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Gosh darn mega pixels: how do i enlarge?

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agent_smith

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Good day gents and ladies,

I was reading somewhere and did not pay close attention at the time, but PS is supposed to have some sort of way to help me extend my 5mp photo to larger scale. Does anyone know of this item? I would like to blow up the photo to a small poster size.

Please let me know any ideas.

Thank you,

NBS
 
Here's the simple way:

Step 1: Crop the image with the crop tool. Fill in the width and height boxes but leave the resolution box blank. Use the size you want the end result to be. Note that you may have to specify a unit type such as "in" for inch depending on how your preferences are set.

Step 2: Under menu item image-> image size. Make sure that all 3 boxes at the bottom are checked and that the resample method is bicubic smoother. Add roughly 10% to the number in the resolution box and make sure that the units is pixels/inch. The idea is to use small steps to get a large increase in resolution. Click ok and photoshop will increase the resolution of the image by 10 percent.

Step 3: Repeat step 2 until you are at between 200-300 dpi. This value may vary depending on preference and the actual printer you're going to use. I like to use 300dpi.

Step 4: examine the image closely to see if you need to sharpen, run noise reduction or fix anything.

Credit for the 10% method goes to Scott Kelby and The photoshop CS Book for digital photographers.

Good luck
Doug
not_ben_stiller said:
Good day gents and ladies,

I was reading somewhere and did not pay close attention at the
time, but PS is supposed to have some sort of way to help me extend
my 5mp photo to larger scale. Does anyone know of this item? I
would like to blow up the photo to a small poster size.

Please let me know any ideas.

Thank you,

NBS
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for the that info Doug, it will help me out as well.
Brandon does't ring a bell eh.
Bill
Doug Morgan said:
Step 1: Crop the image with the crop tool. Fill in the width and
height boxes but leave the resolution box blank. Use the size you
want the end result to be. Note that you may have to specify a
unit type such as "in" for inch depending on how your preferences
are set.

Step 2: Under menu item image-> image size. Make sure that all 3
boxes at the bottom are checked and that the resample method is
bicubic smoother. Add roughly 10% to the number in the resolution
box and make sure that the units is pixels/inch. The idea is to
use small steps to get a large increase in resolution. Click ok
and photoshop will increase the resolution of the image by 10
percent.

Step 3: Repeat step 2 until you are at between 200-300 dpi. This
value may vary depending on preference and the actual printer
you're going to use. I like to use 300dpi.

Step 4: examine the image closely to see if you need to sharpen,
run noise reduction or fix anything.

Credit for the 10% method goes to Scott Kelby and The photoshop CS
Book for digital photographers.

Good luck
Doug
not_ben_stiller said:
Good day gents and ladies,

I was reading somewhere and did not pay close attention at the
time, but PS is supposed to have some sort of way to help me extend
my 5mp photo to larger scale. Does anyone know of this item? I
would like to blow up the photo to a small poster size.

Please let me know any ideas.

Thank you,

NBS
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Brandon?

I've driven through it but don't think I've ever stopped.

Doug
Billigin said:
Doug Morgan said:
Step 1: Crop the image with the crop tool. Fill in the width and
height boxes but leave the resolution box blank. Use the size you
want the end result to be. Note that you may have to specify a
unit type such as "in" for inch depending on how your preferences
are set.

Step 2: Under menu item image-> image size. Make sure that all 3
boxes at the bottom are checked and that the resample method is
bicubic smoother. Add roughly 10% to the number in the resolution
box and make sure that the units is pixels/inch. The idea is to
use small steps to get a large increase in resolution. Click ok
and photoshop will increase the resolution of the image by 10
percent.

Step 3: Repeat step 2 until you are at between 200-300 dpi. This
value may vary depending on preference and the actual printer
you're going to use. I like to use 300dpi.

Step 4: examine the image closely to see if you need to sharpen,
run noise reduction or fix anything.

Credit for the 10% method goes to Scott Kelby and The photoshop CS
Book for digital photographers.

