In Photoshop file size...

matters to the outcome of your picture. When you use Photoshop file size can make or break the picture you are turning into a work of art. This page is not applicable to the "Quick Fixes" or certain other effects. It is mostly needed for effects having some kind of texture.

When you go to the store with your pictures on a disk or thumb drive, that electronic medium contains what is known as digital information. The information is on the disk in a form known as a file. A file is merely your picture in digital format.

The file is made up of something known as pixels. A pixel is an electronic dot. Pixels are measured in P.P.I. That is Pixels Per Inch. If you enlarge a picture as far as you can in Photoshop you will see individual squares. Each square is a pixel.

Pixels as seen in Photoshop.

You will not be able to clearly see the pixels unless you are using a program like Photoshop. It is designed that way.Here is the same picture in Windows Picture and Fax Viewer.

Many people get confused when they speak of P.P.I. and D.P.I. D.P.I. is how many dots per inch a printer offers. It is mechanical. P.P.I. on the other hand is an electronic quantity of how many little lights (pixels) per inch you see on a computer screen or a television screen.

Just remember (D.P.I.) dots are mechanical and (P.P.I.) pixels are electronic.

A file size is how many pixels are in the whole file, or in one picture. The dimensions are how many pixels wide and high the file is. File size and file dimensions are not directly related. I won’t go into that here because for our purposes the only important thing is the dimensions.

How to use different file dimensions in Photoshop to get the results you want.

For example the dimensions of both pictures below are 500 pixels wide and 375 pixels high. Even though they are both the same size now, they were drastically different sizes while I was working on them, as noted below.

There are some effects in Photoshop Elements that show differently depending upon the dimensions of the picture file you are working with. Take a look at these two pictures.

Photoshop file size, I performed the exact same operations on both pictures. While in the full edit tab I used the Artistic Effects. I applied both "Dry Brush" and "Texture" for an oil paint finish. To learn more about this click here. (Link Forthcoming.)

The only difference was the dimensions of the picture files. The first was at its current dimensions, 500 pixels wide by 375 pixels high. Like this, the picture is unusable for anything I can think of.

The second picture was worked at the original file dimensions as my camera took it. 3872 Pixels wide X 2592 Pixels High. At this small size one cannot tell that anything at all was done to the second picture. Also unusable.

So, I guess we will need to find file dimensions somewhere in between these two in order to get good results, huh!? Well, some times, some times not.

Below is a cropping from the second picture when it is enlarged to the size it will work. 24"X30". Printed at that size it makes for a pretty nice "painting." More on this later.

Photoshop offers a way for you to see your work at full size while you are working on it. If you monitor that you will know how the finish picture will look. Unfortunately it can be confusing.

For print sizes 4"X6" up to 16"X20" I find I have to change the dimensions of my picture file in order to get the result I seek.

The screen shows I am working at about 100%. The file dimensions say that 100% is about 8”X10”. Actually, as you saw above, the finish picture has to be printed at 24” by 30” for acceptable results.

This means that when I am finished “painting” the picture, in order for it to print the way I see on the screen I have to print it at 24”X30”. Anything else will not look right.

All that to say I find the numbers on the screen to be confusing. I have never figured out why it shows that way. Maybe someone can explain it to me. All I know for sure is the facts about it, not the reasons for it.

I know by experience which effects are problematic. When I am applying the aforementioned effects to a picture, I zoom in to about the size my finish picture will be.

I work with the picture at that zoom level. If you do this for all special effects you will be safe.

Zoom is only half of the equation. The figure above shows my file is calculated at 300 p.p.i. (Pixels per inch) And it says that it should be printed at 8"X10". This is the part that is confusing.

You can see by the picture below, which is worked at those dimensions and enlarged to the equivalent of 8”X10”. It looks quite different than the second picture which is enlarged to the size that looks good. 24”X30”.

In the first cropping (Cropped out of an 8”X10”) you can somewhat see the brush strokes but you cannot see the texture of the canvas background. To me it is unacceptable.

In the second (Cropped out of a 24”X30”) you can clearly see both the intended paint strokes and the canvas texture. This makes for a beautiful rendition at 24"X30" but marginal, at best, when printed 8"X10".

The screen shows I was working at 100% of the finish size. What the screen doesn't tell you is the print size will have to be 24"X30", not 8"X10" in order to get the desired affect. To get a great 8"X10" I have to change the dimensions of my file.

The numbers get confusing so please go by the calculations I show you rather than depending upon the on screen numbers. Over time you will develop your own system. Let's set up for an 8"X10" print.

