What is the best way to resizing images in Photoshop 7 before printing?

Hi all:

I'm about ready to FINALLY get some of my many digital and scanned images printed.

I've noticed that if I use the crop tool and set the width and height to a size that I would get the image printed as (such as 4X6), that part of the image will be cut off.

I've also noticed that if I use the resizing option under Help, that I can't select a size that I would want (the width or height is always off that what I want).

If I use the image sizing option under images, it lowers the picture quality (pixel count).

There has to be a way that I can get the whole image in the size (such as 4X6, 5X7, 8X10, etc) that I want, without affection the quality of the image as I mentioned above. I know that there probably will be some image distortion (stretching or shrinking) with this method.

The manual, Photoshop books and the program "help" isn't giving me a clue if what I want is possible.

So is this possible, and if so, how?

I am running Photoshop 7.01 (on Windows XP). Cameras-Olympus D-40 and C-50. Scanned slide images.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Ben Flogged Daley
just call me BFD for short

Benjamin Flogged Daley wrote:

Hi all:

I'm about ready to FINALLY get some of my many digital and scanned images printed.

I've noticed that if I use the crop tool and set the width and height to a size that I would get the image printed as (such as 4X6), that part of the image will be cut off.

<snipped>

Thanks for any suggestions.

Ben Flogged Daley
just call me BFD for short

Ben, first off, I am going to make the assumption that you will be using a MiniLab/Photolab to print out your pictures.

Most digital cameras produce an image that is in a 4:3 ratio (e.g. you would get all your image if you could choose an 8x6" print size), whereas traditional 35mm film is set to a 3:2 (hence 6x4 size prints) aspect ratio, which is what the photolabs are geared up for. Therefore, you will experience cropping of some kind (depending on your chosen print output size) if you ask them to produce *borderless* prints. Obviously, if you don't want to have prints with a white border but which contain all your image data, then you must do either of the following in Photoshop.

1. With your image open on the desktop, select Image / Image Size and in the Document Size boxes enter your specified image print size dimensions, making sure you UNCHECK the 'constrain propotions' box. Also ensure you have also UNCHECKED the Resample Image box to keep the current dpi for the new (and lower sized) image resolution. If you are going to 'upsize' the dimensions of the original digital 'negative', then you must use the 'Resample Bicubic' setting, or you'll probably get the JPEG 'jaggies'! Photolabs print out at around 300dpi in sRGB colourspace, but if your image is set for around 250dpi, it should be OK.

2. Otherwise, use the crop tool and select an area of your chosen output size.

TIP: Remember that if you ask the photolab to print out at *borderless*, then they will almost certainly fill the area based on the length of the shortest side, which means the longer side will get substantially cropped! So, if you don't want to resize your image as in 1. above and thereby distort the image in the process, make sure that you adjust the 'Canvas' size of the image instead to represent the output dimensions, and ensure that the canvas colour is set to white (obviously!) You will then see how a bordered print will look like.

HTH

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Kind regards

Nigel