A Question Regarding Enlarging an Image

[Draiklord]

Hello,

So currently I have an image that I'll be using as my background for a wallpaper, however the dimensions of the image is 2100x1184, and the final dimensions of my wallpaper will be 2880x1800. Therefore I need to re-scale the image so that it's bigger. Now knowing that I can't do that without loss of quality, I've decided to instead "add" stuff to the image such that it looks larger. Eg. expanding the sky, adding additional buildings.

I've tried using the patch tool, but it doesn't let me add to the space outside of the image (my canvas is 2880x1800, and the empty space is transparent).

I'm wondering, is there any tools/techniques for accomplishing what I'm trying to do? Or even better, is there another method of enlarging the image without loss of quality?

Image:



Thanks!

 

[ALB68]

Your not going to lose very much by just using your existing image. What version of PS do you have? The jump from 2100 to 2800 is fairly small. If you would like to use the technique I use and I get good results. I am an engraver and a printer and have done this many times. In PS Image/Size, set to resample. Then in the box where the dimensions are located, use Percentage from the drop down. Start increasing your size and resample in 5% - 10% increments. Be sure and don't go over 10. I have an action on my machine for doing this, so it's a bit quicker. You could just let PS do it and you will probably still be OK.
If your set on doing what you say, make a new image with your target size. The open your original. Select all and then paste it in the new one. You need a black layer to merge down to, so make a new layer, fill it with black and then merge the one you pasted into it. Flatten it and you got it I think.

PS, I hope the one you posted isn't it. That one is like 700 pixels wide. :frown:
Also
If you have CS5 or 6, merge your top layer into the black layer and then use the Content Aware Move tool set to Extend to fill in the extra space you created.

 

[Tom Mann]

As Larry, ALB, pointed out, "The jump from 2100 to 2800 is fairly small". This means that almost any reasonable up-rez'ing method will work fairly well.

Your choices include:

1. The "lotsa-10%-steps" method, as suggested by Larry.
- - - For my comments on this, see post #16 in this old thread:
- - - http://www.photoshopgurus.com/forum/photoshop-newbies/44264-resizing-help.html .
- - - Basically, I feel that the effort-to-benefit ratio of this method has made it fall pretty far down my list in the last several years.


2. Photoshop's native "image size" tool.
- - - This seems to have been significantly improved somewhere between cs4 and cs6. IMHO, it's simple and more than adequate for the modest amount of up-rez'ing needed in this case.

3. Photoshop's new (native) "content aware scaling" tool.
- - - Works nicely for fairly random images / textures, e.g., grass, but will likely cause steps and other problems in an image like this (ie, with architectural features).

4. Photoshop's new (native) "content aware fill" tool - to fill in "missing areas" at the edge of the canvas.
- - - This can work incredibly well for certain images, e.g., fields of flowers, grass, etc, but will likely cause odd (but sometimes interesting) repetition of elements of the original image around the edges. I wouldn't recommend it here.

5. Third party, commercial up-rez'ing software such as onOne's "Perfect Resize" (aka, Genuine Fractals), BenVista's PhotoZoom Pro5.
- - - IMHO, these are probably your best option if you need absolutely maximum performance (which you don't in this situation).

6. Manually cloning / patching in large new edges around the existing area of the image.
- - - IMHO, too much work, not enough benefit in this case.

HTH,

Tom M

 

[Tom Mann]

PS - Attached is an image which illustrates what "Genuine Fractals" (now known as "Perfect Resize") can do. Note, I intentionally changed some of the tonal relations, cropped away the vignetted edges, etc. because (a) I felt that doing so would make it easier for you to judge the quality of the up-rez'ing by this program; and, (b) I didn't especially like the soft, fake fog / fake painterly look of the original.

Tom

PPS - Note that the preview image you see in this thread has been heavily compressed by the forum uploading software. To see what it really looks like at full resolution, double click on the preview image.

 

[Tom Mann]

Just for yucks, even though I was pretty sure I knew what would happen, here is what you get if you try to use the new "content aware fill" feature of cs6 to fill in the "missing edges". It's certainly an interesting kaleidoscopic effect, but almost certainly not what the OP was looking for. LOL.

T

 

[Tom Mann]

And, for completeness, here is the simplest of all up-rez'ing methods, Photoshop's native "Image Size" tool. As you can see, it's very similar to the result of Genuine Fractals, and it has the benefit that you don't have to spend money on a 3rd party plugin.

T

 

[Crotale]

Good stuff Tom. I tried my hand at this. I rescaled the image to 3193x1800 to get the base size desired by the OP. I used the Bicubic Smooth setting on Resize, and it gave me a cleaner resized image. It still needed some tweaking, so I invoked Reduce Noise (kept the sliders towards the middle). I then added in some Film Grain, but reduced the effect so that it was not too pronounced. My last action was to resize the Canvas to 2880 width, maintaining the desired 1800 height.

 

[ALB68]

You want to use Extend Tom from the drop down on the Content Aware Move/Extend tool. I did this very very quick, I didn't clean it up much but it will work.

Just for yucks, even though I was pretty sure I knew what p would happen, here is what you get if you try to use the new "content aware fill" feature of cs6 to fill in the "missing edges". It's certainly an interesting kaleidoscopic effect, but almost certainly not what the OP was looking for. LOL.

T

 

[Draiklord]

Thank you all for the responses!

To ALB68: Thanks for the tips on both enlarging the image through the increments method as well as the flattening process so that the content aware tools could work. I think I'm also going to do a version of my own as a fun side task so that I can practice using these tools more.

To Tom Mann: Thank you for the comparisons! I'm wondering, between Perfect Resize 7.5 and Photozoom Pro 5, do you have a recommendation on whether one is better than the other? Also, in the first picture that you posted (the one that demonstrated the results of a Perfect Resize enlargement), I noticed that the bottom portions of the buildings are glowing a yellowish color. Was that a result of a color tone change for the entire image, or did you do additional editing for that portion of the image? It's really close to the glowing effect I originally had in mind that I wanted to add in for that part of the image, so I'm wondering how you did it.

To Crotale: When I compared your version to the one I got just from Photoshop default re-scaling, my jaw hit the floor. The lake and the sky/clouds especially are much clearer. Afterwards I tried to replicate your steps, but after using Bicubic Smooth to rescale and keeping the noise reduction filters at medium, there was still a noticeable difference in color sharpness. So I'm wondering if you could elaborate more on your usage of film grain, and how you got the colors to look so crisp.

 

[Crotale]

Draiklord, try these settings. Tweak to your desired outcome.

 

[Draiklord]

Thank you very much!