I have found the best way for me to track what the end result will look like is by zooming the picture to what ever size it will be printed and work at that size on the screen.

In order to have this work properly I have to change the dimensions of the file. My camera shoots at 300 P.P.I. making the file dimensions about 3872 Pixels wide X 2592 Pixels High. This was the problem in the pictures above if I plan to print at 8"X10."

I use 100 P.P.I. for my file dimensions. 100 P.P.I. is the minimum I trust in order to get good results when I print a picture. Plus 100 is a good round number. It is easy to work with.

So, I change the file dimensions...

from 300 P.P.I. to 100 P.P.I. That means I will multiply the size of my finish print (In this case 8"X10") by 100 and that is the file dimensions I will use.

Find Microsoft's Image Resizer here.

Example: I want an 8”X10” print. That means I will change my file size from the original 3872 Pixels wide X 2592 Pixels High, to 1000 Pixels by 800 pixels, or there abouts. It doesn’t have to be exact.

There are programs on the market that can make the change for you. I use Microsoft, Power Toys, Image Resizer. It is free and available by googling it. If you choose Image Resizer, once it is installed, it works like this.

Right click on any thumbnail. In the drop down box click "Resize Pictures."

In the next drop down box, when you are going to use 100 P.P.I. it becomes pretty easy to figure out which to use for what size print. They don’t match pixel for pixel in size but they are close.

It can be done one of two ways. All you have to do is click on the small, medium or large dot for 4”X6”, 5”X7” or 8”X10." In our case, Large, for an 8"X10" print. This is the easy, one click process.

Or you may choose consistency by doing all sizes like the larger ones have to be done. For anything larger than 8”X10”, including 8"X12". Click “advanced”, then “custom”. Now multiply your print size by 100 and fill in the blanks for width and height.

Width is first, then height. In the example below the size I am going for is 16”X20”. Because width is always first, which number you put in the first box depends on whether you are using a “Landscape” (horizontal) or a “Portrait” (vertical) picture.

Each print size, 4"X6", 5"X7" and 8"X10" has a different aspect ratio (width/height).

That means you should set your file dimensions for each size. If you don't, your prints will be cropped differently than you have designed them. The developer automatically crops to fit the final print size. There is no manual override.

If you are like me and want to do things the same way every time, you can use the "advanced" key for all sizes and input the exact size. Then when you have your pictures printed they will not be cropped at all. They will match what you see on your screen.

Notice the ratio differences below.

Changing the file dimensions and working at the approximate finish size of a picture makes a big difference. It will mean the difference between dimensions that are too small causing a goofy looking shot.

Too large will cause a shot where you can’t see the intended effects when you are done. Plus, the right ratio will guarantee Aunt Millie's head is not cut off. The right dimensions will result in a professional looking photograph.

There are adjustments you can make in Photoshop which have nothing to do with the file dimensions, but I find it best to use dimensions close to the finish size I seek. From there I make the final adjustments in Photoshop.

If you demand a higher quality print you can figure 200 P.P.I. and adjust everything accordingly. I find 100 P.P.I. to be quite satisfactory. Especially when applying effects.

Effects, by nature, lower the precision of the finish. Things like Textured Dry Brush, which the pictures below are, and Old Photos, bottom two pictures, should not have a precision finish if they are to have the appearance sought.

Below is the same picture done four different ways. The top picture was reworked at the size you see it. The second is designed for 4”X6”, then 8”X10” and lastly about 16”X20”. I worked hard to get each to show well at the smaller size shown here.

As you can see, there is room for play, but it is best to use approximately the right dimensions when you are applying textured effects.

The second and third rendition of this picture may look a little cleaner at this small size but remember the purpose is to get a finish that looks like an actual tiny oil painting on canvas.

In my opinion the first picture fulfills that purpose nicely. Only the first picture looks like a genuine tiny oil. Each looks best at the size it is created for.

There you have it. In Photoshop file size matters when applying certain effects. I cannot give you exacts because there are so many variables.

Experiment and have fun. You will come up with what you like best. Have lots of patience with this. It takes a while to catch on because of all the variables.

P.S. The tall ship is just gorgeous at 16”X20”.Remember all this sizing and resizing is applicable only to certain effects you are using. It doesn't make a difference for general Quick Fix application.

You can use any P.P.I. for Quick Fix and for non-texture type of effects in Photoshop. That means if you have already resized a picture file to 100 P.P.I. you will see great results with or without the effects I'm talking about here.

Just be sure to keep an original in case you ever need it. I always keep special folders containing my originals. I also make sure I have a backup of those folders for when my hard drive takes a nose dive into the never-never-land of cyber space.

LATER!

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