Enlarging Images in Photoshop

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How to use Photoshop to enlarge images. Improving Jpeg Images

Enlarging Images And Photos In Photoshop

Trick 1: Using Resolution to Enlarge Photos

If you have a picture taken on a digital camera, always take the highest quality that your camera allows. Once you have loaded the Photo's onto your computer, Open the image in Photoshop.

You can increase or decrease the size of the Photo Using the following steps.

1. File > Open
2. On the top menu bar, choose > Image / Image Size
You can see that the dialog box allows you a few options including the Pixel Measurement, Document Page Size and Resolution Settings.

The higher you can keep any resolution, the more pixels per image which means better clarity and colour etc.

Using the Image Size Options, you can enlarge your image in Five ways.

1.1 Check the boxes, Scale Styles, Constrain Proportions. Re Type in larger Size in either the Pixel or Document fields and Click OK.

2.1 Check the boxes, Scale Styles, Constrain Proportions. Re type in a larger Resolution. Click OK. You will see that the image has increased in size.

3.1 Use both options, Increasing Resolution and Increase Over Document Size. This will give you a multi use way of increasing the size of your photos. When you use both options, you are actually not increasing the height of the pixels, rather, adding more of them and increasing your file size in bytes.

4.1 You can increase the canvas size. Before you do this, you should always work in Layers.
4.1.1 If it is not yet visible on the screen, Do this step so that you can see the Layer Dialog Box and all its options. Choose from the top menu - Window > Layers
This will open a Layer/Channels/Path Dialog Box.
4.1.2 On the Dialog Box, click the tab named Layers.
4.1.3 On the actual image you will see the image is 'Background'.
4.1.4 Double Click the word 'Background', a new option will appear asking you to change the state of the background and call it a layer. Rename the New Layer as a simple line, eg. My Great Photo
4.1.5 Make sure the option of 'Colour' is set to NONE, Click OK.

Why have I just done these 4.1 Steps? It so that you can work in Transparent Mode. Meaning that any layer are that is not filled with a pixel will be transparent. This will be noted in the next steps. Tip: You should always work in Layers.

4.2 If you want to, you can also choose Image > Canvas Size
Increase the canvas size proportionally or by measurement. The image will remain the same size, however you will have more space around the image so that you can manipulate the image inside the image, montage more images or 'Place' other EPS or PDF images into the photo. In this manner, Photoshop really excels.

5.1 If you have increased the Canvas Size, there is another great way to increase - manipulate the size of you image or photo.
It is called TRANSFORM
5.1.2 From the top menu, choose Edit > Transform > Scale
5.1.3 Using your mouse, hold any one of the eight grab handles and move in a direction to increase or decrease the image. You can also hold down the constrain keys to scale the image in proportion.
 

Trick 2: Enlarging images and photos in Photoshop


It's very common that one has to use an image for printing taken from a small size or from tiny jpeg saved from the net. Always attempt to initially begin with the largest image file size possible and in original format. Eg. The Photo or Photoshop file. Net Images, These images are usually small in size and you can clearly spot the jpeg compression in form of small squares. If you wanted to use such an image for printing, you can either use them in only very small size or the above mentioned squares will be visible. Obviously it's better to avoid using low res jpeg images for printing, but sometimes we can't avoid it. With the following procedure you can enlarge and improve your image slightly, so that it becomes printable. It can never be sharp and detailed, but at least it will not be jagged.
Once we enlarge it to its double size the problems of the jpeg compression will become obvious showing signs of pixilation.
The Fix:
First enlarge your it's double size with Image/Image Size. Make sure the Resample image option is selected and it is set to Bicubic. The small squares resulting from the jpeg compression are very much evident.

Second step to clear the jagged pixels around the edges apply Filter/Noise/Despeckle. This makes the image softer.
Now enlarge the image to it's double again and apply Filter/Stylize/Diffuse with the Anisotropic option. This will smoothen the edges further and it enhances the edges of the image. The reason we have to enlarge the image before applying this filter is that this filter is extremely evident at 100% and would destroy the reality of the image. At this size you can see that this filter works as if a human would go over the image with a brush and repaint it, improving the edges and getting rid of inconsistencies.
Next reduce the image back by 50% and apply Filter/Sharpen/Unsharp mask with the options Amount 60%, Radius 2 px, Threshold 2 levels. You can experiment with these options depending on your image.
NOTE: THIS FIX IS ONLY A GUIDE, BETTER TO SEND GREAT QUALITY IMAGES OR... use HI RES SCANS FROM YOUR PHOTOS.
TIP: TAKE DIGITAL PHOTOS AT MAXIMUM RESOLUTION
TIP: ALWAYS START BIG
Image Enlargement Tip — Add Noise

Sometimes you need to enlarge images to extreme big sizes and you just can't get hold of any original that would have more details for your print. There is only one more important thing you can do, besides the things already discussed: add noise.

In PhotoShop go to Filter/Noise/Add Noise. Try the different settings for different visuals. The benefits are much more evident in print and in big size.

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