Good luck
Doug
not_ben_stiller said:
Good day gents and ladies,

I was reading somewhere and did not pay close attention at the
time, but PS is supposed to have some sort of way to help me extend
my 5mp photo to larger scale. Does anyone know of this item? I
would like to blow up the photo to a small poster size.

Please let me know any ideas.

Thank you,

NBS
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Doug Morgan said:
Here's the simple way:

Step 1: Crop the image with the crop tool. Fill in the width and
height boxes but leave the resolution box blank. Use the size you
want the end result to be. Note that you may have to specify a
unit type such as "in" for inch depending on how your preferences
are set.

Step 2: Under menu item image-> image size. Make sure that all 3
boxes at the bottom are checked and that the resample method is
bicubic smoother. Add roughly 10% to the number in the resolution
box and make sure that the units is pixels/inch. The idea is to
use small steps to get a large increase in resolution. Click ok
and photoshop will increase the resolution of the image by 10
percent.
Click to expand...
Doug,

Per Katrin Eismann, if you have PHOTOSHOP CS, it is no longer necessary to enlarge in 10% percent increments. Just set the newest size requested with resolution requested and select Bicubic Smoother, or Bicubic Sharper. Personally I like the Bicubic Sharper. But to each their own I guess.

Just thought I would advise you of this new recommendation from Katrin's newest book.

Hope it helps.
Doug Morgan said:
Step 3: Repeat step 2 until you are at between 200-300 dpi. This
value may vary depending on preference and the actual printer
you're going to use. I like to use 300dpi.

Step 4: examine the image closely to see if you need to sharpen,
run noise reduction or fix anything.

Credit for the 10% method goes to Scott Kelby and The photoshop CS
Book for digital photographers.

Good luck
Doug
not_ben_stiller said:
Good day gents and ladies,

I was reading somewhere and did not pay close attention at the
time, but PS is supposed to have some sort of way to help me extend
my 5mp photo to larger scale. Does anyone know of this item? I
would like to blow up the photo to a small poster size.

Please let me know any ideas.

Thank you,

NBS
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
Brian Randall Photography
http://www.pbase.com/brw_2909
 
Is that from her retouching book? I don't recall that.

My understanding from various sources was that the sharper method works best downsizing by preserving edge detail and the smoother works best upsizing by fighting the jaggies on the edges. It made sense when I read it so I've never put it to the test.

Doug
Brian Randall said:
Doug Morgan said:
Here's the simple way:

Step 1: Crop the image with the crop tool. Fill in the width and
height boxes but leave the resolution box blank. Use the size you
want the end result to be. Note that you may have to specify a
unit type such as "in" for inch depending on how your preferences
are set.

Step 2: Under menu item image-> image size. Make sure that all 3
boxes at the bottom are checked and that the resample method is
bicubic smoother. Add roughly 10% to the number in the resolution
box and make sure that the units is pixels/inch. The idea is to
use small steps to get a large increase in resolution. Click ok
and photoshop will increase the resolution of the image by 10
percent.
Click to expand...
Doug,

Per Katrin Eismann, if you have PHOTOSHOP CS, it is no longer
necessary to enlarge in 10% percent increments. Just set the
newest size requested with resolution requested and select Bicubic
Smoother, or Bicubic Sharper. Personally I like the Bicubic
Sharper. But to each their own I guess.

Just thought I would advise you of this new recommendation from
Katrin's newest book.

Hope it helps.
Brian Randall said:
Step 3: Repeat step 2 until you are at between 200-300 dpi. This
value may vary depending on preference and the actual printer
you're going to use. I like to use 300dpi.

Step 4: examine the image closely to see if you need to sharpen,
run noise reduction or fix anything.

Credit for the 10% method goes to Scott Kelby and The photoshop CS
Book for digital photographers.

Good luck
Doug
not_ben_stiller said:
Good day gents and ladies,

I was reading somewhere and did not pay close attention at the
time, but PS is supposed to have some sort of way to help me extend
my 5mp photo to larger scale. Does anyone know of this item? I
would like to blow up the photo to a small poster size.

Please let me know any ideas.

