Pixels, Dots, and Resolution
The terms pixel and dot are used interchangeably. Pixel is short for picture element (pix-el). It is a relative length unit that represents the smallest amount of information displayed on the screen as a single dot. Screen resolution is expressed in dots per inch (dpi), which is the number of dots—or pixels—the screen displays per linear inch.
The normal resolution on most systems is 96 dpi. Until recently, most computer hardware was not capable of producing higher resolution, but this is changing. Several hardware manufacturers, particularly manufacturers of laptop systems, are building systems capable of producing higher resolution. These systems will be available before the end of the year 2001.
Images become crisper and text more legible as dpi increases. Because computer screens have sharper pixels and support gray scale, the text on a 200 dpi monitor is as clear as the printout from a 600 dpi laser printer.
Note Screen resolution can also be expressed as the total number of pixels displayed horizontally and vertically—such as 640 by 480, 800 by 600, and 1024 by 768. For example, 640 by 480 means there are 640 pixels displayed horizontally and 480 pixels displayed vertically.
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