photoshop 7 sharpen question

[RV Tips & Travels]

I still use Photoshop 7 as it does everything I need.  I do notice that when I open a file in 7, it loses much of its sharpness from the original file.  If I open the same image in a new version of Paint, you can clearly see the sharpness difference.  I know how to sharpen the image in PS7, but can anyone direct me to the settings I could change to get the crisp images to open that cameras today take without having to sharpen?  Thanks in advance!

[kglad]

<moved from download and install >

[Jeff Arola]

After you open the image into photoshop 7 make sure your looking at the image at 100% view (actual pixels) before evaluating the sharpness. (View>Actual Pixels) or double click on the Zoom Tool in the toolbox.

[RV Tips & Travels]

Thanks Jeff, been using PS7 for 20 years so I'm pretty familiar with it.  Zoom at 100% is actually where you really notice it.  I increased the pixel per inch setting by 2X but that didnt seem to change anything.  Thanks though, Jeff, appreciate it.  

[Jeff Arola]

What operating system are you using?

Are these jpgs straight out of a camera and if so which one?

Can you show some screenshots to illustrate the difference?

[RV Tips & Travels]

windows 10, any photo i upload, from camera or iphone, always in jpeg format.  on the left is ps7 on the right is the same pic just opened in microsoft photo.  the ps7 photo is at 100%

[Jeff Arola]

Is your windows 10 a newer version?

I ask because the Photos app in older windows 10 versions used to have an Auto Enhance setting that only affected the photo while viewing in Photos.

It was under the Photos Settings>Viewing and Editing>Automatically enhance my photos

[RV Tips & Travels]

not sure which version of windows i have, but the issue is in PS7.  every program i open pictures in are clearer than PS7.  chrome, photos, paint, 3d paint.  all better than ps7

[Jeff Arola]

Yes i can definitely see a difference in the screenshots you provided.

I guess you could try resetting the ps7 preferences or better yet if you could post

an example photo so we (other users) can help determine why your seeing less sharp images in ps7.

[RV Tips & Travels]

I will reset everything and see, I appreciate your help Jeff.  My guess is that since it came out 20 years ago it is not meant to handle the MP photos have today?  Besides, pixels per inch, what other settings can I look at?

[RV Tips & Travels]

would 16 bits vs 8 bits help?

[Jeff Arola]

What screen resolution is your computer set to?

[RV Tips & Travels]

its a gaming laptop, resolution is 3840x2160 (4K)

[Jeff Arola]

I believe the issue has to do with how windows 10 scales programs that are not DPI Aware like photoshop 7.

The problem is that windows not only scales the ps7 interface, but also any open documents like photos and that can cause them to look not as sharp inside the ps 7 program.

If in the windows Display Settings under Scale & Layout you set the scaling back to 100% and restart windows

you can see if that made a difference in photoshop 7, even though it might hard to tell now that everything in ps7 is much smaller.

Something else you can try is going to Display Settings>Advanced scaling settings and enable Fix scaling for apps.