Thank you,

NBS
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
Brian Randall Photography
http://www.pbase.com/brw_2909
Click to expand...
 
I tried the 10% method and it improve anything...just go straight to the size and got the same if not a little better results. You might want to check out Genuine Fractals

http://www.lizardtech.com/solutions/gf/
Doug Morgan said:
My understanding from various sources was that the sharper method
works best downsizing by preserving edge detail and the smoother
works best upsizing by fighting the jaggies on the edges. It made
sense when I read it so I've never put it to the test.

Doug
Brian Randall said:
Doug Morgan said:
Here's the simple way:

Step 1: Crop the image with the crop tool. Fill in the width and
height boxes but leave the resolution box blank. Use the size you
want the end result to be. Note that you may have to specify a
unit type such as "in" for inch depending on how your preferences
are set.

Step 2: Under menu item image-> image size. Make sure that all 3
boxes at the bottom are checked and that the resample method is
bicubic smoother. Add roughly 10% to the number in the resolution
box and make sure that the units is pixels/inch. The idea is to
use small steps to get a large increase in resolution. Click ok
and photoshop will increase the resolution of the image by 10
percent.
Click to expand...
Doug,

Per Katrin Eismann, if you have PHOTOSHOP CS, it is no longer
necessary to enlarge in 10% percent increments. Just set the
newest size requested with resolution requested and select Bicubic
Smoother, or Bicubic Sharper. Personally I like the Bicubic
Sharper. But to each their own I guess.

Just thought I would advise you of this new recommendation from
Katrin's newest book.

Hope it helps.
Doug Morgan said:
Step 3: Repeat step 2 until you are at between 200-300 dpi. This
value may vary depending on preference and the actual printer
you're going to use. I like to use 300dpi.

Step 4: examine the image closely to see if you need to sharpen,
run noise reduction or fix anything.

Credit for the 10% method goes to Scott Kelby and The photoshop CS
Book for digital photographers.

Good luck
Doug
not_ben_stiller said:
Good day gents and ladies,

I was reading somewhere and did not pay close attention at the
time, but PS is supposed to have some sort of way to help me extend
my 5mp photo to larger scale. Does anyone know of this item? I
would like to blow up the photo to a small poster size.

Please let me know any ideas.

Thank you,

NBS
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
Brian Randall Photography
http://www.pbase.com/brw_2909
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Doug Morgan said:
Is that from her retouching book? I don't recall that.

My understanding from various sources was that the sharper method
works best downsizing by preserving edge detail and the smoother
works best upsizing by fighting the jaggies on the edges. It made
sense when I read it so I've never put it to the test.
Click to expand...
Doug,

It's from the 'extras' on her book at the website:
http://www.digitalretouch.org/
Scroll down to the 'ps cs chap' in the left frame...

...and from the pdf chapter on CS:

"For my general interpolation setting I choose Bicubic and when I am scaling images up or down I select the best interpolation for the task at hand - smooth for upsizing and sharp for downsizing images. In the past some photographers used the ‘Step Up’ method made popular by Fred Miranda to size images up in 10% increments. With the new interpolation schemes there is no need to go through this slow process any longer."

VG did his own tests a while back (before CS) and came to the same conclusion - the 'smoother/sharper' improvement in CS's bicubic seems to have made stepping up not necessary - although I'm sure you'd find some who disagree. She's not the only one who has mentioned this. Best bet is to try it out and print....
--
Kent
http://www.pbase.com/kentc
 
--
Doug,

Katrin was gracious enough to give a free .pdf file on Photoshop CS on her website. I downloaded the .pdf file. On page two of this file, she discusses Interpolation, and upsizing images using Bicubic Smoother and Sharper. It is excellent reading.

I will be happy to email it to you if you would like it. Just email me at my profile email address and I will forward it to you. It is a 44 page .pdf file and covers the NEW Photoshop CS tools.

Thanks Again to Katrin for giving us this free CS tutorial.
Brian Randall Photography
http://www.pbase.com/brw_2909
 
Thanks. I've already got it here somewhere -- I read her book but never got around to looking at the downloaded chapter on CS. Kind of like reading a mystery novel and never finding out who did it! I'll have to read through the PDF and give it a test tomorrow.

