No, PPI and DPI are not the same. PPI and DPI are two terms that are very much related to each other. They both refer to density, but they are used to measure different kinds of elements. What is PPI: PPI stands for Pixel Per Inch. It refers to the size of a pixel or picture element. Pixels are the little squares that make up a screen or other electronic device. What is DPI: DPI stands for Dots Per Inch. It refers to the number of dots that make up a character or any kind of visual element. Dots are the little blobs of ink that make up a text.  Pixels and dots are two different things. Dots are tiny little points on a screen. A pixel is a small square in a computer image, which is made up of thousands of dots.