When choosing a scanner, one of the first specifications you may notice is the resolution, usually listed in DPI. But does a higher DPI always mean better scan quality? Not necessarily. What really matters is whether that number represents the scanner's true optical resolution and whether it matches what you plan to scan.

For everyday documents, photos, books, or archival materials, different scanning tasks require different resolutions. Understanding optical resolution can help you avoid paying attention to inflated numbers and choose settings that provide the right balance of image quality, scanning speed, and file size. In this guide, we'll explain what optical resolution means, how it works, how it differs from interpolated resolution, and how much you actually need for different scanning tasks.

Want to learn more about choosing the right scanner resolution? Read our complete guide to scanner optical resolution and find out how much you actually need.