Basic questions about new super resolution feature

[scottb518638]

Hi. I am excited to hear about the new super resolution feature available in Photoshop through the Camera Raw plug-in.

I have never used the Camera Raw plug-in until now. And I am a novice in general with photoshop and image processing. I have some questions that are probably rather basic. I have done some searching on google and on the forum, but I can't seem to find the answers. So I would be very appreciative if anyone would be willing to give their input on what may be rather rudimentary questions. 🙂

1. From the articles and videos I have seen so far, everyone always mentions super resolution in light of being able to make much larger prints of images. I just want to check: does super resolution's functionality make a difference for a digital image period, or is it only purposed for printing?

(The rest of the questions assume that the answer to question 1 is "yes," it makes a difference even when the aim is not printing.)

2. Can super resolution make a positive difference if my input image is .jpg rather than raw (and I open the image using "Open As" and select "Camera Raw")?

3. Does the answer to question 2 apply for .tiff and .png as input images as well?

(The following questions assume the answer is "yes" for questions 1 and 2.)

4. If my input image is, eg, 450 dpi, does it matter what settings I use for dpi in Camera Raw (given that I won't be printing)?

5. I am not familiar at all with .dng files. If I run super resolution on a .jpg file, I am able to successfully get of a .dng file saved to the same folder as the original.

5a. In my reading, I thought I understood someone to say that .dng files are somehow dependent or inherently connected to the original. Is that the case, or can one use a .dng file just like using a .jpg or .png?

5b. Starting in the Camera Raw plug-in window in Photoshop after clicking the "Enhance" button, what would be the steps for optimally saving the result  as .png or .jpg or .tiff?

5c. Is there any loss or anything else I should know about saving the result as .png or .jpg or .tiff?

6. When I ran super resolution on a .jpg opened as Camera Raw and clicked the "Open" button when it was complete, that brought me back to Photoshop's usual window. I then saved what I had as .png. Here are the before and after specs:

• Original (.jpg)
  • 2458 x 3150 Pixels (7.74 MPixels) (0.78)
  • Resolution: 450 DPI
  • Print size (from DPI): 13.9 x 17.8 cm; 5.46 x 7.00 inches
  • Number of unique colors: 117272
• My Output (saved in Photoshop as .png)
  • 2458 x 3150 Pixels (7.74 MPixels) (0.78)
  • Resolution: 300 DPI
  • Print size (from DPI): 20.8 x 26.7 cm; 8.19 x 10.50 inches
  • Number of unique colors: 348485

I wasn't expecting pixel size to be the same. But this is most likely lack of understanding on my part. Other than pixel size, I included some figures that were different between the two. (I left out disk size; I understand why that is larger for my output.)

Great feature! Eager to use it more knowledgeably. Thanks in advance for any guidance provided.

[JJMack]

ACR Super Resolution feature save a new Larger DNG File which you would with with Photoshop after ACR convert the DNG RAW DATA to an RGB image layer. Therefor I believe the feature will only be available if you are processing a RAW file.  For the is nor RAW Sensor data in Tiff, Jpeg file or ins Photoshop Layers. Photoshop does not have support for RAW Data ACR is used by Photoshop to have ACR create a Photoshop RGB Layer. 

[scottb518638]

I believe I can safely answer #6 myself: I was doing something wrong. I don't know what it was. (Perhaps method of choosing "open" or "done".) Since then, I have successfully managed to save some images with a big increase in megapixel size. (But even comparing .jpg before to .jpg after, it's more than 4x the original amount. I expected it to be exactly 4x the amount.)

[scottb518638]

Thanks, JJMack, for responding to my post and for passing along your understanding of using Super Resolution (SR).

In a very brief way (TL;DR), I'm going to distill my remaining questions (in hopes that anyone with answers might reply).

1. Is SR only good for printing an image?

2&3. Can SR make a positive difference when my image is .jpg, .png, or .tiff?

4. If I won't be printing, does it matter what settings I use for dpi? (Please explain.)

5. Can someone please very simply lay out step-by-step the best (quality) way to go from A. result of SR, to B. saving the result as an image file? (Just to clarify, I don't mean saving a .dng file.)

[D Fosse]

Super resolution is useful for images of superb technical quality, but small pixel size - either because you had to crop  extensively, or the file is from an old camera. In that case it can give you a workable file.

If the file is of less than optimal quality - a little out of focus, or motion blur/camera shake - it's just a waste of bandwidth. More pixels will not save it.

It has nothing to do with printing as such. The notion that you need more pixels for large prints is a misunderstanding. It will normally always look best if you leave it as it is, and sharpen optimally.

Super resolution is designed for raw files. It is possible to use it on RGB files, but it will be a lot less effective.