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Image Size/Resolution Confusion... eeek... am I too late, will I have to start again?


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ruthlessone_uk

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Hi... i've been reading some other threads on image size vs resolution.. but I am still confused... here is my issue if someone might comment.

I have been sent some photos at 72 ppi resolution, 3888 x 2592 pixel size, 54 x36 doc size = 28.8M I have extracted elements from each picture (which has taken MANY hours with the pen tool) and have assembled these elements on a new doc size 10 x 10 inches, resolution 300 dpi, 3000 x 3000 ppi = 25.7 M... which is the size I want this project as this for printing so:

1. do I have to resize/resample the separate elements to 300ppi etc before I assemble them on the new document at the required specifications... or will they automatically resize when I move them onto that new document.... because when I check image size box it is at the spec I have chosen 300 ppi etc or will they be ok at printing as the complete size of the new doc is smaller than the separate elements? (please say I'm ok coz I have spent DAYS on this already)!!!

2. I have these shots in RGB mode... and have already finished the picture in RGB... can I just change the mode at the end to CMYK... or was I supposed to do it in the beginning???

It's for a CD cover for a friend... everything looks great on the mac... but now I am thinking it through... I am beginning to panic that I'm going to have to start again..... eeeeeek..... help with advice please!!!!!
 
Re: Image Size/Resolution Confusion... eeek... am I too late, will I have to start ag

ruthlessone_uk said:
Hi... 2. I have these shots in RGB mode... and have already finished the picture in RGB... can I just change the mode at the end to CMYK... or was I supposed to do it in the beginning???

It's for a CD cover for a friend... everything looks great on the mac... but now I am thinking it through... I am beginning to panic that I'm going to have to start again..... eeeeeek..... help with advice please!!!!!
Click to expand...

Convert to CMYK for printing?
You can convert now for printing to a commercial printer but to print at home, or Walgreen, or Costco, or Staples, etc., leave it as an RGB.

Adobe Photoshop CS5 * About desktop printing
 
Re: Image Size/Resolution Confusion... eeek... am I too late, will I have to start ag

Divide the pixels dimensions by 300 to get the maximum size you can print at that PPI. (3888/300=12.96 inches)
 
Re: Image Size/Resolution Confusion... eeek... am I too late, will I have to start ag

yes it's going to be commercially printed... so I can change the mode anytime... thanks for that ;-)
 
Re: Image Size/Resolution Confusion... eeek... am I too late, will I have to start ag

Hi again Hawkeye... I understand that bit of math, but what I want to know is:

was I supposed to change the resolution of the original pics that were emailed to me at 72 ppi to 300 ppi BEFORE I extracted the elements and then pasted them into the new file which I have set at 10 x 10 inches and 300 ppi... or... will they look ok when printed even though I haven't increased the resolution before I started??? Below are the specs of the original pics....

I have been sent some photos at 72 ppi resolution, 3888 x 2592 pixel size, 54 x36 doc size = 28.8M I have extracted elements from each picture (which has taken MANY hours with the pen tool) and have assembled these elements on a new doc size 10 x 10 inches, resolution 300 dpi, 3000 x 3000 ppi = 25.7 M... which is the size I want this project as this for printing

thanks in advance... Ruth
 
Re: Image Size/Resolution Confusion... eeek... am I too late, will I have to start ag

thank you once again Hawkeye ;-)... would you advise generally to reset resolution/sizes etc before starting a project or is it ok to just go ahead and sort the size/resolution out at the end?
 
Re: Image Size/Resolution Confusion... eeek... am I too late, will I have to start ag

I find it better to resize all the documents to the same resolution as the canvas first. Then when you copy/paste drop/drag, etc., what you see is what you get.
 
Re: Image Size/Resolution Confusion... eeek... am I too late, will I have to start ag

yeah, that's what I thought... bit late this time though... ok good to know for all future projects... cheers ;-)
 
file size... printer resolutions...

hawkeye said:
Divide the pixels dimensions by 300 to get the maximum size you can print at that PPI. (3888/300=12.96 inches)
Click to expand...

math is correct...
the printer is not pasting this file onto the paper... pixel by pixel...
the printer will re-render this file, after using the printer software... and print at a resolution of 300dpi...

you cannot compare image pixels, file size... to the printed image from the printer... DPI...
both units of measure, but, not tied at the hip...

yes... when the digital world first arrived, digital printers printed pixels...
now... any modern printer will have taken that file, through it's own software, re-writing those pixels...
rendering them to fit the printers capabilities...

resolution is device dependent... as the device renders the given file...

scene... through image capture software to pixels... pixels... through imaging software to print...

print quality and print size is dependent on the printer being used... how it is able to render the given file...

image PPI does not/cannot... equate to DPI of the printer...
 
