Enlarging Your Picture
with no apparent loss of resolution
Why?
Even with the high resolution of today's digital cameras, you may notice some loss of resolution if you print larger than 8 x 10, or if you've cropped your image significantly before printing. This technique enables you to enlarge your picture dramatically with no apparent loss of resolution.
(Maynard Loring) Here's what I do:
Part I: Enlarge your picture.
In Photoshop CS:
- Make any adjustments you want to in exposure, color balance, saturation, etc.
- For reference, show the ruler by Ctrl+R or View >> Show Rulers.
- Go to Image >> Resize >> Image size.
- Be sure Constrain Proportions and Resample Image are both checked, and that Bicubic Smoother is selected in the Resample Image menu.
- Under Page Dimensions, change the width menu selection to percent.
- Enter 110 (percent).
- Click OK. The rulers will show that the picture size has increased by 10%.
- Repeat as many times as you want to.
NOTE: This routine can be found in The Photoshop CS Book for Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby, New Riders Publishing, 2003, pp 75-76.
Part II: Automate your process by creating a "New Action!"
In Photoshop CS:
- Go to Windows >> Actions >> Create New Action. The New Action dialog box opens.
- Give the Action a name. I call it "Upsize 110%."
- Choose a function key. I use PF11 on my keyboard.
- Click the Record button.
- Enter the steps above as your Action routine:
- Go to Image >> Resize >> Image size.
- Be sure Constrain Proportions and Resample Image are both checked, and that Bicubic Smoother is selected in the Resample Image menu.
- Under Page Dimensions, change the width menu selection to percent.
- Enter 110 (percent).
- Click OK. The rulers will show that the picture size has increased by 10%.
- In the New Action dialog box, click the Stop button.
You have assigned function button PF11 to the Action entitled "Upsize 110%." Your image will be enlarged by 10%, with little or no distortion, each time you press PF11.
Last updated 01/08/08.
