ricib, I think your photographer was meaning LPI or lines per inch. This is the Screening Resolution.
This refers to the dots in the screen used in the photographic process when making the printing plates for offset litho printing.
The image is projected through this screen and onto a sensitised plate.
This resolution would be used for glossy magazine printing.
Newspaper printing uses a lower setting, this is a coarser screen.
That's why newspapers pictures are grainy.
Try looking closely (with a magnifier if possible) at the difference between a newspaper image and one from a classy fashion magazine.
A formula: LPI X 2.5 X scale factor = optimal quality image resolution.
So an image being printed at original size would be:
175 X 2.5 X 1 = 437 dpi Original Image Resolution.
If it was to be scaled to double size:
175 X 2.5 x 2 = 875 dpi Original Image Resolution.
For everyday printing on an inkjet or digital printing there is no screen involved. Instead the image is *RIPPED* by the printer software and acceptable prints can be had from 250 - 300 dpi image files.
*(RIP - Raster Image Processor)
Complicated init?
Al.