Resizing and pixels

[HeatherM]

As a novice, I'm having some difficulty understanding resizing my pictures. What size is the best for storing pictures? I figure that I will never need (except for rare circumstances) a picture larger than 8X10. When I attempt to resize at those dimensions, it never comes out. This may seem like a dumb question, but why can't I get a true 8X10?

I guess what I'm getting at, is what is the best way to resize to a more manageable file size without loosing resolution?

[dmcantrell]

What do you mean specifically when you say "it never comes out"?

What software are you using?

[FireHeart Photography]

if you make a photo smaller by cropping you are going to loose pixels as you are cutting them off -if you want a Pixel chart that will tell you the minimum number you need for each size to keep the resolution high based on 180dpi and 300dpi - PM me with your email and I will send the PDF to you... this will help - francie

[HeatherM]

What I mean is I never get a true 8X10 size. By leaving the aspect ratio and changing the long side to 10 inches, the short side becomes 6.6 (or something to that nature).

I'm using the software that came with my Canon. I just got PSE8, too.

[dmcantrell]

Originally Posted by HeatherM

What I mean is I never get a true 8X10 size. By leaving the aspect ratio and changing the long side to 10 inches, the short side becomes 6.6 (or something to that nature).

I'm using the software that came with my Canon. I just got PSE8, too.

Ah, I understand now. From your profile I gather you have a Canon Rebel. This is a APS-C sized image sensor, and will produce an 3,888 pixel x 2,592 pixel image with an aspect ratio of 1.5. An 8x10 has an aspect ratio of 1.25. In order to make a 8x10 out of your images, you will need to crop away some of the image.

See this example:


The full sized image is like the one that comes out of your camera, and the boxes in the middle would be what an 8x10 would look like from it.

You would need to be using the "crop" functions in your software before using the "resize".

[Hogleg 44]

Simply put...Your camera creates an image that proportions out to 8X12. so you must crop the sides down to 8X10.

[dmcantrell]

Originally Posted by Hogleg 44

Simply put...Your camera creates an image that equals out to 8X12. so you must crop the sides down to 8X10.

Yes, that is much simpler.

[Westx]

Heather in DPP use the trimming tool and set your aspect ratio to 4x5 or 5x4 depending on how you want it to come out then and only if you use 300 ppi set the size to 3000x2400. This will give you an 8x10. By doing this keep in mind when taking photos to leave extra space around your subject so you can crop it this size without cropping off part of the subject.

[DHaass]

As much as you say you only need something for 8x10 now, it would be a mistake to size everything to that dimension just to save space. Once you have made that commitment there is no going back later. Hard drive space is cheap. Save the native file and move on. When you need it later it will be there.

[HeatherM]

Thanks so much everyone! It makes much more sense now.

Originally Posted by DHaass

As much as you say you only need something for 8x10 now, it would be a mistake to size everything to that dimension just to save space. Once you have made that commitment there is no going back later. Hard drive space is cheap. Save the native file and move on. When you need it later it will be there.

Should I save every file at its original size and only alter it ( or create a copy) if I need to change the dimensions at some point down the road?

[Westx]

Heather I have 3 copies of most of my shots. I edit the RAW, save as JPEG and then if posting to the web process in PSE7 down to 800x633 or so with my Copy right info on it. Like others have said hard drives are cheap these days. I do all my editing on my in computer HD then move them to a 1 TB external drive.

[Hogleg 44]

Originally Posted by HeatherM

Thanks so much everyone! It makes much more sense now.



Should I save every file at its original size and only alter it ( or create a copy) if I need to change the dimensions at some point down the road?

I save every original file that I have chosen as keepers. (Raw for me) That way I can always reprocess it if a new/more interesting/better software becomes available to me.

[Sweet Caroline]

I use smugmug for printing, so I can adjust the crop on any print in my order. I often upload original aspect. If I am going to crop for artistic purposes, I usually crop to 5x7 ratio after uploading. This usually allows me (or anyone else) to order prints in the most popular sizes, like 4x6 and 8x10, without losing important parts of the image. So, on my hard drive, my images are all saved at their original size.

[ldelacruz]

Originally Posted by DHaass

As much as you say you only need something for 8x10 now, it would be a mistake to size everything to that dimension just to save space. Once you have made that commitment there is no going back later. Hard drive space is cheap. Save the native file and move on. When you need it later it will be there.

Great advice!

[DHaass]

Originally Posted by HeatherM

Thanks so much everyone! It makes much more sense now.



Should I save every file at its original size and only alter it ( or create a copy) if I need to change the dimensions at some point down the road?

Simply put, yes. Never save over the original file. The only time that works is in Lightroom 2 and I believe Camera Raw. I know any changes made in LR2 are non-destructive.

I recommend shooting in Raw. Yes, it takes up more space on your card and hard drive, but you have the original file with all the data you can get in a photo. If you do shoot only in jpeg I recommend you always do a 'save as', never just save over changes made to a jpeg. That's another whole page of writing to explain. Just take my word for it until you get a better understanding of it.