What is DPI in Packaging Printing? Most Brands Overlook This

• William Brooks
• Jul 18, 2025

Before sending images to packaging suppliers or designing from graphic designers, must read this blog post on DPI. Also, learn how you can ensure the quality printing for your customised packaging boxes with it. Continue reading!

What is DPI in Packaging Printing?

Dots per inch is the full abbreviation of DPI, used to measure the resolution of any image. DPI must be higher to attain a good resolution image with clean & accurate results. That is not the same in all cases because there are some limitations with high resolution images.

300 DPI is considered a good resolution for images on custom printed packaging boxes. There is a reason that most brands do not go above that. For even better results, some images are printed with a 600 DPI so it depends on various factors.

Is there Any Way to Determine Which DPI to Use?

It all depends on image type and print surface you will be using. Most of the brands use low resolution for marketing materials like broachers, customised stickers and hang tags. For high-end items packaging, you can go for 300 or more DPI.

For minimalistic designs, DPI of less than 300 is preferable. But when digital artwork is printed, there is a need of higher DPI because of higher resolution. So keep these things in your mind before finalising DPI in custom printed packaging solutions.

Factors Affecting Printing Quality

Some factors that greatly influence the printing quality of custom boxes. Whether you want to print luxury custom printed cosmetic boxes or customised apparel box packaging, you must have an idea of these factors before printing.

Paper & Ink Quality

After designing images, you have to ensure some things like ink and paper quality. Every printer comes with different capacity and this is the reason that images are different when you print images from different printers. So, you should keep in mind different things like paper, ink or printer type.

Viewing Distance

The closer you are to image; you could easily see major details you need to see. This is the ultimate reason why each image has different DPI resolution. In case of custom-printed packaging boxes, you need to use higher DPI because customers will be picking up and analysing them. They could easily read the fine print.

Size

The surface size of your printed design greatly affects the print quality. 150 to 300 DPI is best suitable for small products where there is a need of minimal packaging. On the other hand, when you need something larger, higher DPI is recommended like 300 or more than it.

Standards to Follow with DPI Packaging

With DPI packaging, there are no hard & fast standards that you should take into consideration but you need to maintain adequate DPI for better results. Most of the brands use 300 DPI for attaining higher resolution with clear, sharp and bright effects.

You can set as low as 150 DPI but not worth the image quality because of low resolution. For example, when you want to pack limited-edition products in custom rigid boxes, it is important to go with 300 DPI or higher if printer can support it. Printer type decided how good the image quality will be.

The sole purpose of custom packaging is to design quality Images and colours to grab customers’ attention. Before sending final design to packaging manufacturer or supplier, make sure that you choose the right DPI.

In Summary!

Perfect prints for packaging boxes enhance overall look and make your product packaging stand out in a crowded marketplace. The higher the DPI is; better the print quality will be, but this is not in all cases. Before designing packaging of any product, make sure you choose the right DPI. If coming up with right design looks difficult, let YBY Boxes UK know and we will help you with free design support. Contact us today to get a quote.