Small problem... Picture size, that is...

[RNKIII]

We have recently received photos taken by loved ones during trips or weddings that we would REALLY like to print out in a 4X6" format, BUT.... they pixilate SO badly as to be useless as refrigerator adornment!!!

The pictures look GREAT as email attachments and/or in Preview, but if/when I move them to Photoshop Elements or another editor they are exceedingly small.  My suspicion is that they were taken via a phone camera and were intended for 'online' viewing only.  
OR, were they shrunk to 'send' swiftly and could they be retransmitted in a larger format and arrive here more 'print ready'??

I know that when I do a 'get info' on the jpeg files, they are 1/10 the size, mb-wise, of another 'camera' transmitted photo.... (and there in probably lies the answer to my original question).

But to continue, can I re-contact the sender(s) to see 1, if they still have the wanted photos, and 2, request they they send the 'whole' picture and not just every 10th pixel?

TIA for any and all advice and assistance.


Bob K.   rnkiii

[sunset]

Bob-- everybody has his/her way of dealing with photos, partially depending on what program is used to change the resolution to 'email size' or 'print size'.

As an example... I have a particular photo that I've changed both ways: to email and to print.  The original was 2.8MB, the email one is 124Kb and it's 4.5x6".  The one I printed is 4x5.33" @ 300 dpi/ppi and is 1.4MB.  These are resized in Elements or PS3.

If you asked the source to resize the ones you'd really like to 4x5.33" @ 300dpi/ppi, they'd be big files but could send 3 or 4 of them in one email.  You're right, the email photos would be awfully small.

Good luck with this--I'm sure someone else will explain it more clearly but that's what I do with my pictures.

Laurel

PS:  Oops!!!  Should have mentioned that the resolution of the email-size photos is usually 72 dpi which is why, when printing those, they're very pixilated.

[Xairbusdriver]

When the original images are loaded into Elements, what is their dpi? option-command-i will bring up the Image Size dialog and the pixel and dpi info will be there, as well as the physical size in inches. I suspect that the dpi is much less than 300. And the physical size is also probably less than 4 x 6. If that's the case, there's not much you can do about it, there just are enough pixels in the file to print a decent 4 x 6.

When an image opens in Elements, it usually will display it at full resolution. However, since your monitor is likely close to ~100 dpi, a large image may to big to see at 100%. So Elements (and PS, I assume) will reduce the 'magnification accordingly to allow you to see the whole thing without scrolling.

If you are viewing the images in Mail, you may be getting the benefits of Core Images.

[tacit]

A great deal of confusion surrounds digital images, because people often confuse on-screen resolution, print resolution, print dimensions, compressed file size, and uncompressed file size.

Pay no attention to the file size you see when you click on a file and choose File->Get Info. That file size is the size of the JPEG; JPEG pictures are compressed. You can't tell anything from that file size.

Pay no attention to the DPI unless you ALSO pay attention to the dimensions. A file that is 72 dpi at 2" by 1" does not have enough information to print and produce good results. A file that is 72 dpi at 300" by 400" will be 720 dpi at 30" by 40"; in other words, you can easily print a wall-sized picture with no pixelation at all.

Open the file in Photoshop. Select the Image Size command. What does it say?

[RNKIII]

Hope this is what you meant, Tacit..

[attachment=1592:screenshot_01.jpg]


TIA,

Bob K.   rnkiii

[tacit]

QUOTE(RNKIII @ Sep 14 2009, 08:05 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hope this is what you meant, Tacit..

[attachment=1592:screenshot_01.jpg]


TIA,

Bob K.   rnkiii

Yep. The picture is only 150 by 100 pixels, meaning it has only slightly more pixels than one of the avatars on this board. Ain't no way that you will ever be able to print a 4x5 of that image.

Even a cell phone camera takes higher resolution images than that. A bigger version must exist somewhere.

[Paddy]

Bob, if you received these photos via email, in all likelihood, they were resized automatically by the sender's email client. Many people don't realize it's even happening - and then you have the lovely task of trying to explain to them what to do to send a full-size image. Some of them *never* get it in my experience!! Start off by asking them to send the full-size images. If they can't manage it and send small ones again, ask what email client they're using and then find the instructions online (I don't have them handy, but I know they're out there).

[RNKIII]

THank you all who have contributed...

Since these pictures 'originated' from those 'near & dear', I can rant and rave without too much fear of alienation.  

I will 'gently' inquire as to "what the heck is going on!!" with the pictures and their e-mail account settings..

THanks again for your assistance..

Bob K.   rnkiii