Higher scanning resolutions will capture more detail during scanning, but the highest resolution possible is not always the best or most cost-effective way to go. To determine the best resolution for scanning, you must consider what is being scanned. Ideally, you want to capture every detail contained in a photograph or piece of film or on a slide. However, modern scanning equipment can capture more detail than some prints or films contain. Scanning beyond the detail contained in a given image only adds more data without any extra detail – and more cost. Prints typically contain no more than 600 DPI worth of detail, generally much less (150-300 DPI), so scanning at higher resolutions is not necessary. However, slides and negatives contain much more detail per square inch, and thus, need to be scanned at much higher resolution than prints. The amount of detail a slide or negative contains varies with the film type and film speed.