Why 96
On the web, one inch is defined as 96 CSS pixels. Windows uses 96 DPI as its default screen scale, and Word and PowerPoint can use the DPI of a picture to decide how large it appears when you insert it.
A 960 pixel wide image at 96 DPI is exactly 10 inches wide on the page. At 72 DPI it would be 13.3 inches wide. This is why a picture can look huge in a document and then shrink when you change the value.
Does it matter on the web?
No. Browsers ignore the DPI value of an image and show each pixel as a pixel. 96 matters only when a document or print program reads it.
96 DPI against 72 DPI
Neither is better. Both are screen values. The difference is the printed size: the same pixels print 25 percent smaller in width and height at 96 DPI than at 72 DPI. For real printing, use 300 DPI.
Questions
- Is 96 DPI good for printing?
- No. It is a screen value. Use 300 DPI for print.
- Will 96 DPI change how my picture looks on a website?
- No. Browsers ignore the DPI value.
- Why does Word show my image at a different size?
- Word uses the DPI of the picture to pick its starting size. Change the DPI or resize the picture in the document.