Thank you! But yea I know the difference between Raster and Vector images. It’s just I cannot change the ppi I can only change the dpi in Inkscape which is the software I’m using. Idk if that makes a difference
Oh yeah, sorry. You mentioned that in your title.
Why are you exporting to SVG? Is this for the web or other digital use? SVG isn’t a good format for print. It’s great for online, because the files are small and browsers support it, but there are significant limitations in the format given that it’s, in some ways, sort of a dumbed-down format. Many features that InkScape or Illustrator support just won’t translate into SVG. The more complicated the image becomes, for example, the higher the chances are that SVG won’t handle it.
As for exporting to png, the resolution doesn’t matter. Instead, it’s the pixel dimensions that count. I don’t use InkScape, so I’m unsure of its features and limitations. However, exporting a PNG directly from a vector app isn’t the best workflow since they’re not raster apps.
I’ll typically open the vector file directly in Photoshop (which it sounds like you might not be using), then scale it there to the right ppi.
Standard for web would be 72 PPI or in inksvape case it is referring it as dpi.
You then need to make sure it’s the right size for what you want.
It might need to be 100 px wide by 100 px height
That’s your output size at 72 dpi.
If you did end up with 50w x 50h px at 72 PPI… You would be scaling that to 100 x100. Which means effectively the PPI would be lower because it scaled.
Ok I started doing it through gimp. It’s just sometimes my designs don’t look the same on Gimp as they do in inkscape. I also thought that in order to keep it from being blocky you had to do svg or pdf…export it as a vector?
Thank you!
You should really explain what you’re trying you do so we can give the best advice
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Sort of, but it’s a little misleading.
The file, when opened up in Photoshop or whatever, might say 72 ppi since it’s something of an old default parameter. But ppi isn’t really a valid unit of measure for online uses since there are no fixed measurements for digital use.
Everything online is measured in pixels. In other words, if the image needs to be 600x600 pixels, it makes no difference if that 600x600-pixel image is saved to 32ppi, 72ppi, 300ppi, or 1,000ppi — all that matters are the pixel dimensions.
But trying to keep it simple
Yeah, I never realize how complicated this stuff is until we need to explain it. 
It is sorta how it works for websites. If you have a 72 PPI image and put it larger it decreases the PPI.
Same in print. If you have a 300 PPI image and increase it, it loses ppi.
It’s rudimentary. I’ll give it that
I can see where you’re coming from in that enlarging an image (without upsampling) decreases its resolution. But unless you need to print out those images, the inches (or any other fixed unit of measurement) part of the measurement is totally meaningless.
PPI is sort of a conditional measurement but isn’t something inherent to the digital image itself. Instead, it’s a specification instructing the output device to squeeze the pixels together to a specified density when they’re output. In the absence of the image being output to a physical medium, the measurement doesn’t come into play.
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Right; the way I explain it is that resolution is the application of output (print) dimensions.
3000px X 3000px @ 300ppi = 10" x 10"
3000px X 3000px @ 150ppi = 20" x 20"
3000px X 3000px @ 72ppi = 41.667" x 41.667"
When the output is SCREEN, 1 image pixel = 1 screen pixel, so the ‘output dimensions’ are determined by the display resolution
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I’m only trying to export. But I do plan on selling some of my designs on Etsy. So that is why I needed to know.
Thank you that helps so much
If you need ppi, dpi for this, yer doing it wrong
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No, I never did, that’s why I was confused about it. But I am curious what format is better for tshirr printing?
It’s best to keep it in a vector format, but depending on the screen printer, they might not accept native Inkscape files. Can you save it to .ai (Illustrator) or, if that fails, .esp?
That said, it sounds like you’re something of a beginner, and not all vector images are suitable for printing. Are you familiar with spot colors (Pantone)? Or are you using RGB or CMYK? Are you using gradients or transparencies?
It depends on the method. Silk screeners will want spot colors (inks) separated to “plates” (screens) — vectors, ideally.
Online, on-merchandise printers typically print direct-to-garment (DTG), and have adopted high-resolution .png as their transparency-supporting raster image format of choice, but still here — vectors, if possible.
If you are printing DTG you can pretty much print anything you want.
However, if the t-shirt isn’t white, the art may have to be underspotted with white first, which can lead to production issues. It’s transparency and intricacy that is the issue there. Not so much vector/raster.
Ok thank you. I thought so but I wanted to be sure. It’s DTG.