Re: file size... printer resolutions...

Hi Smalltrees... I have to say, I am a bit confused by your reply... I understand some of it... but... in this case does this mean that the printer will treat each original extracted element as resolution of 300 ppi because I have imported them onto a file and given it 300 ppi dimension even though I imported them as elements of a very large image but at res 72 ppi???
 
Re: file size... printer resolutions...

sorry to confuse you...
a printer will print at a given resolution...
this is controlled by the printer, not the files it is printing...

your document will/can have only one resolution...
you may have constructed that document, with multiple parts that started as different resolutions...
you will have changed the resolution of those parts, before you imported them...

sounds like the parts are from a point-n-shoot camera...
as they are often sized very large in dimension, with a lower resolution...
where a DSLR will export the same file in a smaller dimension, but, at a higher resolution...

people often get confused, when they try to compare file resolution... to printing resolution...
pixels per inch... of the image... do not equate... to dots per inch, as the printer prints...
two forms of measurement... and confusingly both... are called resolution...

a quality printer... will read your file, adjust your file, with it's software, then print it...
a high-end printer like a Lambda, by Durst... can print your file to a 4x6... or a 40x60... of equal quality...

when the digital world started, every camera salesman told you, you need so many mega-pixels... to print a 5x7...
at that time, it was true, because... both digital cameras/files... and digital printers were horrible...
that is no longer the case... even your cheap, home desktop printer... is 50x better now...

print quality is dependent on the printer... not the size of the file being printed...

resolution is device dependent... your file will be rendered by the device...
your monitor, your ipod, ipad, your cellphone... your printer... all read your file, and will render it, via software to fit it's capabilities...
at it's own resolution...

again... sorry if i confused you...
 
Re: Image Size/Resolution Confusion... eeek... am I too late, will I have to start ag

Hi Smalltrees... please don't apologise, thanks for clarifying... ha ha BUT... in your reply you say

you will have changed the resolution of those parts, before you imported them...

but I didn't... the whole dilemma is that they were 72 ppi and I extracted the parts without increasing the ppi and dragged and dropped them into a file I made 300 ppi...

from your reply, I am under the impression that it actually doesn't matter what ppi the elements within a file are, a file is will be printed at the document resolution given to PS... and even then, the printer will sort it out at printing... am I understanding this correctly... and if so... is there any point in changing resolution of a document within PS at all, if the printer will resolve these issues at printing. Sorry, I am very new to this and not AT ALL technically minded... am I missing something???... thanks in advance, Ruth...
 
Re: Image Size/Resolution Confusion... eeek... am I too late, will I have to start ag

I don't think you even brought up DPI vs PPI, so no need to be confused by it. You can pretty much ignore the printer DPI for most purposes. It's the resolution of the image that counts when you print. If the PPI is 72 then the printer will print 72 pixels per inch and will it look pixelated. If you set the image to 250 PPI then the printer will print 250 pixels per inch.

If you make a 300 PPI canvas and bring in elements from 72 PPI files, they will still print at 300 PPI, because that is the canvas resolution, and the canvas can only have one resolution.
 
Re: Image Size/Resolution Confusion... eeek... am I too late, will I have to start ag

Hi Smalltrees... can I ask you another question... I was just reading about a plug in called Perfect size which allows you to increase the size of your image without reducing the quality for printing... is this then obselete if a good printer is able to print a picture at 4x6 or 40x60 without losing quality? Regards...
 
Re: Image Size/Resolution Confusion... eeek... am I too late, will I have to start ag

ha ha... ok Hawkeye... so..... when you say canvas... you mean image... right???? coz in the menu bar under Images you have Image Size and Canvas Size... and you can only put your resolution size ppi into the image size box... not the canvas box... if I am clear on this point... then I get you ;-)))
 
Re: Image Size/Resolution Confusion... eeek... am I too late, will I have to start ag

That is correct, you can increase/decrease the existing canvas size and the resolution will remain the same. The pixel size will change but the resolution remains constant.

Let's say you want to make a composite image. You create a blank canvas and at that point you set the dimensions and the resolution (PPI). Let's say we made it 300 PPI.

Onto this blank 300 PPI canvas you add elements from various images. Regardless of their resolution 72, 100, 240 whatever, when added to the new canvas they will be at 300 PPI.

I find it easier to change them all first to the same resolution. That's because when you view the images on your monitor, you will see the relative size of all the elements exactly as they will appear on the main canvas.
 
Re: Image Size/Resolution Confusion... eeek... am I too late, will I have to start ag

ahhh Bless Ya Hawkeye... now bed time for me in India... thank you muchly ;-))... have a great day x
 
Re: Image Size/Resolution Confusion... eeek... am I too late, will I have to start ag

And it's morning here in Arizona.
 
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