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A
Anonymous
February 9, 2013
Answered

How to use the crop tool without losing pixels?

  • February 9, 2013
  • 2 replies
  • 31130 views

5616x3774   /   72 res is what CS5 says my Canon 5d2 large jpeg is out of camera.

Can I use the crop too to make a 20"x24" image and keep all those or most of those pixels?

Do I leave the resolution box blank?

The lab I send the file to for the print, says they want 300 res files (just to complicate thing a bit more)

Thanks!

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer JJMack

    thanks Conroy/ Charles/ JJ. this is helping.

    Ok so best thing then is to use the crop tool. put in 20x24. I think I have to do that, because of those basic print sizes I'm offering.

    But do I need to put 300 in the res field.  Does the print lab really need that to be done?

    What if I just left it blank or put in 72 which is what the Canon file is out of camera? Would that create a better final image? or not?


    To tell the truth I don't use the crop tool. I use the marquee tool, image crop and image size.  If you use the crop tool and fill in a resolution field in the crop tool the crop tool does all three operation including resampling the resulting crop to the resolution you entered. Adobe has also re-implemented the crop tool in CS6 which has many up in arms. Didn't bother me at all.

    IMO if you use the crop tool its best to leave the resolution field empty. That way the crop will  not be resample.  You can enter width 24 height 20 or width 6 height 5 there actually the same aspect ratio as is 12:10

    After you do the crop you can use Image Size. In the dialog un-check resample set the print width to 24. You will see Photoshop set the height to 20 and set the DPI to some value. If the DPI value fall below what you want check resample set in the resolution you want and the interpolation method to use then click OK.

    2 replies

    JJMack
    Community Expert
    JJMackCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 9, 2013

    kevin4545 wrote:

    5616x3774   /   72 res is what CS5 says my Canon 5d2 large jpeg is out of camera.

    Can I use the crop too to make a 20"x24" image and keep all those or most of those pixels?

    5616x3774 pixels means your image has a 3:2.  If you use Image Size un-check RESAMPLE and set the print width to 24" you will see the Photoshop will set the height to 16.128" and the print resolution to 234DPI.

    20" x 24" is a 5:6 aspect ration.  If you want to print your image 20"x24" you need to Crop you image or distort your image to a 5:6 Aspect ratio. When you crop you discard some pixel.  Since 3:2 is a wider aspect ratio the 6:5 this means some pixels must be removed from the image width. You will retain the images 3774 pixel height but the width will be reduces to 4529 pixels.  So you will lose at least 1087x3774 pixel a total of 4,102,338 so from your 21,194,784 image you lose 4.1Mpixels wind up with a 17.1Mpixel image that will print 24"x20" at 188.7DPI

    JJMack
    A
    Anonymous
    February 9, 2013

    Fiddle with it in Image/image size.  Have the resample box checked and unchecked and watch the figures change as you change either dimension or resolution.

    Remember if you resample it changes all the pixels and theoritcally can affect sharpness.

    A
    Anonymous
    February 9, 2013

    Sorry Curt, that did not help. I don't want to be "fiddling" with it. I want precision.  I think setting 20 x 24 in the crop tool is the way to go, I'm just not clear on anything else, as the crop tool is not that intuitive.

    A
    Anonymous
    February 9, 2013

    My suggestion is the only way to see interrelationship between dimension & resolution.  THe crop tool has to obey the same laws.

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