Resolution

Resolution describes how many pixels make up a digital image, written as width × height. For a render it sets how much fine detail the picture can hold: joints in a facade, the bars of a distant railing or the weave of a fabric only read clearly when there are enough pixels to draw them.

How it affects render time

Render time grows roughly with pixel count. Double both the width and the height and you have four times as many pixels, with render time rising in a similar way. That is why lighting and material tests are run small, and the final image is rendered large once the scene is settled. Noise is less visible at high resolution, yet a clean result still needs enough sampling.

Resolution for screen and print

For images shown on screen, the target is the pixel size of the display they will be seen on. For print, multiply the size in inches by the dpi you need; a large poster or a construction site hoarding quickly demands a very high pixel count. Decide the aspect ratio at the start, because cropping later breaks the composition. AI upscalers can help a little, but only the render itself produces real detail. We also look at how resolution affects workload in our article on what sets rendering costs.