Dumb resolution question
- Started
- Last post
- 11 Responses
- Atkinson
Right, this is always something I've just found a way around without really understanding how. I have a Fine Art background so have never really been taught the 'correct' way.
When I take a digital pic with a 7mp camera on highest quality and import the image to photoshop it's a big file but with 180dpi. Now, if I turn that 180 to 300 that's not the right way of doing things is it? If I raise the dpi and lessen the document size is that right?
Like I say I've always got by but would just like to know for knowings sake!
- agentfour0
sounds like you have the right idea. if you have 'resample image' unticked, then yeh thats how you get a print res file with correct dimensions.
- Atkinson0
why does it have to be unticked?
- ********0
If u raise the resolution without "ticking" the resample option, Photoshop will "make up" the information giving you a bad quality photo.
- defanddumm0
I just usually create a target canvas and drop it in there
- Atkinson0
That's what i thought. So why 'untick' it if it needs ticking?
- blaw0
because resampling the image reduces the image quality.
you have X number of pixels. don't increase that number and you won't reduce the quality.
- Atkinson0
So, my camera takes at maximum 180dpi. If someone asks for a 300 dpi image to print, how do I change the 180 to 300 if you're saying it will reduce quality?
- blaw0
1000px @ 180dpi = 5.55in
1000px @ 300dpi = 3.33inhowever, if you resample the 180dpi image to 300dpi your pixel width will change to 1667 pixels, nearly twice what you started with.
where are these 667 pixels coming from? photoshop calculates them, thus lowering the image quality.
- Atkinson0
ok I think I have it now, thanks. So what if you leave the resample box unticked and change the res to 300? what happens then?
- ********0
If u leave it unticked and change the res to 300, PS will adjust the area of your image to fit the pixels you have 300 per square inch, you'll see your image size change when you do that.
- ribit0
the best thing is to ask the person you are sending the image to what size they want tin pixels and skip the whole 'dpi' thing...
Your camera doesnt really shoot at ANY DPI.. it is just tagging the image with that number for want of anything better. DPI is just metadata attached to a bitmap to give some guidance to the printer abut output size in case you happen to be printing it.. it isn't intrinsic to the image itself.
The only qualities a digital image really has is dimensions in x by y pixels, and the color depth...
but of course people keep asking us to send them '300dpi' images with no reference at all to how big an image they actually need...
I should just send them a 1x1 pixel image 'at 300dpi'