Need help resizing an image in PhotoShop...

[Midgardsormr]

The only thing you're doing wrong is clicking the wrong view button. If you view "Actual Pixels," or double-click the zoom tool, the image pixels will be matched 1:1 to your screen pixels. You have a 10 x 12 image at 300 dpi, so the actual pixel dimensions are 3000 x 3600, which is likely quite a bit bigger than your screen width. Even at full HD of 1920 x 1080, that image will be half again as wide as your screen.

If you view it at "Print Size," it will probably still be inaccurate because Photoshop doesn't know how big your screen is. Rule of thumb states that your screen is 72 ppi, but that's really sort of a meaningless number—the actual number can be calculated by measuring the width of your screen and dividing your horizontal resolution (the first number) by that width. So a 20" wide full HD screen is 96 ppi (1920 pixels / 20"). Note that the size of your monitor as given by the manufacturer is the diagonal measurement, and therefore longer than the width. You have to physically measure the width to get the right number. Not that that's helpful, because I don't know that you can tell Photoshop what your actual screen ppi is.

Bottom line: the print dimensions of your image typically have little to nothing to do with the size it appears to be on your screen.

[jfrancis]

The pixel dimensions in width and height are the main issue.

The dpi is a detail that tells printers how big to make the image.

So a 2000 x 3000 image has a lot of pixels.

If you print it at 300 dpi then it will be 3000 px / 300 dpi = 10 inches tall, and if you look closely it will look sharp.

if you print it at 600 dpi then it will be 5 inches tall, and if you look closely it will look sharp.

If you print it at 72 dpi then it will be 3000 / 72 = 41.67 inches tall and if you look closely it will look soft.

If you return the dpi to 300 and retain the 2000 x 3000 pixel dimensions then that giant soft image will be 10 inches tall and sharp again.

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If when you change the dpi you don't ensure that you retain the 2000 x 3000 pixels size, then Photoshop may make the 'megapixel' count smaller - maybe the image will be reduced to 400 x 600 pixels at 72 dpi. Don't let Photoshop do that - retype the original pixels.

If you let your 72 dpi image become 400 x 600, then later if you make it 300 dpi again it will return to big pixel dimensions by blowing up the small image - so the image 'megapixels' will be there, but the quality will have been lost.

[rluto77]

Okay I'm still a bit confused but its starting to make sense.

So my dilemma now is that I have tons of fine details in there that will definitely not show up in a 10x12. How would I get it so that the print dimensions are at least something bigger like 20x24?

[gruhn]

You can go to Image Size, turn off Resample, and just tell it how big you want.

Or you can ignore all that and when you go to print just tell it to fit to paper (or pick a different percentage that makes it look nice on a sheet according to your taste).

[rluto77]

Yeah I suppose I can. I just don't want the print out to look strange. Kind of like how the image looks a bit off when viewing it at smaller sizes like 25%.

[Midgardsormr]

You should not use the "fit to page" option if you can help it. Resizing properly in the software will almost always result in a better image.

Getting a good print is something of a black art. Your screen never quite shows what the image actually looks like, and the printer will never be able to reproduce the exact colors you want. You can mitigate that with color profiling of both screen and printer, and careful color management of the document, but doing it properly requires hardware. In addition, changing the paper can alter the look of the print significantly, even if the two pages are the same "type" (matte or glossy or whatever).

As far as resolution goes, the printer at 300 dpi will be able to reproduce those tiny details in a 10 x 12 image better than your monitor can. If you try to increase the print to 20 x 24, you'll have to drop the resolution down to 150 dpi, which is not generally acceptable quality for artwork. Of course, if you plan for the viewing distance to be six feet away, then 150 dpi may work just fine.

If this print is really important to you, I suggest you talk it over with your printing professional and see if you can get a proof of some kind prior to the final print (I'm assuming that you're not printing a 20" wide image at home). It may take a couple of tries to get the quality you desire—be prepared to pay for that.

[rluto77]

The main thing that confuses me is that it says the image is a 10x12 image. What I don't understand is why is the image when viewed at 100% in Photoshop much much bigger than 10x12? That is what is confusing me as to what size I should be printing it.

[jfrancis]

It's not saying it is 10 x 12, it is saying it would be 10 x 12 if printed at the dpi shown below.

The dpi of your screen is the number of dots wide it is divided by the number of inches wide. People say the screen is 72 dpi, but is it really? And even if it is, your picture will only measure 10 x 12 if it is at 72 dpi, and if it is true that your screen is 72 dpi.

[razorsharpdesign]

Go to image size- 300 dpi or whatever you want. If you have a smaller size than what you need, click on bicubic sharper. If your size is bigger than you need, click on bicubic smoother. But make sure you have your document size set at inches. Hit ok and you will have the size you want it. When you save, if it's a JPEG, save it at a quality of 10. if you save it at 11 or 12 is to high, there is no differance in the quility. All photoshop does is blow up the file size.

John:buttrock:

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