Is a scanned image better to work with than a ...

[Ann_Shelbourne@adobeforums.com]

Just to clarify:

If you check "Resample Image" and change ANY dimensions -- your files WILL be resampled.

If you are increasing the size of the dimensions of the document, additional pixels WILL be created.

Think of your pixels as mosaic tiles which build a picture on a floor.
You have enough tiles to fill a small room. But now you want to spread them out to fill a bigger room so all that you can do is put more grout between the tiles.

When you "Resample" an image in Photoshop, all that you are doing is filling the spaces between your original pixels with meaningless muddy grout. Coloured grout perhaps -- but meaningless mud just the same.

The moral of the story? Start with enough pixels in your original scan for your final purpose.

James:
Try leaving "Resample Image" UNchecked but change the dimensions of the image.
If you are left with more than 150 ppi, you will probably get acceptable results from your inkjet.

[Mike McBride]

James,
The way I "resize" images is to do it during the scan. For example, if my picture is 4x6-inches, and all I want is another 4x6-inch copy, I'll scan the original at 300dpi (you're using ppi, but basically we're talking about the same thing). This gets me an exact dimensional copy of the original.

If, however, I want an 8x12-inch enlargement, I simply double my scan setting to 600dpi. Then, I open the image into Photoshop, "uncheck" resampling and reset my dpi to 300. Bam! The image instantly becomes twice the size and at 300dpi, which gives me photo quality prints. Using this procedure, you don't get the "muddy" color input between your dots, as Ann pointed out.

You can keep doing this to the limits of your scanner. I recommend staying below the scanner's "optical" resolution. Avoid interpolating your images to sizes above it, as interpolation introduces noise and artifacts into your image as it is calculating the new size. It also softens your image, which gets worse the larger you go.

I hope this helps,
Mike

[Ramón_G_Castañeda@adobeforums.com]

That's a very clever and accurate simile, Ann.

[Ann_Shelbourne@adobeforums.com]

Thank you Ramón.

When scanning, I try to scan from the original film and use either the full Optical Resolution of the scanner or, if I need a smaller image, the Optical resolution divided by an integer such as 2 or 4.

[Rene_Walling@adobeforums.com]

3 works too you know

[Ann_Shelbourne@adobeforums.com]

Integers are integers……AKA known as "whole numbers"……

:~)