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frankg_photos
Inspiring
January 30, 2020
Answered

How to resize / up sample in ACR

  • January 30, 2020
  • 7 replies
  • 3471 views

In ACR, underneath the image, there is a hyperlink to workflow options and in that window you can check or un-check "resize to fit" and also you can check/uncheck "don't enlarge"

I've also read that you can use the crop tool but I don't see how to do that

I'm using the latest version (12) via the cc subscription

thanks

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Per Berntsen

Open the image in Photoshop, then duplicate it (Image > Duplicate), to avoid accidentally overwriting the original.

Display the rulers, Ctrl+R (Windows), Cmd+R (Mac).

Right click the ruler, and choose your preferred unit of measurements. (cm or inches)

Go to Image > Image size, and the image will most likely have wrong dimensions if it comes directly from a scanner or a camera.

The screenshot below shows the Image size dialog for the image I posted previously.

 

 

Change the width of the image to 200 cm, or whatever width you want.

The height and resolution will update once you press Tab.

Note that Resample must be unchecked.

Click OK.

 

 

With the crop tool, click and drag the area that you want to use for a test print.

Dimensions will show as a tooltip as you drag, and you want an area that is a little smaller than the max paper size of your printer. Press Enter to commit the crop, then print it.

7 replies

Per Berntsen
Community Expert
Per BerntsenCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
February 2, 2020

Open the image in Photoshop, then duplicate it (Image > Duplicate), to avoid accidentally overwriting the original.

Display the rulers, Ctrl+R (Windows), Cmd+R (Mac).

Right click the ruler, and choose your preferred unit of measurements. (cm or inches)

Go to Image > Image size, and the image will most likely have wrong dimensions if it comes directly from a scanner or a camera.

The screenshot below shows the Image size dialog for the image I posted previously.

 

 

Change the width of the image to 200 cm, or whatever width you want.

The height and resolution will update once you press Tab.

Note that Resample must be unchecked.

Click OK.

 

 

With the crop tool, click and drag the area that you want to use for a test print.

Dimensions will show as a tooltip as you drag, and you want an area that is a little smaller than the max paper size of your printer. Press Enter to commit the crop, then print it.

F
frankg_photosAuthor
Inspiring
February 2, 2020

Thanks so much for the help

Per Berntsen
Community Expert
Per BerntsenCommunity Expert
Community Expert
February 2, 2020

Yes, generally.

But I wouldn't bother with a drum scan with a low quality original.

Imacon/Hasselblad scan will be fine, or a Nikon LS 5000, although the latter only scans at 4000 ppi.

And as I mentioned before, I would not enlarge the scan/image from camera, again because of the quality of the original.

But if you have a desktop inkjet printer, you can do some experiments with a small section of the image, using different processing techniques, and see for yourself what works best.

As for paper choice, it's possible that a textured paper will be better, not sure, I always use glossy paper. Do some tests with different papers.

F
frankg_photosAuthor
Inspiring
February 2, 2020

" if you have a desktop inkjet printer, you can do some experiments with a small section of the image, using different processing techniques"

How ? Once I have the enlarged file, crop a small section (with a paper ratio like 6x4 or 5x7 or 8x10) & check under Image Size that it'll fit my pper (or keep cropping smaller until it does ?

Per Berntsen
Community Expert
Per BerntsenCommunity Expert
Community Expert
February 1, 2020
I assumed you'd need 300 or 360 ppl for a good print. Not 103ppi.

For a print this size, 300 ppi is overkill.

I routinely make prints 112 cm wide, and I print them at 180 ppi on my Epson printer, and they look fantastic, even at close inspection. These prints are made from files from a digital medium format camera.

 

Your original will be at the other end of the scale, a grainy Tri-X negative from a cheap camera.

Even if you have the negative scanned with a drum scanner, the scan will contain mostly grain and blur.

And if you enlarge it, you will probably just enlarge the grain and blur, and not get any more details.

So 103 ppi will be fine. I'm not saying that it will look great, but enlarging the file will most likely not make it look better.

 

 

 

 

 

F
frankg_photosAuthor
Inspiring
February 1, 2020

It sounds like I should talk them out of wanting a huge print from a old 35mm b&w neg 🙂

 

But if I have to, then perhaps a paper with tooth/texture , or on canvas, would help hide 'defects'. And, go for the best scan I can get (Imacon or drum) to print size without any further enlargement in Ps 

Alternatively, if I need to enlarge an image that originated as a digital raw file, then do it in Ps>Image Size>Preserve Details2 (or experiment with comparing that to enlarging in Raw workflow options or with a program like Gigapixel)

Correct?

.Do I have it straightened out?

Per Berntsen
Community Expert
Per BerntsenCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 31, 2020
make a huge print (about 2m) from an old 35mm b&w tri-x negative. It was made about 25 years ago on a crappy old camera.

