Skip to main content
P
pinkypunk35
Known Participant
February 18, 2022
Question

Image scaling issues between photoshop and web

  • February 18, 2022
  • 1 reply
  • 819 views

Just got a 4k monitor - now when I create an image it's a completely diferent scale in Photoshop compared to when I upload it to a website. Same issue when copying and pasting an image from the web into photoshop.

 

Is there any way to ensure some size consistency? Working on web images all day, it's helpful to know how they will appear for users.

 

Example attached.

 

Adjusting ppi doesn't seem to make any diference.

 

 

This topic has been closed for replies.

1 reply

davescm
Community Expert
davescmCommunity Expert
Community Expert
February 18, 2022

An image in Photoshop does not have a physical size - only pixels. PPI is not used on screen , it is just metadata used to calculate the print size. When viewed at 100% zoom, 1 image pixel will be mapped to 1 screen pixel. The more dense the pixels are packed on your screen, the smaller physical size it will display. That 1:1 mapping is essential to display the image without any scaling so that critical adjustments on sharpness can be assessed.

 

Many browsers recognise that a 4K screen is being used and scale the image. For example scaling to 200% uses 4 screen pixels to display 1 image pixel.   To see that in Photoshop, use View - 200%

 

Dave

    P
    pinkypunk35Author
    Known Participant
    February 18, 2022

    Thanks.

     

    I should have pointed out that my screen, whilst 4k, is set to 50% scaled, which is effectivly a 2k screen (like I had before). That's why I can't get my head around why it's so diferent?

     

    Even if I run at 4k, the web images are always 200% bigger.

     

     

    davescm
    Community Expert
    davescmCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 18, 2022

    If you have that scaling in Windows then it only affects Photoshop's UI (i.e. menus, panels etc) not the image preview on the screen. In Photoshop, 100% zoom is always* 1 image pixel - 1 screen pixel. Browsers are not.

     

    The exception to "always" is where the application has been scaled outside of Windows settings which some do to allow older versions to operate with newer screens . However, by doing this and scaling the image area, Photoshop can no longer be relied upon for critical adjustment. All scaling introduces artifacts.

     

    Dave

      Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
      Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices