Resizing? Newbie issue

[PoohJen]

Thanks for the feedback and support re: my 'montage'. I ended up taking the team pic, and creating a border around it of individual player pics.

I ordered a 5x7 just to see how it came out before ordering larger prints and - gasp - the border pics were all cropped!!! Wah!

Now, you seasoned vets know this is because I created (by default) the picture as a 4x6, so 5x7 is not directly proportional.

This will be fine if I go 20 x 30 for the poster print, but not 16x20 nor 11 x 14 (which i wanted to do for the kids' copies).


hmmmm.

Is there anything in the photo editing software that will let me custom size my project at the start? I used ArcSoft PhotoStudio (came w/ the Canon), but would be glad to hear whatever your software can do for you on this issue.

ETA: I see a tool for "image size" which measures the image in pixels as "width" and "height". Mine is set for width 3164, height 2000. Does this somehow translate to 4x6? or does one have nothing to do with the other?


Thanks!

 

[spoon2003]

Jen,
I don't have the technical answer but want to let you know a 8x12 enlargement would probably work for the kids copy. Costco can do those at a very reasonable price.

Sue

 

[MarkBarbieri]

In photoshop, you can use the crop tool and set the proportions. That will allow you to choose what you are cutting away. Set the height and width to the values that you want and leave the resolution blank.

If you want EVERYTHING in the picture and don't mind a little distortion, you can go to Image Size, turn off "Constrain Proportions", and put in the size values that you want. The will squish or stretch your picture a bit to make it fit. You'll have to decide which is better - cutting part off or distorting.

A last option would be to resize it based on the constraining axis and leave blank space on the other areas (like the black bars above and below the picture on some DVDs). You could hide the blank areas with a custom matting in your picture frame.

 

[PoohJen]

In photoshop, you can use the crop tool and set the proportions. That will allow you to choose what you are cutting away. Set the height and width to the values that you want and leave the resolution blank.

If you want EVERYTHING in the picture and don't mind a little distortion, you can go to Image Size, turn off "Constrain Proportions", and put in the size values that you want. The will squish or stretch your picture a bit to make it fit. You'll have to decide which is better - cutting part off or distorting.

A last option would be to resize it based on the constraining axis and leave blank space on the other areas (like the black bars above and below the picture on some DVDs). You could hide the blank areas with a custom matting in your picture frame.

Thanks Sue and Mark. I haven't seen 8x12, Sue, but I'll check Costco. As for 'cutting or distorting', the border pics are all cropped shots already, so (since I have to re-do the project for other reasons) when I cutnpaste them this time, I can crop them so that the outer edges have more waste, perhaps, but I'll have to be really careful with the measurements. Hoping this sounds harder than it actually is!

 

[extreme8]

I just had a 12 x 18 done at Costco yesterday and I couldn't be happier with the results.
I'm going to use them instead of the local pro lab for a while and see how it works out - they use the same equipment and the Costco staff really seems to know their stuff & care about the quality of their enlargements. Their printer & paper profiles are available online if your workflow includes color management and the profiles are accurate as far as I can tell.

The best part was the price - $2.99

ETA: I see a tool for "image size" which measures the image in pixels as "width" and "height". Mine is set for width 3164, height 2000. Does this somehow translate to 4x6? or does one have nothing to do with the other?

I'ts impossible to tell if it's actually 4x6 without knowing the resolution of the image, but 3164 x 2000 is nearly 3/2 which would certainly translate to just about 6x4 (just a touch longer on the 6" side).
To most accurately fit a 12x18 on Costcos machines with no interpolation or stretching you would want the picture at 320 dpi, and the overall image size (canvas size) at 3840 x 5760

Too much math, I'm going to lie down now.
If anyone who actually knows what they're talking about wants to correct me while I'm gone please feel free.

 

[Olaf]

Jen,

I pulled up that software (that you're using) this morning, to see if I could figure it out for you. I loaded it, but I've never used it. Wow, that is not a user-friendly program. Do yourself a favor, and go get Photoshop Elements. You'll be much happier with it. Like Mark said, you can EASILY set the proportions, quickly switch them from 5x7 to 7x5, to any other size. I crop everything to size before I send it off--no surprises. Here's the link at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-2923047...s_sr_1/102-1431373-5961720?ie=UTF8&s=software

 

[PoohJen]

Thanks all!!

Okay okay okay Olaf, you've convinced me!! Time for me to step up anyway! Glad you told me it Studio wasn't user friendly; I thought I was just an idiot (more so than usual...)

 

[jann1033]

Thanks all!!

Okay okay okay Olaf, you've convinced me!! Time for me to step up anyway! Glad you told me it Studio wasn't user friendly; I thought I was just an idiot (more so than usual...)

Jen, photoshop el. 5 has a learning curve (somewhat) but once you start getting the hang of it at least it makes sense....i bought the missing manual book as well and it's helped me tons. somebody said a few days ago it was at best buy ( i think for $50...maybe a search could pull up the thread) adobe had it for 70 for the upgrade version and they have a free download to try for amonth

 

[PoohJen]

Jen, photoshop el. 5 has a learning curve (somewhat) but once you start getting the hang of it at least it makes sense....i bought the missing manual book as well and it's helped me tons. somebody said a few days ago it was at best buy ( i think for $50...maybe a search could pull up the thread) adobe had it for 70 for the upgrade version and they have a free download to try for amonth

Is this the book you bought, Janet? Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0: A visual introduction to digital photography (Paperback)
by Philip Andrews


Bestbuy has PE5 for $99, Amazon has it for $70, less a 20 rebate, but I don't qualify for the rebate (had to previously own other editing software). Amazon's price is best I've found so far. Maybe i'll try the free download for a while to test the waters.

 

[MICKEY88]

paint shop pro photo 11, will do everything photo shop will do, it is less expensive and the learning curve isn't as steep...

you could download the trial of that also ..

 

[jann1033]

the book i have is called The Missing Manual by Barbara Brundage and they have it for a bunch of elements so i got the one for 5 ( since i got 5 ) it has a web site also www.missingmanuals.com and says with the book you get 45 days of free online edition so evidently the book is online also

paint shop pro has a free download also...i download every free one i could find and picked the one i thought i could figure out the best...there is a nice layout creator on the pshpe 5 though for montage type stuff..haven't used it so don't know how easy or hairpullingout hard it is to use

 

[spoon2003]

Jen,
I got an email from Adorama that they are doing 11x14 for $1.99, no limits but only for 10 days.

Sue