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andreag20774134
andreag20774134
Participant
October 4, 2018
Answered

Smaller image size in Photoshop - losing quality when saving

  • October 4, 2018
  • 2 replies
  • 1561 views

Sorry for that horrible title, I actually didn't know how to explain it. Keep in mind English is not my first language please.

So I've been having this problem since I installed Photoshop, I have trying to find a solution myself and been putting off asking for help (I tried, in vain, to find an answer - sorry if there was already a thread about this but I didn't find it!). It hasn't gone away with the different actualisations.

When I open an image in Photoshop (be it a new canvas or a photo from my computer), the canvas I actually have (in 100%!) is actually 50% smaller than it should be.

Example:

I created a new canvas, 1000px*1000px, and this is what I have:

As you can see, 1000px*1000px, 100% on Navigator, but what I can see is actually a 500px*500px square. Note that I have Illustrator too and when I open a 1000px*1000px canvas, it actually shows the real size:

So the problem is only with Photoshop. Problem is, when I then save the image, it's saved as 1000px*1000px, not 500px*500px and it loses quality, as if I was expanding a 500*500px to 1000*1000px.

This is the image from above:

https://www.zupimages.net/up/18/40/qtaa.png

(I put a link so you can see it in "full" size).

As you can see, 1000px*1000px but bad quality.

It's a bother, really. Because sometimes I can just work on a canvas double the size of what I actually want and save it (with bad quality) and then resize (with CSS on forums, for examples) so it can "gain" quality again... but sometimes I can't.

I'm a fairly casual user, am not professional, just an amateur, and don't know anything about software, graphic cards, etc. I'm a noob, sorry. How can I make my photoshop display things at their actual, true size?

For the info, I use a MacBook Pro Retina (13', 2560x1600) and I have a Intel Iris Graphics 6100 1536MB graphic card. Don't know if it's at all relevant, but I just throw it out there. 

I hope I explained myself correctly and that someone can throw some light on this problem. If someone could help me, I would be really grateful.

Have a nice day,

Andrea.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer JohanElzenga

Maybe I should have chosen different words. I can assure you that I know the meaning of the word pixels very well. I just tried to explain to the OP why a Retina screen may show the image smaller than he expects. The reason for that is that Retina screens are normally used with a lower resolution setting than the true hardware resolution. Unlike some other applications (that upscale), Photoshop displays the images in the true resolution of the screen, so one image pixel = one screen pixel. And as a result, the image may seem to be smaller if you consider the system screen settings.

2 replies

JohanElzenga
Community Expert
JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
Community Expert
October 4, 2018

This only looks that way because you use a Retina screen. The image is 1000 x 1000 pixels, but a Retina screen shows it at a 2x higher resolution, so it may look like it's 500 x 500 pixels.

-- Johan W. Elzenga
c.pfaffenbichler
Community Expert
c.pfaffenbichlerCommunity Expert
Community Expert
October 4, 2018

You don’t seem to understand the meaning of the word »pixel«, it is not a measurement of length in itself.

Photoshop representing one image pixel by one screen pixel is exactly what it is supposed to do at View > 100%.

If some browser (for example) upsamples images to twice their size on a Retina display that is not Photoshop’s problem or Adobe’s responsibility.

andreag20774134
andreag20774134Author
Participant
October 4, 2018

You're right, I actually don't seem to understand the concept of what a pixel is. As stated above, I'm a noob, though eager to learn.

So if I understand, what I see in Photoshop is actually the real deal but everywhere else is expanding because I'm using Retina?

But why does it appear similar to a browser on Illustrator then? If it's also Adobe.

Does this mean that I see it lacking quality on Retina (in a browser) but people who don't have retina see it as it should be? Like, browsers don't upsample images in non-retina screens, so they see my images as having standard/good quality? Because what I see in my computer is ugly and pixelated.

I'm sorry if this is very basic to you and I'm making you lose you time or something.

c.pfaffenbichler
Community Expert
c.pfaffenbichlerCommunity Expert
Community Expert
October 4, 2018
As you can see, 1000px*1000px, 100% on Navigator, but what I can see is actually a 500px*500px square.

No, when I open your 100% screenshot and measure the white area it is exactly 1000px by 1000px.

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