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larry45
Inspiring
August 9, 2018
Answered

Why do jpegs look smaller in PS and Bridge

  • August 9, 2018
  • 2 replies
  • 1131 views

I notice that jpegs, (no so much DNGs or TIFFS), at lets says 600x400 pixels looks like a nice large thumbnail in an email attachment or in Mac Preview.

But in PS or Bridge at 100% it's looks like a much smaller thumbnail. Why is this?

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer JJMack

    Displays these days can have a range of DPI resolution ranging from  from around 80DPI to well over 300DPI  because of this Operating systems and Applications will scale thing to a lower resolution on High resolution displays some things will be scaled up in size.  Photoshop will scale its UI up in size but not the Image it displays that you do using Photoshop zooming the image displaye.   That means at 100% zoom an image 600px by 400pn will displaye much smalller on High Resolition displaye then on low resolition displays.  Pixels are much larger on low resolution then pixels on a high resolution display.    Other Applications Like Browers, Email, Image viewer will have both their UI and their image scale up in size on High resolution displays by their OS display scalling what is displayed on High resolution Displays up in size.

    2 replies

    JJMack
    Community Expert
    JJMackCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 9, 2018

    You Zoom in.  With your image Zoomed to 100% actual pixels  you are looking at your Image at your displays native high resolution which is nearer to your image's high resolution Print DPI. You get a better idea as to how your print will look printed at a high resolution.  The Image may still be a little larger on your display then the print will be.  That depends on the Display resolution compared to the Print DPI.  

    Using Photoshop zoom feature you should have no problem looking at your image are a lower resolution by scaling your image up in size.  Zoom it to 200% it should be the size you would see your image on a low resolution display with the image zoomed to 100% actual pixels.  Large Print size Image will still not fit on your display zoomed to 100% actual pixels. Web size image will and at 100% zoom  actual pixels may be the size other will see your web image on their  high resolution mobile devices.

    Image Print DPI is normally around 300Dpi pixels are 1/300"x1/300" 90,000 pixels per square inch.  Some mobile devices displays have a higher resolution than that.   However desktop displays do not and laptop capable of running Photoshop also do not.

    185DPI 16:9  3840x2160 24" Dell 4K P2415Q My desktop highe resolution display

    163DPI 16:9  3840x2160 27" Dell 4K P2715Q

    159DPI 16:9  3840x2160 28" Dell 4K S2817Q

    140DPI 16:9  3840x2160 32" Dell 4K P3216Q

    104DPI 16:9  3840x2160 43" Dell 4K P4317Q

    219DPI 16:9  5120x2880 27" Dell 5K UP2715K

    216PPI   3:2  2160x1440 12" Microsoft Surface Pro 3 My Photoshop mobile device

    283DPI 16:9  3840x2160  15.6" Wacom Mobile studio 16 4K

    JJMack
    L
    larry45Author
    Inspiring
    August 9, 2018

    There is no print, just an image to email.

    If I zoom to 200% in PS it looks terrible.

    Bridge it's looks ok but huge pita deal with.

    Are the Adobe engineers aware of how annoying this is for their customers?

    JJMack
    Community Expert
    JJMackCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 9, 2018

    If all you are going to be doing is email you do not need photoshop or a high resolution display.   You would be better of with a low resolution display like years ago.   You must be getting  up in age and can no longer cope with change.  I'm  only 77years old....

    JJMack
    JJMack
    Community Expert
    JJMackCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    August 9, 2018

    Displays these days can have a range of DPI resolution ranging from  from around 80DPI to well over 300DPI  because of this Operating systems and Applications will scale thing to a lower resolution on High resolution displays some things will be scaled up in size.  Photoshop will scale its UI up in size but not the Image it displays that you do using Photoshop zooming the image displaye.   That means at 100% zoom an image 600px by 400pn will displaye much smalller on High Resolition displaye then on low resolition displays.  Pixels are much larger on low resolution then pixels on a high resolution display.    Other Applications Like Browers, Email, Image viewer will have both their UI and their image scale up in size on High resolution displays by their OS display scalling what is displayed on High resolution Displays up in size.

    JJMack
      L
      larry45Author
      Inspiring
      August 9, 2018

      thanks JJ, Super annoyance? This is only a problem with Adobe software.  How can you edit a large 600px jpeg if it looks like a tiny thumbnail at 100% in PS and Bridge? Are the Adobe engineers aware of how annoying this is for their customers?

      D Fosse
      Community Expert
      D FosseCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      August 9, 2018

      You need to understand how high resolution displays work.

      Photoshop actually displays this correctly, one screen pixel to one image pixel. Which it has to do, being a professional-grade image editor.

      The other viewers and browsers, Preview, Safari etc., can take liberties, so they compensate for the small screen pixels, by scaling the image up to 200%. This way it displays at the same screen size as on a traditional display - which is what most people have.

      Photoshop can do the same thing, if you set View > 200%. Then they will both be scaled up and match. Except that Preview makes it look pretty, with smoothing and sharpening. It's not accurate, but it looks good.

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