Render higher than 72 dpi?

[Selvander]

I'm using 3D studio Max 3(yepp, old!) and want to render pictures on some piece of furniture that should be published in a magazine. Then I want to render pictures that have a resolution higher than 72 Dpi, but how?

 

Have I missed someting essential in the rendering options?

[rivoli]

dpi is something completely irrilevant to max, it only applies for printing. 72 dpi is the default settings applyed by photoshop (for example) when it opens a file without dpi informations. what you need to know is the actual print size, then you will find out how many pixels are needed to get, say, 300 dpi (which means dots per inch).

you might want to check this thread (which provides very useful informations about printing and dpi/pixels stuff).

 

(edit: forgot the link)

http://www.cgarchitect.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5759

[mbr]

The amount of pixels will stay the same, but the dimension, in inches (or whatever) will change.

 

For example:

 

Say we want to print a 4 x 3 inch at 300 dpi. This is really 1200x900 pixels.

So in max, you put 1200 pixels wide (make sure to lock the ratio) and it will render it. When you open it in photoshop, it will be something like 16.667 inches wide at 72 dpi.

 

Simply change the image size to 4x3 at 300 dpi. The 1200x900 pixel dimension will remain exactly the same. So, what you are doing, is making the pixels smaller, but there is still the same total amount, just more per square inch. Make any sense?

 

You want to keep the PIXEL dimension the same, just adjust the INCHES dimension and the DPI. You aren't really 'changing' anything as far as the computer sees it, just changing dimensions. That's why Max only renders at 72 dpi (although I'd agree it's a pain - FormZ, which I use sometimes, has a nice way of specificy various resolutions - like 4x3 at 300 dpi and that's what it will open as in PS).

 

 

 

Do a search for resolution. Jeff wrote an extensive article about it a while back.

[mbr]

Oh, and the resolution of your monitor is 72 dpi, if you are wondering where it comes from. All websites and images put on the web should be 72 dpi (and compressed).

[Selvander]

Thanks all, your answers will be very useful.