In that case, I would not enlarge the image at all, but use it as is.

Enlarging it would most likely make it worse, because there will be so much noise/grain, and no sharp details.

 

The image below is a 100% crop from a scan of a negative shot around 1976 with a reasonably decent camera, an Olympus OM-1, probably with a 35mm lens. The film was Ilford FP4, I think.

It was scanned with an Imacon scanner at 5760 ppi, resulting in a file measuring 8160 x 5422 pixels.

At 2 meters width, this file will print at 103 ppi, which should be sufficient.

You would get about the same file size if you photograph the negative with a 45 MP full frame camera (like the Nikon Z7).

If you use a good macro lens, the result will be at least as good as a scan from a professional scanner.

 

Noise reduction and sharpening must be done very carefully with these kind of files.

It's impossible to remove the grain, and it's impossible to make it sharp, so I would use as little noise reduction and sharpening as possible. Using too much will only make the image look worse.

 

F
frankg_photosAuthor
Inspiring
February 1, 2020

Thanks for this. 
I assumed you'd need 300 or 360 ppl for a good print. Not 103ppi.

A drum scan would be good but it's very expensive.

Ill look into renting a macro lens which maybe a viable option as you described. 
so everything we talked through earlier is only applicable to enlarging a digital file - I'm going toget the Gigapixel trial and compare it to Ps>Preserve Details and to ACR enlargement. Do all 3 and compare. 

Per Berntsen
Community Expert
Per BerntsenCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 31, 2020

I rarely enlarge images, but I have played around with the different resampling options in Photoshop, comparing them with Lightroom. In Lightroom, which has ACR built in, there are no resampling options when exporting, so I'm pretty sure it uses the same resampling method as the Workflow options in ACR.

 

The conclusion I came to was that Photoshop's Preserve details 2.0 did the best enlargements (sharpest, most detailed, fewer artifacts). Lightroom came second. The difference was subtle, but noticeable.

So if I were to enlarge an image (any image), I would use Preserve details 2.0, it's the best method offered by Adobe.

 

I have also tried Gigapixel AI from Topaz, which does an even better job. They have a free trial.

F
frankg_photosAuthor
Inspiring
January 31, 2020


I guess it's a tough call as to which enlarging method is best because it's not definitive and will not always be true across the board - it may be different depending on the nature of each image or the size/scale of the the enlargement?

 

I started researching when someone asked me if I could make a huge print (about 2m) from an old 35mm b&w tri-x negative. It was made about 25 years ago on a crappy old camera. Nothing like the crisp sharpness of a modern camera

1. I just learned, on another forum, how to use the workflow options in ACR (=Lr) to enlarge.
2. Here you said Preserve details 2.0 resampling method in the Image size dialog is best.
3. And you & others recommend AI Gigapixel (or another similar Upres program).

 

Per Berntsen
Community Expert
Per BerntsenCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 31, 2020

You cannot use the crop tool in ACR to enlarge the image.

How much you can enlarge an image depends on the quality of the image, and how much quality loss you can accept.

View the image before and after at 100% to judge the quality.

I suggest that you don't resize the image in the workflow options, but use the Preserve details 2.0 resampling method in the Image size dialog in Photoshop, which is the best tool for enlarging.

 

What are the pixel dimensions of the original?

And how large do you want to print it?

A large print usually means a longer viewing distance, which means that you can print with a lower ppi value, and may not need to enlarge the image at all.

F
frankg_photosAuthor
Inspiring
January 31, 2020

Thank you Per.

You said: "I suggest that you don't resize the image in the workflow options, but use the Preserve details 2.0 resampling method in the Image size dialog in Photoshop, which is the best tool for enlarging."

Is that definitive, and always true, or is enlarging in ACR (workflow options) sometimes a better option - perhaps depending on the nature of the image or the scale/degree of enlargement ?

nikunj.m
Community Manager
nikunj.mCommunity Manager
Community Manager
January 31, 2020

Hi there,

 

You can use the "Workflow options" by clicking on the hyperlink at the bottom of the Camera Raw window and change the color space the image opens in along with the bit depth. You can also resize the image and change the resolution under the image sizing options. 

 

To check the details on how you can crop images using Camera Raw, please check: https://helpx.adobe.com/camera-raw/using/rotate-crop-retouch-images-camera.html#crop_images

 

Regards,

Nikunj

F
frankg_photosAuthor
Inspiring
January 31, 2020

Nikunj,

Thanks, but your reply simply repeats what I already know and stated in my original post.

 

I'm interested in more details - how much (to what size) you can safely enlarge, or in what enlarging increments should you work.

 

Also, what is the advantage or disadvantage to do it in ACR vs using Image Size in Ps on a Tif.

 

I know what the crop tool is and how to use it. I was asking if you can set new enlarged image size with it (as per Julienne Kost, Adobe evangelist, youtube video)

 

Thanks

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