Image Resolution Question 150dpi vs 300dpi in Final Layout

In the final offset color printing of a file, does it make a difference if the images in the document are 150 dpi or 300 dpi? I know they shouldn't be less than 150, but does making them higher dpi make them really better? Or does it just make the file larger? If you think it does make the image better, please let me know why. I'd be particulary interested to hear from someone who works with a printing house. Or if there is something on Adobe's website addressing this issue, please add the link.
Thank you,
Marilyn

Yes, it does make a difference.
These numbers do not come out of the blue. A typical laser photosetter has an output resolution of 2400 dpi [*]. Each of the halftone dots that make up halftone images can be one of 256 values of gray (a hardcoded PostScript limitation). That would make the absolute minimum size of each dot 16 x 16 output pixels. 2400 divided by 16 is 150, hence, you can fit 150 complete halftone dots across an inch.
However, the calculated position of the halftone dots does not take the actual photosetter halftone position in account (your image may not start at exactly the internal start of a halftone dot). Each of your single dots may be broken into two because they may not be "aligned" with the dots the output device produces. So, on every relatively sharp color boundary of two input pixels (which are output as exactly 2 output halftone dots), the color of this dot will be rounded to both the left and right input pixel (and upper and lower one).
Doubling the input resolution means than more than a single input pixel is taken into account per halftone dot (of which at least one will be entirely inside the dot), smoothing things out.
There is also an upper limit on which it will not matter anymore whether you throw in more input pixels per halftone dot -- the typical upper useful value used by InDesign and Distiller is 450 dpi -- images above this are downsampled to 300 dpi, so (apparently) the difference between 300 and 450 dpi is neglectable.
[*] Modern machines may advertise a higher resolution, even upwards of 3000 dpi, but it's at the operators discretion to switch back to a lower rez to save time and memory -- and no skilled operator will (or should) go below 2400 dpi for halftone images.

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