Image Qulaity....File Size

[worldsatwa]

I recieved an grayscale image (a photo) that was a TIFF document. Even though it shows under 'image size' as 72 ppi, it has good quality even at double magnification. The file size is only about 350kb.
When I import it into Quark Express('File/get pic) it is good quality even at double magnification.
It is a grayscale image, and 8 bits channel. I'm on a PC.
However, when I put it into another photoshop document, even if I save it as 300 ppi, and even though it looks great at high magnification in Photoshop, I save it as a TIFF, exactly the same, when I import it into Quark it looks terrible.
I would like to have it have the same attributes as the original, but there is no way. If I put it as 72 ppi it is even worse.
The only way I can get the quality, is to switch the mode to 16 bits channel, but that makes a large file, and leave it as 300ppi.
The original, though only 72 ppi, about 7 x 10 inches is a TIFF, with 8 bits channel, but is only about 350kb. It looks clear and sharp.
How can I keep my file size small like this at 72 ppi, at 8 bit channel, and not lose qulaity when put into Quark?

[BLUDVLZ]

worldsatwa,

It sounds like you have a few issues going on here. None of them is software/hardware related.

First a tip: Never, ever go by what an image looks like on-screen. The only thing that matters is how an image prints. Quark has notoriously poor image previews, so don't look at them and think your image is necessarily screwed up.

Second, your image is screwed up: Well, not really, but you are using too low a resolution for any sort of print-related project. 72ppi is good only for web/on-screen display oriented projects. A good rule of thumb is to make your images 180ppi for newsprint, 300 for everything else unless specifically given different specs by a vendor/publication.

So what we need to do is get your image from 72ppi to 300ppi without losing image quality. No problem. The key is to make sure the resample box in the Image Size dialog is NOT checked when you set the resolution to 300 ppi (or whatever resolution you need). This will use existing pixels to make up the desired resolution. However, the downside is that (in this case) your overall image dimensions will shrink. Say that you have an 8½ x 11-inch, 72ppi image and you need to make it 300ppi. Once you change the resolution using the above method, you'll wind up with a 2.04 x 2.64-inch, 300ppi image.

If you choose to resample, Photoshop has to "invent" pixels to make up for the lack of resolution. In the case of making the leap from 72ppi to 300ppi, it has to make up a LOT of pixels. This will result in blurry, less clear images. It's okay to resample in small doses, say about 110% of actual size and not lose significant image quality, but a wholesale jump like that will screw up your image.

Don't mess with the whole 8- and 16-bit setting. Most programs only work with 8-bit, so 16 just adds unnecessary file bloat (assuming of course that the program into which you're placing the image can even accept a 16-bit file).

Hope this helps.