I recently had an assignment for a well known MMA magazine; I covered UFC 114 and all of the pre and post fight events.
I post processed all the NEF files (at 300 DPI) throught ACR and Photoshop. When cropping, I used the crop tool set to 2in x 3in (or reversed) without a DPI setting to maintain the D3s native aspect FX ratio.
Much to my surprise, after several hundred photos , and a painfully slow upload, that my files were all of varying DPI. For exampe, one photo is sized 2640 x 3960 and 1320 DPI on the horizontal and vertical axis. The rest follow the same pattern of varying DPI settings based on file size. The editor says they are unprintable at this DPI.
After reviewing my previous non-printed work, all of my photos have unique DPI settings based on file size.
So I'm left wondering how this happened, how Photoshop transformed my 300 DPI NEF files to a 1xxx DPI JPEGs. While I can change the DPI from the "Image Size" drop-down, I would like to set PS to default to 300 and not change unless I make the change.
Is there a DPI default, or something I can set to always remain at 300 DPI?
And just as important, how can I change what I have already done quickly (via batch)?
From a nieve photographer, how would a 1000 DPI throw off an art director? Why could they not be used as-is? I mean the data is there, it's not a low-res image.
If you set the crop to "2in x 3in" I think you've answered your own question. Your preferences can be adjusted at the bottom of Bridge when you open a batch of raw files. It sounds like you chose a specific size instead of just the aspect ratio.
Well, the file isn't 2in by 3in, it's a rather large file, approximately 15.5GB. I must be wrong, I thought the three boxes of the crop tool changed the aspect ratio and DPI.
I don't use bridge, I open the NEF by double-clicking from the folder (windows).
How should I set PS to maintain aspect ratio when cropping but not define in inches / pixles.
I want to keep the 3:2 format, or 2:3 based on orientation.
I would be in violation of UFCs no post-secondary use clause ...
To add to the weird, when opening the photos in PS CS5 after processing them @ 2in x 3in, the file size actually displays as 2in x 3in but the dimensions are 4154x2769. Obviously I am doing something wrong.
Using the crop tool, can I maintain a 2:3 / 3:2 aspect ratio without specifying a print size (4x6, 5x7, 8x10). There's got to be a better way than the marque tool that forces you to the menu to make the "crop" selection.
In ACR, the crop tool maintains aspect ratio and doesn't force you into inches or pixels. I prefer to crop is PS though ...
The native size of a D3s image at 300 ppi is 9.4" x 14", not 2" x 3". Using the 2" x 3" crop parameters caused the problem. if you had specified 300 PPI for the resolution all your images would have the pixel dimensions of 600 x 900 pixels. (2" x 300 ppi = 600px, 3" x 300 ppi = 900px)
(D3s native image size is 4256 pixels by 2832 pixels. 4256/300ppi = 14.19" 2832/300 ppi = 9.44".)
In the PS crop tool Width/Height are set as inches, you can't crop by apsect ratio, and you should also set the PPI you desire (300 PPI)
If you want you can crop to an aspect ratio, you can do that in ACR.
Select the crop tool, drag out a crop box, right click inside the box to display the drop down menu to select the aspect ratio you want. Grab a corner to resize the crop box while maintaining the same aspect ratio. Set the PPI at the bottom of the screen (blue text).
When ACR is hosted by Bridge, in the lower right hand corner the "Done" box is highlighted. When ACR is hosted by Photoshop the "Open Image" box is highlighted.
The width always goes first.
Vertical format is 2:3. Horizontal format is 3:2.
PPI/DPI aren't the same thing.
Digital photographs don't have dots, they have pixels.
Printers make dots. Dots are round, pixels are square or rectangular.
Dots aren't the same size as pixels.
It takes 8 dots, or so, to print one pixel.
As I just started a wrong forum topic I might as well answer one as well.
When cropping you can specify the resolution in pixels/inch within photoshop. I set mine at 4in x 6in at 300dpi which give a crop with dimensions 1200x1800. Im fairly certain the resolution box is there as soon as you open the crop tool preset. This gives the 2:3 ratio you are looking for.
As far as batch you can run them through the pshizzy action that has been modified to change the DPI from 72 to 300.
With an image open, double click the particular line that changes the image size to long edge 720. The image size dialog box will pop up.
Uncheck constrain proportions. Change the resolution to 300. Change width and height to 100% and say ok.
