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elliot-n
Inspiring
August 28, 2012
Answered

Why do my images look soft in Bridge?

  • August 28, 2012
  • 4 replies
  • 38680 views

Hi, I'm a Photo Mechanic user, but I'm having problems with their latest release (PM5), so I thought I'd check out the latest version of Bridge to see if it can serve the same function. I'm having problems getting sharp previews. When I hit the spacebar to view an image full screen it looks blurred. If I click on the image it then becomes sharp (it stays the same size, just redraws itself and becomes sharp). Is this a bug or a feature? Thanks.

Mac Mini i7 2.7 16Gb Ram

OS X 10.8.1

Eizo CG275W

      Correct answer elliot-n

      Hmm, I think the blurred/click/sharp thing is probably a feature....

      What seems like a bug is that half the time I hit the spacebar I get a blank grey screen rather than a full screen preview...

      Another question.... Photo Mechanic can preview Raw/Jpeg pairs as a single image (so ratings, keywords etc. are applied to both)... Can Bridge do that?

      4 replies

      A
      alongcoh
      Participant
      April 22, 2016

      This is the solution to this problem. Open prefs, click GENERATE MONITOR SIZE PREVIEWS then PURGE CACHE. Problem solved.

      Yammer
      Yammer
      Inspiring
      April 22, 2016

      If only it were that simple.

      The problem occurs even with this setting. It's more complicated, and relates to both the image crop/dimensions, the display size, and the graphics card.

      It seems that the larger the image, the less likely you are to see the problem.

      The Generate Monitor Size Previews setting is a pretty simple fix for low res previews.

      P
      photointo
      Participating Frequently
      April 16, 2015

      Images in Bridge are soft, it's unacceptable. I'm using FastStone Image Viewer - it's free, fast and images are sharp.

      billl64068922
      billl64068922
      Participant
      April 20, 2015

      I just got the D810 last week, and yes my NEF images are terribly soft in Bridge, making it very difficult to use as a sorting software.  They are improved when they're given time to render, but even then they look much sharper in photoshop.  At first I thought my shooting was way off, but was happy to see sharp images in PS.  However, I shot over 1400 images and opening up PS every time is not feasible!

      R
      randalqueen
      Participating Frequently
      September 16, 2012

      Ok, here goes... one's man opinion...

      The reason the previews are soft has nothing to do with drivers or display card or anything. Chances are most will see this and not understand it when the image size and display resolution size are equal. In other words, take an image that is 1920x1200 and view on a monitor that is also set up with a screen resolution of 1920x1200. I think when either entering a slideshow or full screen preview, it isn't showing the full image but is using either Fit or Fill screen. I think this causes poor algorithms to be used. When one clicks once on the image to get 100% view, then the image and screen size are one to one and you do get sharp images. If you go to a slideshow pressing Control+L and click on the screen you not only get 100% but you pause the slideshow. So just press the spacebar to continue the slideshow. You will keep the benefit of the sharper 100% images.

      I just think when Bridge is either using Fit or Fill screen, even if it could theoretically do that 100% when a screen resolution and image size are equal, that Bridge will show soft images. But no, I do not think its a driver issue or cache issue or anything else. I don't even think in this case you need monitor sized previews. Clicking to get a 100% view forces the image to be read. So really its nothing to do with Previews now does it...??!

      Randal

      By the way, I do also notice on even smaller than 1920x1200 screen rez images that I have to click to get to 100% view. I also notice it is like the application frame, so to speak, is increasing one pixel taller. So is this a mismatch from monitor to program with resolution? I don't know...

      Yammer
      Yammer
      Inspiring
      September 17, 2012

      This was explained in replies 7, 12 and 16; Bridge resamples the cached preview on the fly, and this is causing varying amounts of softness, depending on the dimensions of the display. I first pointed this out a year ago in this forum, and set up a feedback bug-fix request here http://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/generate_monitor_size_previews_to_fit_in_bridge

      As the title says, if previews were actually designed to fit the display in the first place, then they wouldn't need to be resampled.

      If you think something should be done about this, then please add your +1 to the list. I would have thought that this was essential for anyone reviewing a photographic shoot in Bridge (surely one of its best uses?), and assessing capture sharpness.

      I imagine that, years ago, most people would have been previewing a 4:3 image on a 4:3 display, but I guess that most are viewing 4:3 or 3:2 images on a 16:10 or 16:9 display these days, so either Bridge needs a better size cache preview or a better FIT algorithm. Unfortunately, Adobe doesn't come here much, so the feedback forum is our best chance.

      http://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/generate_monitor_size_previews_to_fit_in_bridge

      R
      randalqueen
      Participating Frequently
      September 17, 2012

      This was a problem going into CS3 and Bridge. I worked with some engineers at Adobe and we got this... but has now been swithed back to highly compressed jpg previews so you don't need such a large cache...

      Quote I wrote in an email to an Adobe team member...

      Gone is the "A new preference to enable High Quality Preview has been added to Bridge's Preferences > Advanced panel. When enabled, the preference addresses the problem of a soft or blurry preview appearing in the Preview panel and in Slideshow mode." which you so kindly made sure got into LR 3.2.1. Seems the softy previews are just back. Period.

      The work around to just click to force 100% view works in full screen or slideshow. Seems all we can do for now. Adobe seems to want a smaller cache. They got it but it had to be at some expense. There is no option for High Quality Previews any longer.

      Randal

      E
      elliot-nAuthorCorrect answer
      Inspiring
      August 28, 2012

      Hmm, I think the blurred/click/sharp thing is probably a feature....

      What seems like a bug is that half the time I hit the spacebar I get a blank grey screen rather than a full screen preview...

      Another question.... Photo Mechanic can preview Raw/Jpeg pairs as a single image (so ratings, keywords etc. are applied to both)... Can Bridge do that?

      A
      Anonymous
      August 28, 2012

      What you are seeing is the video card taking its sweet time to render the image.  Check to see if you have the latest drivers.

      E
      elliot-nAuthor
      Inspiring
      August 28, 2012

      Let me try to explain differently. I'm using a 2560 x 1440 monitor. I'm browsing a folder of 1800 x 1200 jpegs in Bridge. When I hit the spacebar the images preview at actual size. But they are soft. I can wait forever, but the images are still soft. If I click on an image then it become sharp (it remains the same size) - I can then arrow through the images and they all appear sharp (each one takes about a second to resolve into sharpness). I guess this is normal, but it seems odd to me (to have to click on the image to see it sharp). Photo Mechanic does a much better job at showing whether your images are in focus or not.

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