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alisonl0shi
alisonl0shi
Known Participant
August 10, 2017
Question

which proportion is correct? -- of headshots and pixel aspect ratio

  • August 10, 2017
  • 1 reply
  • 1333 views

My question is, if you get a headshot image of a person, that person looks wider if you "view pixel aspect correction" and skinnier if you just look at it the way it's being displayed on screen (opened n PS). Which one is correct? Or does it automatically correct itself when you import it into an ID picture box?

Thanks so much --

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    1 reply

    davescm
    Community Expert
    davescmCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 10, 2017

    Pixel aspect ratio correction is for some video formats which use none square pixels, and would display incorrectly if square pixels were used. It has nothing to do with horizontal and upright images.

    For normal photographic images leave pixel aspect as square and pixel aspect ratio correction off.

    Dave

    alisonl0shi
    alisonl0shiAuthor
    Known Participant
    August 10, 2017

    Thank you. I should have been more specific -- since I'm still a little confused though. If the image *comes* with a non-square ratio, (in other words, when you open it up the first time you get the message that the "pixel aspect ratio correction is for preview purposes "  but for a higher quality image you should turn it off ... what do they mean by "preview"? What *isn't* a preview?  Is preview what you see in an ID picture box?  Or is it the icon on the screen when you are looking for the file? But the file you are actually looking at on screen is NOT the preview? In other words, the "preview" will be the fatter one (in this case)? And when you turn off the correction, the preview and the image you see on screen will then match?

    Sorry, I guess my confusion s that I really don't know what "preview" means except that it might be what ID puts in your picture box to tell you that the file is there.

    davescm
    Community Expert
    davescmCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 10, 2017

    OK - I'm not sure where you have got an image with non square pixels (unless it was from a video) but regardless :

    In Photoshop we normally check our images at 100% zoom. This means that 1 image pixel maps onto 1 screen pixel and we can check blending and sharpening are applied correctly.

    With an image that uses none square pixels then the mapping of image to screen pixels cannot be 1 to 1 unless you turn the pixel aspect ratio correction off. Then it will be mapped 1 to 1 for checking the image at 100% zoom  but will of course be distorted. So for checking the blending and sharpening - switch it off and view at 100%. For all other image use and viewing - leave it on so that the height to width ratio is shown correctly.

    Dave

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