problems with resizing pixels

[mandalin]

I am using Microsoft Digital image standard 2006, but I think I may have different program, but this one seems to be the best. The problem is when I download my pics from my digital camera they are about 1200 pixels...when i resize the image down to about 600 the photo in turn either blurs or turns grainy....I was trying to convert one of my photos to B&W but when i resize it and then change it, it looks just terrible. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks all

mandalin

[Electricseashell]

Your image resizer is set for In instead of pixels. Thats what I was trying to explain yesterday. There is a free resizer linked here somewhere let me find it, I downloaded it, its called FastStone resizer.

[mandalin]

Originally Posted by Electricseashell

Your image resizer is set for In instead of pixels. Thats what I was trying to explain yesterday. There is a free resizer linked here somewhere let me find it, I downloaded it, its called FastStone resizer.

I have a thing that allowed me to change the actual pixels using that program...talk about frustration as when i do resize the pixels it messes some of them up. Some come out alright, but the ones i really want get all grainy and messed up...ugh

[Electricseashell]

I found it >>>
Converting an image for posting – what am I doing wrong?

[r_fredrick_smith]

Originally Posted by mandalin

I am using Microsoft Digital image standard 2006, but I think I may have different program, but this one seems to be the best. The problem is when I download my pics from my digital camera they are about 1200 pixels...when i resize the image down to about 600 the photo in turn either blurs or turns grainy....I was trying to convert one of my photos to B&W but when i resize it and then change it, it looks just terrible. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks all

mandalin

First of all, Microsoft Digital image standard 2006, is a discontinued product as far as I know. You are the first person I've ever heard of that uses it.

Microsoft Digital Image Home page.

Most people use something like Elements or Photoshop, etc.

Its hard to give you any pointers without more information. What other programs do you have for editing your photos. Which camera do you have? Do you have it set to its highest resolution? Can you make a screen shot of the resize dialog you see when you do this resize and post it? More information will help us give you some better advice.

Cheers,
rfs

[PhotosbyChuck]

Originally Posted by mandalin

I have a thing that allowed me to change the actual pixels using that program...talk about frustration as when i do resize the pixels it messes some of them up. Some come out alright, but the ones i really want get all grainy and messed up...ugh

A few things:

1) Pixels can't be resized. They can be copied, altered or deleted, but they cannot be resized. That's an important concept to understand. If you have an image that is 600 x 400 pixels, that means the image has 240,000 total pixels in it. You can put more pixels in or take some away, but every pixel will always be the same size (on the same monitor).

2) When you enlarge a photo, the computer has to make up what would be in the new pixels. If you enlarge a 600 x 400 pixel image to be 1200 x 800, the image now has 640,000 pixels. Notice that although you doubled the pixels on one side, you nearly tripled the total number of pixels in the image. Where did the extra data to fill in those pixels come from? It made them up! Your computer likely either just multiplied everything (every original pixel gets copied to 2 new pixels making every 3 pixels exactly the same) or it tries to guess by blending nearby pixels to create the midpoint. In both cases the computer can only be successful at very small percentage enlargements. Over enlarged images look blocky. If you have a really small image nothing in the world is going to make it look great as a large image.

3) When you shrink a photo, the computer has to decide what to throw away. If you shrink a 600 x 400 pixel photo to be 60 x 40, a ton of pixels have to be removed. Again, the computer uses an algorithm to determine which pixels go and which stay.

4) Reduction is not reversible. If you shrink a 600 x 400 image to 60 x 40 and then you take that 60 x 40 image and blow it back up to 600 x 400 using the most expensive fractal-based software you can find, you'll be disappointed. That 60 x 40 image will look like crap at 600 x 400.

Ok, so ... first, if you are trying to enlarge a small image forget it. That would never look good. For example, you have several small images in your album. None of them will look good larger...unless you have the larger original photos somewhere!

Secondly, if you are trying to shrink an image be sure that you keep the same ratio. Notice in my examples, the ratios remain the same. 600 x 400 is the same ratio as 60 x 40. Both numbers were divided by 10. While it doesn't have to be 10 by any means, it must be the same number. Usually this is referred to as "constraining the proportions" during the resize. If you fail to do this an image will be stretched or scrunched like it was on silly putty.

Finally, Adobe is making a free version of Photoshop Express available. Find it here: https://www.photoshop.com/express/landing.html

[Electricseashell]

Always save a copy of the original file!!!