How do I make images in Photoshop Elements not look "digital"?

V
Posted By
vickiwalters
Sep 1, 2004
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161
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6
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digital photoshop elements how image look make

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MR
Mark_Reibman
Sep 1, 2004
Is this a trick question? If it isn’t, I think you need to elaborate.
V
vickiwalters
Sep 1, 2004
No tricks – just dumb – I know enough about the software to be dangerous. My images are not sharp – they look like pixels or (what I call) digital or something. Let me try to describe – the edges of the details look jagged – not like regular film prints – it is driving me crazy trying to fix. My digital camera is set on fine, it is new, and it is a good brand. Help!
BH
Beth_Haney
Sep 1, 2004
What you’re describing is pixelation, and it comes from printing at a resolution that’s too low. In general, you never want to print at a resolution below 150ppi, and the usual target is something between 240 and 300ppi.

You’re undoubtedly not resizing the images properly after they come off the camera. Or, you may be using the Picture Package in Elements, which, for some dumb reason, defaults to 72ppi. That’s waaaay too low for decent prints, but it can be changed on the set up screen.

For starters, since you’re new to this and using a new, good camera. Make sure that you archive every original picture you download from your camera and work on nothing but copies. There are a number of details that need to be taken into consideration, and you may miss some of them until you’ve had more practice. If you always have a clean copy to go back to, you’ll never screw up an image so badly that it’s lost.

So, for starters, download your image files. Make a copy. Put the originals in a sacred folder, and work on the copies. Open an image in Elements, and go to Image>Resize>Image Size and check both the resolution displayed and the physical dimensions. Make sure there is NO checkmark in the box that says Resample, and then start playing with the number in the resolution box. Watch how, as you increase the resolution, the physical size of the picture shrinks. Since we know nothing about the size camera you’re using, it’s hard to be more specific, but I can give an example from mine, which is a 3MP. Images open at 180ppi, and they are about 8 X 11 inches. I kick the resolution up to 330ppi, and I am then left with an image that needs only minor cropping to produce a perfect 4 X 6.

Play around a little, and then post again with some more specific questions.
MR
Mark_Reibman
Sep 1, 2004
Okay, now I understand. It’s your prints you’re asking about. I should’ve guessed. What’s happening is your printer is probably printing a default of 72pixels per inch. I think this happens with the picture package function (is that what you’re printing from) unless you reset the ppi to about 300ppi. The ideal ppi is a more complicated subject but what you’re printing at now is definitely not ideal. If you are not using picture package to print from PSE, go under image>resize>image size and enter a number of 280 – 320ppi in the ‘resolution’ box.

I’ll leave it to our regular forum pixel gurus to elaborate or add to this.

Edit: Oh, our pixel guruess, Beth, is here as I was typing. Now you’ve got lots of info!
V
vickiwalters
Sep 1, 2004
THANK YOU – GUYS – A BUNCH!!
T
trackball
Sep 7, 2004
wrote in message
No tricks – just dumb – I know enough about the software
to be dangerous.
My images are not sharp – they look like pixels or (what I
call) digital or
something. Let me try to describe – the edges of the
details look jagged
– not like regular film prints – it is driving me crazy
trying to fix. My digital
camera is set on fine, it is new, and it is a good brand.
Help!

try to set zoom to 100%

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