Ditigtal Imaging question

[josh_the_hot_boy]

So I have created this image in photo shop. Thing is I need to have the image blown up to 3 feet so I'm not sure how I should create my image like the image size in inches and the pixels per inch and so on. I wanna make sure that my image isn't grainy. When I create a new image I can have a maximum resolution of 2500 pixels per inch but then I can resize it up to like 32000 so I'm not sure exactly what to do. Anyone who can help it would be appreciated.

 

[Tjerk12]

Hi Josh. I work a lot in photo shop, so I learned some tricks. When you enlarge a photo you expect it to become grainy. It happens that way in the conventional photography, especially when the original has already a raster pattern (enlarging a photo with a raster 40 two times results in a raster 20). In photo shop that does not happen. As you can see does the number of pixels not change. The problem that will occur is that often the sharpness of the original photo is not sufficient. To solve that problem you can do some tricks. Number one is use the sharpening button for the borders and transitions and those places you want to accentuate. Use a small brush size and not more than 30% effect. The other problem you will see is that some parts of the photo do not have the quality that you expected. Those parts you can replace. Use therefore the clone tool. Search for equivalent parts in your photo to repair the bad ones. Use about 40% effectiveness and cover it from different angles, so you will get a smooth result. When you are half way content you try for the first time the brightness and contrast buttons. Some parts of your photo will appear to hard then. On that places you use the soften tool.
It is all a bit of experience. Most of the photos in my album were bad quality when I downloaded them. Terrible shadows, not visible eyes (I hate that) and often very grainy. Using this tricks you can achieve good results.
When your photo is not really a photo but a line drawing, there is an easier way. Remove the color in it. Make a bitmap of the file. Now you can enlarge it to any size without loosing quality.

I made this morning a new photo shop composition. Saved the steps. May be it helps. Or it is old news for you.

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[josh_the_hot_boy]

I'm thinking about recreating the image (its something I drew in photoshop). So I'm wondering what would I need to do starting fresh to make sure it doesn't look bad when I blow it up to 3 feet. If I create my image with a resolution of like 72 then it would be horrible I would think but I don't want overkill ether something that's like 300 Mb's.

I can manipulate image's I'm just not sure how to create my doent with the right image size and resolution so when I blow it up it doesn't look horrible.

 

[Tjerk12]

There are internet print shops. They communicate only by the internet. You have to send them your file. Normally for a poster 42x60 cm the requirement for the file is I think JPEG 300 dots per inch. The result is good. The only point is that you must design it in that measures. So canvas to 42x60 cm, 300 dots per inch and the quality is nice. But visit a site of such a print shop and you will find all the information.

 

[josh_the_hot_boy]

okay thanks.

 

[josh_the_hot_boy]

I think I get it so If I want my finished image of 3 Ft. by 3 Ft. to have a resolution of 300 dpi then when I create my image in photoshop at 4.5 inches(1/8 size) it should have a resolution of 2400 dpi right?

 

[Tjerk12]

I think that's right. But why not work on the final size. The computer will shrink your image to the monitor size. Then you are always sure that the result is correct. So canvas to 3 Ft by 3 Ft. 300 dpi

 

[josh_the_hot_boy]

My computer can't handle that much it comes out to a resolution of 10,000 pixels by 10,000 pixels. Well I guess its going to come out to that whether I do 1:8 or 1:1 but still my computer can handle most things but that is a bit much for it. After thinking about that I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I guess I will figure out.

 

[Tjerk12]

I have a friend who is a Graphic Designer. When I see him I will ask what to do.

 

[josh_the_hot_boy]

okay thanks alot lucky I don't need this tomorrow or anything so. I appreciate the help

 

[Tom]

That's really fascinating Tjerk12. I love the picture demonstration!
I've got to learn how to do that.
Don't have photo shop but have many other image editing programs.
Is Picasso any good?
Or Gimp for Linux?

 

[Tjerk12]

I just contacted my friend. He is on vacation but sometimes the modern inventions help (mobile). The result: you should work on a 1 to 1 scale. The file would get enormous for 300 dpi. But when you use a ink jet printer 75 dpi is sufficient. It gives a nice sharp result. Problems occur when you use a high quality laser printer. Then a lower quality laser printer would be better. But usually the printers who are able to print so big are ink jet printers. So work on full scale 75 dpi.

 

[Tjerk12]

Hi Tom.
I have really no idea. I learned to work in photo shop the old fashioned way "try and error". Friends who know something about computers are often very enthousiastic about stuff from linux. But I suppose that Josh would be able to answer this question. He has a lot less antiquarioush body then I have.