I finished Kelby's CS book after Katrin's and he's still recommending the 10% deal so I guess I kind of took it on faith that there was an advantage. I've found a couple other things that didn't jive with my experience so I guess it shouldn't suprise me if it's an outdated technique.

Thanks
Doug
Brian Randall said:
--
Doug,

Katrin was gracious enough to give a free .pdf file on Photoshop CS
on her website. I downloaded the .pdf file. On page two of this
file, she discusses Interpolation, and upsizing images using
Bicubic Smoother and Sharper. It is excellent reading.

I will be happy to email it to you if you would like it. Just
email me at my profile email address and I will forward it to you.
It is a 44 page .pdf file and covers the NEW Photoshop CS tools.

Thanks Again to Katrin for giving us this free CS tutorial.
Brian Randall Photography
http://www.pbase.com/brw_2909
Click to expand...
 
In addition to the stepwise resizing method suggested, you might also look at QImage (I'm not associated with the author of the program in any way -- I'm just a very happy customer). It has several sophisticated enlarging methods that IMHO are superior to using PhotoShop. Additionally, it is a printing application and takes care of all the ugly details of getting your image to the correct resolution for your printer. There is a trial version available.

Irfan View also has lanczos interpolation (one of the methods QImage uses) for enlarging images.

One thing to note is that your image is going to be a bit fuzzy when you enlarge it no matter what method you use. Using QImage will allow you to select the interpolation method that produces the most pleasing results for your particular image.

Colin
not_ben_stiller said:
Good day gents and ladies,

I was reading somewhere and did not pay close attention at the
time, but PS is supposed to have some sort of way to help me extend
my 5mp photo to larger scale. Does anyone know of this item? I
would like to blow up the photo to a small poster size.

Please let me know any ideas.

Thank you,

NBS
Click to expand...
 
Well I compared the resizing all at once versus the Kelby 10% method and I couldn't see any difference at 4x the original size. I guess I could have saved myself some time if I'd tested it when I first read it.

Thanks Brian

Doug

"A world without string is chaos"
Brian Randall said:
Doug Morgan said:
Here's the simple way:

Step 1: Crop the image with the crop tool. Fill in the width and
height boxes but leave the resolution box blank. Use the size you
want the end result to be. Note that you may have to specify a
unit type such as "in" for inch depending on how your preferences
are set.

Step 2: Under menu item image-> image size. Make sure that all 3
boxes at the bottom are checked and that the resample method is
bicubic smoother. Add roughly 10% to the number in the resolution
box and make sure that the units is pixels/inch. The idea is to
use small steps to get a large increase in resolution. Click ok
and photoshop will increase the resolution of the image by 10
percent.
Click to expand...
Doug,

Per Katrin Eismann, if you have PHOTOSHOP CS, it is no longer
necessary to enlarge in 10% percent increments. Just set the
newest size requested with resolution requested and select Bicubic
Smoother, or Bicubic Sharper. Personally I like the Bicubic
Sharper. But to each their own I guess.

Just thought I would advise you of this new recommendation from
Katrin's newest book.

Hope it helps.
Brian Randall said:
Step 3: Repeat step 2 until you are at between 200-300 dpi. This
value may vary depending on preference and the actual printer
you're going to use. I like to use 300dpi.

Step 4: examine the image closely to see if you need to sharpen,
run noise reduction or fix anything.

Credit for the 10% method goes to Scott Kelby and The photoshop CS
Book for digital photographers.

Good luck
Doug
not_ben_stiller said:
Good day gents and ladies,

I was reading somewhere and did not pay close attention at the
time, but PS is supposed to have some sort of way to help me extend
my 5mp photo to larger scale. Does anyone know of this item? I
would like to blow up the photo to a small poster size.

Please let me know any ideas.

Thank you,

NBS
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
Brian Randall Photography
http://www.pbase.com/brw_2909
Click to expand...
 
