What is the best way to significantly increase the size of a photograph? Esp with PSP8??? Anyone?

AmyHutton

This thread may be helpful:

S-SPline 2 or Genuine Fractals (http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6976&highlight=enlarge)

It discusses plug-in software as well as some techniques.

One idea is the 110% approach:

The idea is to repeatedly resize at 110% (Image > Resize, change pixels to percent and type in 110 with resample checked)

Keep doing this until you achieve the final size.

Amy...

PSP8 has scripting capabilities. Have you dabbled in that yet? If so developing one or more scripts to apply the 110% image size increase as many times as needed would save some time.

T: Good call on 110%. I've read that's a very effective method.

~Danny~

On a side note...

I have a tutorial on my site for doing this in Photoshop. I show how to create an action for it but for the life of me I don't know how to create a "zip action" to post here.

I have had very good luck with the 110% method and using an action really takes some of the repetitiveness out of it that's for sure!

...but for the life of me I don't know how to create a "zip action" to post here.


Jeff:

You'll need a program like Winzip or Stuffit or the like. Once the .atn file has been saved in .zip file format, it will pass upload scrutiny.

When you get it zipped, upload it to the new Resources section, if you would. (Click the down-arrow next to "RetouchPRO" in the menu bar above and choose Resources from that menu.)

If you don't have a program to make a .zip file, send me an e-mail (click my name above this post) and we'll get it done via Plan B. Thanks for offering.

~Danny~

Here is an action to enlarge your file by 110% percent.

I've been working on an action for doubling the size.
To me it seems to give good results.
Would welcome feedback.

Step by Step for Amy (I think Paint Shop Pro should have equivalents)

- Duplicate the original image, resize 200%, bicubic;

- Duplicate original again;
- Get luminosity;
- Convert to grayscale mode (saves space and time in the next steps);
- Make a duplicate layer;
- Resize 400%, Nearest Neighbour;
- Filter>Diffuse>Anisotropic, set opacity to 50%, merge;
- Resize 50%, bicubic;
- Convert back to RGB mode;
- Copy and apply as a layer to the first duplicate;
- Delete this (grayscale) copy;

- Set the new layer's blending to luiminosity and flatten.

(If you haven't figured it out, all this is just to use a bit of anisotropic to take out the jaggies / pixelation)

Rô

Superb advice thank you!

A lot of people have advocated the 110% method, but only every 121st pixel remains in tact on the first resample and only four pixels remain in tact on the second (the pixels in each of the four corners) this will destory a lot of the low level detail in the image. If you are resizing to 200% and go directly to it you will maintain 100% of the original data and only interpolate 75% of the image.

The first image is 110% method to 200% (with insert) the second is a direct resize to 200% (with insert).

As a general rule of thumb you should never resize the same image element more than once.

Michael

Thanks, all. I couldn't get the 110% way to look right at all. So I'm back to my usual method of, say, if I'm going 200% of the original, I double the pixels before I resize, sometime triple. Not perfect, but quick and dirty. And if you're like me, and you really don't want the original image to look like the original image, then that result isn't bad. Sometimes have to remove Moire for better effect....but I'll keep listening...

Amy Hutton