OK heres the problem ....trying to render a 1015 image ....recently found out about not using a 72DPI so im trying to use a higher one ....now here is the issue.....when i go to a higher DPI such as 300 one of two things happens either P5 throws a fit and locks up which just requires me to restart teh puter ....in the rare case i can render this is where i guess my real problem comes in ....now im using the P4 render cuz the firefly thing takes forever....but what i am noticing is if i render at about 1015 at 300 dpi .....when i open it in photoshop its drastically smaller....why is it doing that ...shouldnt my render be at 10*15 at 300 if i render at that ....any ideas of what to do ......cuz im roylally flustered and about to scream.

Just clarifying :)

Photoshop is likely operating in a higher dpi space than 300.

I've never worried about dpi when doing a 3d render. If I want something that will be ten inches square at 300 dpi, I'll render it 3000 x 3000 pixels. I could care less if Poser says it's 72, 300 or whatever. I've been using Poser for quite a while, and I think I've never changed it from it's default 72. However, once I go to Photoshop and get ready to print, I'll make sure everything is set right in that program.

Well 72 is fine for just web work but i really want to do prints ive had people ask ...like i said i just need to nkow why the pixel dimensions change from what i enter in poser ...and it only does that when i do a higher dpi in poser ...if anyone else has any idea let me know ...

I'll try to explain better, as my last post maybe didn't make sense. "Poser" is a 3d program. You don't print anything from there. It's always been quirky with dpi. But the thing is, it doesn't matter there (within Poser, that is). The only place it really matters is how your file is set up in the program that you use to print, whether it's Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, or something else. There is the place where you want to make sure it's set up right. So... within Poser, if you render something 2000x3000, it's going to be 2000x3000 no matter what dpi Poser says it is. You can open the image you render in Photoshop (or wherever) and set the dpi there when you get it ready for printing. In other words, I plan ahead for a print. If I want something to print at 300 dpi, and I want it to be 8x10 inches in size, I make sure the render is 2400x3000. I pay no attention to what dpi Poser says it is. But when I open it in Photoshop, I make sure that it's set to print at 300 dpi. When I do that, it automatically tells me it will print at 8x10 inches. Hope that helps clear things up. Good luck.

Ok i understand but then if it makes no difference why does poser give you the option of resolution.....cuz if im understanding you you set it up in photoshoop.....but correct me if im wrong but if i bring in a low res pic into a high res file ....lets say a scan of a image done at 72DPI in to a new picture im creating at 300dpi ...the 72 one will look like fuzzy still as you cant up a resolution thats already been set ....

Will is right, and that is the way things work.

You can up the resolution in Photoshop, but either you'll have to increase file size and get it all fuzzy (not because you're increasing the resolution, but because you're increasing the amount of pixels, and as such, blowing up the image) or decrease image size and get it at the right res. i.e. a 3000x1500 pixels image at 100dpi will print at 30"x15", if you just increase the resolution to 300dpi it will print at 10"x5", or you can increase both the res and the size to 9000x4500 to get it to print at 30"x15" at 300dpi, but then it will look fuzzy because of the interpolation necessary to increase the number of pixels.

If Photoshop is enlarging and blurring the image when you bring in a low res image, then you have a problem; what it normally does to me is just place the image at the size appropriate to its pixel size.

Keep in mind that no matter what anybody tells you, screens work in pixels: dpi and lpi are printing options, and as such, can be changed on the final image, one way or another. What you can't change is the actual pixel size, not without doing some sort of interpolation -or using a special filter, and that's a whole different kettle of fish- and that's when you start loosing image quality.

As for why Poser has the option, the reason is, to catter to people printing straight from Poser, who would then need the resolution setting. If you're going to do any postwork at all, no matter how minimal it is, on a graphics app, you can safely ignore the dpi settings and concentrate on just choosing the apropriate printing sizes.