast for the master. 5. Save a lossless TIFF or PNG master, then make separate JPEG and restored copies. ## When more DPI does not add detail A higher number cannot overcome the limits of the original lens, film, paper, focus, or scanner optics. It may record paper texture and dust more precisely without revealing another eyelash or letter. Scan a meaningful crop at 600 and 1200 DPI, view both at the same physical size, and compare real edges such as hair, fabric weave, and printed lettering. If 1200 DPI adds only noise and file size, use 600. ## Common scanning mistakes - Scanning a black-and-white photograph in one-bit document mode - Saving the only copy as a heavily compressed JPEG - Using an automatic feeder for fragile, bent, or valuable prints - Closing a scanner lid onto an object that does not fit flat - Deleting the original scan after an edited version looks better ## Worked example: a wallet print needs a different decision A 2×3-inch print scanned at 300 DPI produces 600×900 pixels. At 600 DPI it produces 1200×1800; at 1200 DPI it produces 2400×3600. For an uncropped 4×6-inch copy at a 300 PPI comparison target, the 600-DPI scan meets the 1200×1800 requirement. For an uncropped 8×12 copy at that target, 1200 DPI meets the 2400×3600 arithmetic. Measure the image area you actually intend to print, especially if a wide border will be removed. These figures assume matching aspect ratios and no extra crop. Test whether the higher optical setting captures more real detail before choosing it for a whole collection. ## FAQs Is 600 DPI enough for old photos? For most 4×6, 5×7, and 8×10 family prints, 600 DPI gives ample pixels for restoration and moderate enlargement. When should I scan at 1200 DPI? Use 1200 DPI for very small prints, contact prints, or a source with genuinely fine detail. Run a small test because file size rises quickly and the print may not contain additional detail. Should black-and-white photos be scanned in colour? Yes. Colour mode preserves paper tone, stains, annotations, and subtle channel differences that can help later restoration. ## Sources Preservation and technical guidance reviewed for this article. - U.S. National Archives: [Digitizing Family Papers and Photographs]() - U.S. National Archives: [Digital Photographic Records]() ## Related - [Calculate wallet print requirements]() - [Check pixels in an existing photo file]() - [Compare two print sizes and their crops]() - [Calculate scanning for larger prints]() - [Check print pixels and cropping]() - [TIFF vs JPEG for scan masters]() - [Reduce glare before restoring]() - [Photo Scan DPI Calculator]() - [How to Scan Old Photos]() - [Digitize Photo Albums]() - [Best Results Guide]() ## Ready to restore your photos? Upload an image, choose your settings, and preview results with a before/after slider. [Restore my photo]()[View Pricing]() RestoreBunny Team Photo restoration editors Guides follow our [editorial policy]() for sourcing, product claims, AI limitations, updates, and corrections.