importing large images into a4

[NM PDI]

Hello everyone.

I have been using photoshop since this morning :).

I have several 4K images on how to build a machine, and i have to merge a few of those into one page wich will be printed onto a4 format.

Now i want to know how you guys would go at such a job since i dont know the best way.

Should i create a sheet the same size as an a4 sheet and then shrink the 4K images? But that way i will loose the high resolution and the pictures will become blurry.

Or should i make a large sheet and then print it to a4 with "make image fitting"? But if i do that how do i make sure the image is not disproportionate? that it still has the same stricture as it would have on a a4 document...

I would be really greatful if someone could help me out here.

Thanks already!

-NM

[Lumigraphics]

I wouldn't use Photoshop for this, InDesign or Illustrator is better suited. But regardless, yes you have to size the images to fit the page you need to print.

[NM PDI]

Why would you not use photoshop for this? and what would you size to the sheet?  

[Lumigraphics]

Photoshop is an image editor not a page layout program. And if you want the images to print on an A4 sheet, they have to be sized smaller than A4, correct?

[Chris 486]

Indesign is a program that is made for page layout for things like manuals or magazines. If your final goal is something like that, that program maybe preferable as the tools in it are streamlined for that type of creation.

[Chris 486]

Hi @NM PDI 

@Lumigraphics - has a good tip. If you are just starting out, another software may be better. If you need to use photoshop, what is your final goal for this project? Is it to make a printed manual or something else? Assuming right now it's for print, it will be ok to the 4k images to lose a bit of quality to fit on the sheet as you won't be able to tell the difference anyway. A great import option for your images is to use smart objects.  Work with Smart Objects in Photoshop (adobe.com) The default photoshop settings for page setup are usually adequate. 

Feel free to give us more information on what you are trying to do with screenshots and we will be able to help guide you with specific questions. 

Here are some links to help out with learning:

Master Photoshop in 30 Days - YouTube

Adobe Photoshop - YouTube

Welcome to the Photoshop User Guide (adobe.com)

[NM PDI]

Hi thanks for your advice.

But this is kind of a bad situation i have landed myself in then... 

For a few months i have been rendering images in a heavy rendering program called 3DS MAX, and i always see people talk about post production, and within post production they always talk about Photoshop. 

So i had been using a free editing software called GIMP but it always gave kind of blurry images when printed.

So finally the company gave me green light this morning to get photoshop so that the pictures would get sharper and understandable, only to find out now that it is kind of thrown away money.

But anyways, attached is a set up for what the images would look like.

all the "views" are already rendered in an output of 3840x2160.

[Chris 486]

no worries at all! Photoshop can certainly create a plan sheet as described. And it will be a great program to do any post for your 3DS exports. The Shape and Pen tools can create your division lines and you and insert your pictures as described.

Draw shapes with the shape tools in Photoshop (adobe.com)

Draw with Pen tools in Photoshop (adobe.com)

This isn't directly applicable but should help with layout ideas if needed.

Architecture Site Analysis Presentation Guide | Photoshop Tutorial (youtube.com)

[Chris 486]

I would also recommend creating you layout as a 24x36 landscape sheet in photoshop at 300 ppi to start. That will keep your image quality better in your working file and you can always export to a smaller sheet like A4 when you are ready. But that way if you find you need to make a larger print or export, you won't lose that quality.

[NM PDI]

Thanks Chris.

I will look deep into your links tonight and i hope i still can make the best out of the program

[Lumigraphics]

Photoshop is certainly useful and capable but its vector output and drawing tools are limited. Neither GIMP nor Photoshop is meant for this kind of work, TBH.

Having said that, yes you can layout an image and place your renderings in it. Try using Smart Objects when you place so you have editability later.

[Conrad_C]

I think it’s OK to use Photoshop for this. The best way to do it, which would be more similar to how InDesign and Illustrator would do it, is to add the images as Smart Objects using the File > Place Embedded or Place Linked commands.

As Smart Objects, the images would preserve their original resolution. But…the effective resolution of the images is limited by the pixel dimensions of the Photoshop document. If you added high resolution photos but the A4 document is set to 50 ppi, then the effective resolution is 50 ppi regardless of content. If you want the A4 document to print at 300 ppi, then it must be set to 300 ppi in Image > Image Size.

After the document size and resolution are set properly for your final output, your document could be finished in less than one minute (The demo below is sped up.) The steps shown in the demo below are:

1. Create a guide layout (optional, but makes fitting much faster).

2. Add images and fit each to the layout.

Image edges can snap to the guide layout. I dragged four images from the desktop (or Adobe Bridge), and dropped them on the canvas. Photoshop lets me position and size each one in turn; when done I commit that image (click the Commit check mark up in the options bar, or press the Enter/Return key) and Photoshop places the next image I dragged until all are done. Instead of drag/drop, you can choose File > Place Embedded or Place Linked and select multiple images to place.

So when you are familiar with step 2, it can be as quick as select images, drag, drop, position/resize, hit Enter, do next image until all are done.

There are more advanced methods. For example, use the Frame tool to add four properly sized placeholder frames in advance. Then all you have to do is place an image into each frame. Or, if the limitations of the Frame tool are too frustrating, you can create a layout using vector masks or clipping masks as placeholders.

But it is true that if you need to get into it that deeply in Photoshop, now you are doing layout tasks that are much easier and faster to do in InDesign. Because even the quick method I showed in Photoshop is slower and involves more manual steps than if I was laying it out in InDesign. The more pages you have to do, the more you don’t want to use Photoshop for this.

[NM PDI]

Thank you so much Conrad!

You really helped me get started with your advice. I have never followed any official classes nor do i have any experiece within photography so the tips you gave me were game changing!