To understand image resolution and quality, you'll want to be familiar with some of the common terms:
- Resolution is the overall number of pixels in your image, ie 2000 x 1333px.
- Quality is the amount of compression added when exporting a JPG (PNG is lossless).
- File size is the actual size of the image that's being saved, usually in kilobytes (KB) or megabytes (MB).
- DPI (dots per inch) is the pixel density/print quality of an image and you generally don't need to worry about it unless you are printing.
BeFunky Plus users can save at a maximum of 4088x4088 pixels. Basic users can save at 2500x2500 px.
Resolution
Resolution refers to how big your image is in relation to the screen you are viewing it on. It's measured in pixels. For example, a 2000px x 1333px image is 2000 pixels tall and 1333 pixels wide.
File Size & Image Quality
A pixel stores an image's information. And the more information, the bigger the file. So the higher the pixel count/resolution, generally the larger the file size.
If you're saving a JPG, there's another factor in file size - compression. Compression changes an image to carry less information per pixel. JPGs are considered 'lossy' file types, and every time you save you will add more compression to the image. PNG images are lossless, but are better suited for graphics, texts, or logos where precision clarity is important.
When you save as a JPG you can adjust the amount amount of compression with the Quality slider. The preview of the image on the Save panel will show the results of that adjustment.
With Quality at the highest setting, no compression is occurring. As you move the Quality slider down, your image is compressed to carry less information per pixel, and thus reduce the file size.
Many services (e.g. Facebook, Instagram) will automatically compress large images to optimize loading. In that case, it's best to start with an image at the highest quality.
Resizing Your Image
If you make need to make an image smaller, you can do that by cropping or resizing. This will reduce the number of pixels.
Traditional scaling up of photos effectively multiplies the existing pixels to make your image bigger. You can try this with Resize but this will often give an unclear/blurry result. Instead, you might want to check out the Upscale and Expand tools. They both use AI to intelligently add more pixels to your image, for stunning results.
A.I. tools are only available for BeFunky Plus subscribers. Upgrade your subscription here!
Notes about DPI
- DPI is not saved when exporting as PNG.
- The DPI for exported photos will be the same as the DPI of the original image. This can be up to 300 DPI in the Photo Editor.
- Printers can be set to override DPI in the metadata of an image and print at a higher DPI than saved.
For more information, please see Print Quality & DPI.