Photoshop has an enargement feature built in.
1. Go to the help menu and select resize image.
2. Select print
3. Fill in the size you want
4. Click the 200 button
5. Leave setting at 1.5x (gives you 300 dpi image)
6. And hit finish

I've tested this method up to 24x36 against Genuine Fractals and High end postscript rip software (Creo-Scitex smoothscale) and the results are the same from a Epson 10600 and iris 4 print.

The trick in getting the best from your image is to shoot raw and apply no sharpening until after the image is rezed up.
Good Luck
Bob
 
Now theoretically, all epson printer have a native DPI of 720 and interpolation is done to make it fit. Bob, have you tried making the dpi 720 and having PS print out that massive file?
BobMert said:
Photoshop has an enargement feature built in.
1. Go to the help menu and select resize image.
2. Select print
3. Fill in the size you want
4. Click the 200 button
5. Leave setting at 1.5x (gives you 300 dpi image)
6. And hit finish
I've tested this method up to 24x36 against Genuine Fractals and
High end postscript rip software (Creo-Scitex smoothscale) and the
results are the same from a Epson 10600 and iris 4 print.
The trick in getting the best from your image is to shoot raw and
apply no sharpening until after the image is rezed up.
Good Luck
Bob
Click to expand...
 
Doc Tonic said:
Now theoretically, all epson printer have a native DPI of 720 and
interpolation is done to make it fit. Bob, have you tried making
the dpi 720 and having PS print out that massive file?
Click to expand...
Lets see a 24x36 image at 720 dpi rgb = 1.25gig or if your in the offset press range the file would be a cmyk file and would be about 1.67 gig. Big?? Not really we send full plate cmyk imposition flat to the epson all day (32x42) and after the rip gets through with it combines the linework and CT into a tiff at 300 dpi and sends it to the epson or changes the file to a scitex CT and prints it to the iris 4 print. I can and have sent files to the epson directly from my Mac.The files I send to it are 304.8 dpi (native scitex dpi). I do this only because it's easier to quickly make an icc profile for new papers and output them through photoshop. Time wise it only takes 3 or 4 minutes for the mac to process the file befor the epson starts to print it.

The last epson print seminar I attended the native resolution for the epson print engine was stated at "image" at 240 dpi to print at 720 dpi and below any file printed higher than that might benefit from a higher resolution but not any higher than 360 dpi. Having been in the printing business for more years than I care to think about I just use 304.8 as a rule.
Happy shooting,
Bob
 
BobMert, Thanks for the tip on using PS image resize. I did a test with a 10D jpg high and followed your instructions, put in 24x36 and was amazed at the nice job it did. I have a question: I use a not so full service lab, and the only info I've been able to pry from them is that their printer prints at 250 dpi (traditional not inkjet). Should I provide them with a 24x36 250 dpi master file? Since they told me that they print at 250 dpi, I imagine that # fits into the equation somewhere..... Beneficial? I'd prefer to upload 100% print ready files to them with no need for up/down sizing etc. Thanks, I appreciate any input.
 
Submitting your files at the exact dpi that a device uses is perfect and will prevent any interpolation surprises that may happen. Sending a file too large can cause color sifts while sending a file that is too small might cause softness or pixelation (although the later is rear with todays rips). I'm glad that my hint helped althought I'm thinking that your jpeg may have had some in camera sharpening done to it and the halos that are produced may be a bit noticible in an enlargement of that size. I'd do a test run first of a small crrop to make sure you don't find the halos a distraction to you photo.
Good Luck
Bob
NightShift© said:
BobMert, Thanks for the tip on using PS image resize. I did a test
with a 10D jpg high and followed your instructions, put in 24x36
and was amazed at the nice job it did. I have a question: I use a
not so full service lab, and the only info I've been able to pry
from them is that their printer prints at 250 dpi (traditional not
inkjet). Should I provide them with a 24x36 250 dpi master file?
Since they told me that they print at 250 dpi, I imagine that #
fits into the equation somewhere..... Beneficial? I'd prefer to
upload 100% print ready files to them with no need for up/down
sizing etc. Thanks, I appreciate any input.
Click to expand...
 
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