PLEASE help me size down without pixelation!!

[koakley2013]

OK, so I know there are a ton of posts on here about resizing images in Photoshop (and I have read them all!), but I am still completely stumped! I use Photoshop CS6 and my workflow goes as follows: Open image in Photoshop, edit, change to 8-bit, change to srgb, change image size to 960 at widest side (scale styles, constrain proportions, and resample image checked), change to 72dpi, output sharpening. My outcome is to have images that are sized properly for Facebook (I have researched the correct dimensions) and come out CLEAR!! Mine however, alwaysssss look pixelated/fuzzy. I see many other photographers images on Facebook and they are super clear and sharp. How do I achieve this?? What am I doing wrong?? I feel like I have tried just about everything at this point. PLEASE help!! Thank you in advance :  )

- Kate

[gener7]

Simply decide on the pixel dimensions and use "Bicubic Sharper" in your Image Resize settings. Do not touch the ppi setting. The pixel dimensions are all that count on a monitor. ppi is just translating the amount of pixels to the physical medium of printout to paper in inches.

If you save as jpeg, use a quality of 80 in Save for Web or 10 in File > Save As... jpeg.

Gene

[JJMack]

If the image has been sharpened use Bicubic instead of Bicubic Sharper.

[koakley2013]

I also tried clicking just bicubic...no change. I am stumped...

[Guest]

What is the pixel size of image you are starting with?

Looks like you want to end up with 960 by x. 

Do you get the same results if you make no changes except to downsize?

[koakley2013]

Straight out of my camera the image size is 4928 x 3264 (92.0M). Yes I want to end up with my longest side as 960pixels.

It's not that the images are ruined per say, but they just dont seem as clear when sized down. When zoomed in to say 100%, the images are not pixelated at original size, but become pixelated once resized.

[Guest]

With your downsizing you are throwing away 80% of the information, so it will never be as sharp.  So a screen grab as Noel suggested may be the next step.

[koakley2013]

Ya I understand. I guess I just don't understand how others are achieving the look I am going for. Maybe I am delusional hahaha. I am a perfectionist which is a problem..

[Guest]

If you are downsizing a lot of your images set your camera to RAW + jpeg.  Set the jpeg to a lower res so it will not have to be downsized so severely.  At least try and see if it works better.

[Noel Carboni]

Here's an image I opened from a 3888 x 2592 raw file and downsized to 960 pixels.  Click it to see it at full size.

Does it have the look you're hoping for?

-Noel

[koakley2013]

I always click "bicubic sharper" but it does not appear to be helping..I also always save at a quality of 10. I just don't get it! Thank you for the tips though

[Noel Carboni]

The term "pixelation" doesn't have a hard definition.

Can you post an image to show what you mean?  Ideally before and after images, so perhaps someone can make specific recommendations.

-Noel

[viv1709]

Hi Noel,

Here's my problem which appears to be the same as koakley's: I start off with an image that looks sharp and lovely and just by resizing the image (same resolution) I lose all detail... Is there anyway I can resize it and not lose quality. This started as an Illustrator file, by the way. I tried exporting it from illustrator, but no luck. Thanks so much in advance 🙂

[koakley2013]

Hi Noel,

Yes that looks great! I typically shoot people but ya, you have great clarity and looks very sharp. Now, let me ask you, after you reduce the size in Photoshop, if you zoom in to 100% does the image look pixelized??

Also, when you downsized, was this still in RAW or did you convert it to JPEG?

Thanks so much for your time!

- Kate

[Noel Carboni]

No, at 100% zoom it looks exactly as you see it here.

I opened the raw file, dialed in some extra sharpening, then the file opened into Photoshop at full size.  Sharpening at full size looks fairly strong, though just short of ''garish''.  This extra sharpening at full size anticipates the smoothing that happens during resampling (i.e., the downsizing).

I then downsized it to 960 pixels on a side using Bicubic, and saved as a JPEG.

You're really going to need to capture your screen, save it as a JPEG or PNG, and post it here (noting that there's a 2 MB size limit on images), so that we can see what you're seeing.

-Noel

[jbunds]

try flattening your image first (Layer>Flatten Image), then resize it, and then save it as a jpeg

if it looks like there is still too much sharpening when you choose bicubic sharper (reduction), you can try bicubic, or go back and adjust your sharpening mask, and then try again. the bicubic sharper will sharpen it slightly, so you'll want to compensate for that before you save it as a jpeg. Or you can change the quality to 10 from 12, there are a couple different options.

Hopefully this helps!

[EricPrice7304]

Ok, so here's how I fixed this problem when it happened to me.

The image that you want to use is its own layer, right? Click on that layer. Ok. Up at the top, go to IMAGE > IMAGE SIZE. Now you might see a dialog box that gives you all these options for changing the image size of that picture. Height, width, and so forth. One of the options is "Resolution." That number might be 72 or whatever. If it's not high enough, the images will pixelate and look like crap when you try to shrink them down. If so, add some numbers to that box, and see if that fixes it. 300 pixels/inch is usually pretty good.

[D Fosse]

You can, unfortunately, resize a file by changing the ppi figure while the "resample image" checkbox is ticked. I say unfortunately because it's the single easiest way for inexperienced users to permanently ruin a file. This is a secondary, derived function that leaves you with very little control over what's happening - which is why you shouldn't touch it unless you know what you're doing.

An image consists of pixels. That's all the image is, and that's what you resize if you want a smaller file. Pixels per inch (resolution, ppi) is just metadata, not an inherent property of the file. It is strictly a print parameter. Resolution is an instruction to the printer, telling it how to distribute the image pixels on paper.

To understand this, the best thing you can do is stop and look very hard at the three words pixels per inch. That's not an abstract unit - it means exactly what it says. Read it literally. Pixels per inch of paper.

[EricPrice7304]

If the goal is to get more pixels per inch, then adjusting the resolution will, and does, work. It will also work when saving the overall composition as a png.

If the goal is not to get more pixels in the image, for example, if you want the image to come out looking more like a 32-bit video game from the 90's, then yes. People will need to do something else.

[Roger31039802dfe1]

I'm having this very same problem and none of the suggestions in this thread have helped me. I have tried them all. 

Every time I reduce an image that is of very high resolution down to a smaller size, I lose all image quality. This never used to happen to me in Photoshop but somehow now it is. I give up. I hate you adobe.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Ranting is not welcome here. 

And you are not talking to Adobe here, this is primarily a user Forum. 

Please provide meaningful information (for example screenshots taken at View > 100% with all the pertinent Panels and dialogs visible illustrating the whole process). 

Otherwise I don’t see how even the most well-meaning Forum contributors would be able to help you. 

[D Fosse]

Every time I reduce an image that is of very high resolution down to a smaller size, I lose all image quality.

By @Roger31039802dfe1

You do realize that this is a direct function of the image's pixel size? This is totally unrelated to Photoshop.