Printing and Exporting Figures with MATLAB    

Default Resolution and When You Can Change It

The default resolution depends on the renderer used and the format or driver specified. See the "Default Resolution" column of the table below.

The following table summarizes the default resolutions, whether you can change them, and how you can change them.

Resolutions of Printer Drivers and Export Formats
Printer Driver or Format
 Default Resolution
 Can Be Changed?
 How to Change
Built-in MATLAB export formats, except for EMF and ILL
 150 (always use OpenGL or Z-buffer)
 Yes
 print command
Built-in MATLAB Windows and PostScript printer drivers
 150 dpi, if OpenGL or Z-buffer;
864 dpi if Painter's
 Yes
 User interface or print command. For Windows drivers, you must use the user interface.
EMF export format (Enhanced Metafile)
 150 dpi
 Yes
 print command
EPS (Encapsulated PostScript)
 150 dpi, if OpenGL or Z-buffer;
864 dpi if Painter's
 Yes
 print command
Ghostscript export formats
 72 (always uses OpenGL or Z-buffer)
 No
 N/A
Ghostscript printer drivers
 150 dpi, if OpenGL or Z-buffer
864 dpi if Painter's
 Yes
 print command
HPGL printer driver
 1116 dpi (always uses Painter's)
 Yes
 User interface or print command
ILL export format (Adobe Illustrator)
 72 dpi (always uses Painter's)
 No
 N/A

See the first column of Format-Specific Options to see which formats are built-in MATLAB and which are Ghostscript.


 Setting Resolution Choosing a Setting