How come dlow resolution images look so good on monitors?

[wumply]

I've searched the net but have found no answer.

General Information

My monitor is CRT, 15" and is set at 800 x 600. And I just called up a picture which I set at 100% if I display it in Corel PhotoPaint (and which, according to Corel PhotoPaint...like PhotoShop) is, in the Resample window, 7.6" (550 pixels) wide by 5" (362 pixels) high and on my monitor is 8" wide by 5.25" high (I measured it with a ruler.) The Resample Window gives the height and width resolution dpi at 72 for both.

Now the image very nice and clear on my monitor. But I have read over and over that to get a good sharp print of a picture made for monitor/web display I would need it to have many, many more pixels, I guess because printer dots are smaller than monitor pixels.

OK, but I'm not worried about the why of needing more pixels for a good quality large print.

What I do want to know is this: why can this low resolution image of mine look so good on my monitor...what is happening that makes that possible? Can someone help?

And are there any sites that address or are likely to address this question?

wumply

[MSNwar]

Not sure I understand the question. Do you mean why it looks good on the monitor compared to the printed image? Well, the monitor image is digitized and the pixels are displayed per inch on the screen. The printed image is not digitized and uses a larger dot per inch area. The more pixels per inch that can be displayed or printed within the foot print (inch) the better the quality.

Keep in mind that even though the images are low in format your best results are achieved with the best of technology. Think about the common cell phone screen as it also uses 72 dpi just as almost all monitors when set to that mode. Take the same image and view it on both the cell phone screen and a 17" monitor. The cell phone image will appear to the eye as a chunky image yet on the monitor it will appear finer with smoother edges.

Search the net for Alfred Poore contributing editor of PC Magazine and his monitor articles. I think he is the expert of experts with monitor technology.

Hope this helps.

[FastGame]

MSNwar :thumbup:

wumply here's a good Article (http://www.sphoto.com/homedd/pixels&monitor.html) thats easy to understand, covers monitors, printing and photos.

[MSNwar]

Brudda FastGame :D

Hows it Brudda :cool:

[rik]

Great article FG.

[Reverend]

moved to Hardware