need suggestions for rescuing pictures on cd

[Janet Petty]

While on vacation without a computer to download my digital file, I used a reputable (at least I thought so at the time) company to take the pictures off my camera and burn them to cd for me. I shot the pictures at extra fine quality (2650 x 1920 pixels). The company assured me that the pictures they were burning to cd would be the exact same size as what came off my camera. They were NOT. They were 768 x 576 pixels--each and every one of the nearly 1000 pictures I took. I did not discover the problem until I got home and put them on my computer for culling. The quality is abyssmal. When I crop them to 300 pixels per inch, the size of the photo goes down to around 1 1/2 inches by 1 inch. If I crop them to a specific size and put in the 300 pixels per inch...well let's just say that it leaves a lot to be desired.
Help please. I've researched and played around but have about reached the limit of my understanding. Has anyone else encountered this problem? If so, how did you fix it?
Thanking you ahead of time. Janet

[Leah]

You could try downloading a demo version of Genuine Fractals or Extensis SmartScale -- these are specialist resizing plugins that will do a better job than native Photoshop.

But, whatever you use, much of your data is gone forever .

[Gary Richardson]

Hi Janet,

If your pictures are 768x586 pix, then at 300ppi they should be about 2.5" x 2". If you set your print resolution to 200ppi, they will be approx 3.5" x 3". They should still print reasonably.

However if you wish to enlarge them, open in Photoshop, then Image - Image size. Now tick Resample Image, set width and height from pixels to percent.

Now set width and height to 110% and apply. Repeat this process till you get to the size you want. ( by doing it in 10% steps it decreases the amount of blurring due to resampling).

It's easiest if you make this into an Action.

If you've got a lot of pictures this will be time intensive, so if cost is'nt a problem use a professional to do it.

[Janet Petty]

I've tried the 110 percent thing. You are right, it is labor intensive. I don't see much difference in quality. Am I expecting too much? I wonder.

Of the ~1000 pics, there are maybe a 100 tops that are quality enough to really zing. The others are family snapshots, headstones (for genealogy purposes), etc. The quality on those will do.

Leah's suggestion sounds like a good possibility. I might have a go at that one.

LOL...cost not a factor...laughing excessively.

I agree the quality I expected is gone forever. However, the "nasty" letter I fired off to the company did a lot toward appeasing me.

Thanks for the help.

[Doug Nelson]

So what does the "reputable (at least I thought so at the time) company" company have to say about all this?

[Noelf]

I've used both of the extensions that were mentioned to resize jpegs and they do an amazing job.

I think they both have demos available, you should try them out.

- Noel

[Chip Hildreth]

This is probably not a help but on the off chance... I've seen several CDs where both lo-rez and hi-rez versions were on the CD in different folders. I figure you've already checked but, like I say, just an off chance.

I have not used Genuine Fractals but I freind of mine does and she swears it is a wonderful program. She has some 60" x 40" prints from 35mm slide scans and they are very acute; definitely look better than 35mm enlargements. I'ts on my wish list.

I too am wondering what the 'reputable company' has to say. It seems unlikely they would resample 1000 images for the price of a download.

chip

[Janet Petty]

I think I like Doug's solution to my dilema. He suggested sending a link to this thread for PR purposes. HUGE . Not that it would work wonders; but it might sooth my battered ego.

Your suggestions are terrific. I've downloaded the Fractal demo and will see how it works. Right now the price is beyond me...sigh...kids in college ya'll know.

Janet

[LindaJ]

Janet, take a look at QImage at www.ddisoftware.com It has one of the best upsampling interpolation routines around and the price is very reasonable. It is designed to be a printing software and many professionals use it. Take a look at the comparisons on the website (Quality Challenge) to see how it compares to Photoshop.

There is a trial of QImage so you should be able to see if it will help you. NAYY - just a very pleased customer.

Good Luck!

Linda

[ferdberfel]

This might be a little late, but please call that company back!!! Most programs that do CD's have a backup somewhere...someone in that company knows how to retreive your files, for up to a year!!!
Good luck.
Jennifer

[Kraellin]

also a bit late, but companies also sometimes compress their files on purpose but include a decompression program on the cd that will completely restore them to the original values.

craig

[imagepoint]

Genuine Fractals does a very good job of sizing up an image but does a poor job of increasing the resolution size of an image. So set your resolution in photoshop and then up-size in Genuine Fractals.