Uncheck all the rest of the pshizzy action lines. You may want to double click the line that specifies where it is saving the copy to suit your needs.
If you want run this now modified action against a group of photos I think you have to do it from Bridge.
Lastly, I am terrible at giving directions.
Edit..
as you have mentioned you do not want to crop by inches...use the rectangular marque crop tool and select fixed ratio under the "Style" drop down box. This will not solve the huge file issue but you can use the modified pshizzy action above to re-size to 300pixels per inch.
Keith Harrod - you nailed it, I truely did mess up, and have been for quite some time.
This is my first "for print" assignment and if it weren't, this never wouldn't have come to light. I've been working with a wire service for years, and have cropped the same way, nobody has every complained (at least to me) that my file properties where beyond whacky. I have seen my photos in The Ring and Boxing Digest, they appear in print as they do on screen so the "false" image size played no role in print. It was a savy editor however that noticed the 2in x 3in image size in PS and questioned how a 15MB file was so freakishly small.
The files weren't really cropped to 2 inches by 3 inches (resample not applied) but did retain their true dimensions (e.g. 4154x2769) with a very high resolution (1320 DPI) for the 4154x2769 example.
So it appears that the file is small when it is actually misreporting. I never paid attention to this as Windows properties shows the dimensional size, not image size.
Is there any way for the PS crop tool to not rule by inches / pixels and still maintain aspect ratio? It will take a while to get accustomed to, but cropping in ACR may be my only alternative.
I've been cropping this way for nearly two years Maybe I should sell my twin D3's and find a new hobby. At least I didn't quit my day job ...
Ron, thank you! I was in-process of creating that action when you replied.
Does it make sense to continue cropping by specifying 2in x 3in to allow the use of the PS crop tool but running the 300 DPI action (to fix it) upon document close (script event manager). Could this in any way impact image quality?
I really like the PS crop tool and have grown to love it but I don't want to sacrifice quality (or sanity) by being stubborn. The marque tool sucks and I won't use it, that means unless there is a work-around, I will be forced to crop in ACR prior to conversion.
A thing to remember is that a picture file does not have an image size in the sense of inches or centimeters. It has dimensions and that it all it has. It is X pixels wide by Y pixels tall.
There is no "size" as in inches or centimetres until you display or print the file. "Size" is determined by the output device.
For example -
I believe my monitor has a resolution of 72 ppi**. That means a 960 pixel wide file will be about 13 inches wide displayed on my screen.
I think most people print at about 300 dpi. That means the same 960 pixel wide file will be 3.2 inches wide when printed. As pointed out some printers can use up to 8 dots to represent a pixel but most consumer printers seem to do ok at about 300 (meaning about 4 dots per pixel).
Anyways. I would suggest taking this discussion to the Post Processing forum as those guys know this stuff inside and out and may even have faq's and stuff as these questions come up fairly often.
** I say believe because for some reason or other Microsoft may no longer use 72ppi and may use 96ppi but Im not sure when or how it occurs.
ultravista wrote:
Ron, thank you! I was in-process of creating that action when you replied.
Does it make sense to continue cropping by specifying 2in x 3in to allow the use of the PS crop tool but running the 300 DPI action (to fix it) upon document close (script event manager). Could this in any way impact image quality?
I really like the PS crop tool and have grown to love it but I don't want to sacrifice quality (or sanity) by being stubborn. The marque tool sucks and I won't use it, that means unless there is a work-around, I will be forced to crop in ACR prior to conversion....Show more →
The 2in x 3in at 300 ppi will create a file that for most purposes, can only be printed at 2in x 3in. Also you can specify the resolution as you crop no need to run an action or image size change on it later.
I'm not sure of your intended output but I would think it would be larger than 2in x 3in.
You could use 3.33x5, 4x6, 4.66x7 etc. As long as these were at 300 ppi they would print not too bad at the sizes specified.
Not saying this is right or best, but when I create high-resolution files for a client, I size them at 8x12 inches, 300 ppi. This maintains the 2x3 aspect ratio while producing a file that is large enough for most applications. (For 4x5, I crop to 8x10 at 300 ppi.)
turn off "resample image" than type 300 into resolution. the width and height will adjust but the actual number of pixels will not change and the 3:2 ratio will also stay the same.
You only need to concern yourself with PPI when you are ready to print.
