Resize Question

With the release of TNT v. 2.0 the EC Software screenshot program has become a serious application in its own right, so it was high time that it was given its own forum!

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mbroski
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Resize Question

Unread post by mbroski »

I want to resize an image in TNT without using one of the resampling algorithms. Is this possible? For instance, I start with an image that is 4 inches by 4 inches with 96 pixels per inch. I want to resize it to 2 inches by 2 inches with 96*2 pixels per inch. That way my images don't become fuzzy when they are resized using an algorithm.

Any thoughts?

Mark
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Tim Green
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Unread post by Tim Green »

Mark,

Unfortunately, this is not possible. No graphics program in the world can resize an image without using an algorithm -- it's a little like saying "I want to breathe but I don't want to inhale any air." The "algorithm" is simply the method used for resizing the image, and without the method you can't resize. Unless your image is simply a uniform rectangle with all pixels the same color the program must apply mathematical formulas to decide how to reduce a matrix of different pixels to a single pixel.

All methods used for resizing by any program will reduce the quality of the image somewhat. If what you are asking for was possible this would be the only method used -- no other method would be necessary.
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Martin Wynne
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Unread post by Martin Wynne »

Tim Green wrote:Unfortunately, this is not possible. No graphics program in
the world can resize an image without using an algorithm
Hi Tim,

You have misunderstood what Mark is asking for. He doesn't want to resize the
image, he simply wants to change the dpi value in the file.

Mark, as far as I know you can't do this in TNT, try PaintShopPro instead.

Open the image In PSP, click Resize and change only the dpi setting, and
nothing else. Then save again. The image pixel sizes will remain the same.

The snag is that you may have problems persuading the destination software
to take any notice of this. Windows programs are notoriously wedded to using
96dpi, even when the file contains a different value. Getting any Windows
software to actually print dot-for-dot (without regard to the dpi) is even more
difficult - I wrote my own.

Martin.
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Tim Green
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Unread post by Tim Green »

Martin,

Whoops, I suspect you're right. I considered that as a possibility but discarded it because it seemed so unlikely -- as you point out, changing the DPI setting doesn't make any difference at all to the displayed image size in most programs, including H&M.
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Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Tim Green
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Unread post by Tim Green »

Mark,

PS: There is only one situation where "scaling via DPI" makes sense in H&M and that is for printing and for PDFs that are designed to be scaled above 100% on the screen -- all normal on-screen graphics display functions in Windows require that the images be mapped 1:1 to the pixels on the screen for best quality, so the image's DPI settings are irrelevant there.

However, H&M already has a function to use higher resolution images for printing and PDFs. In your example you would insert your 4x4 inch image with Insert > Picture. Then (in H&M4) select the image in the H&M editor and scale it to 50% by dragging its resize handles. (In H&M3 you enter the scaling factor in the Insert Image dialog.)

The image is not physically resized when you do this, only its display size is changed. In all output formats except PDF and printed manuals the image will then be resized physically when you compile your output. However, in PDF and printed manuals the full-resolution image will be used, but displayed at the size set in the H&M editor. This feature can be used to make full (or at least better) use of the resolution of your printer -- a normal image displayed at 1:1 in the editor must othewise be enlarged when you print, producing very low quality.
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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mbroski
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Resize Question

Unread post by mbroski »

Thanks for your help with this question.

My typical scenario is this:

1) I operate with a larger screen resolution that most people
2) I take a screenshot with as Jpeg to email another person who usually has a lower resolution monitor
3) I copy the Screenshot to the clipboard
4) I past the screenshot into a new email. And it's too big.

Solution 1: Set Zoom to 75% on the Application, but then the picture is fuzzy.

Solution 2: Copy over to Photoshop to change the size. Not fuzzy, but slow.

I was hoping that there might be a third solution I hadn't thought of yet, but perhaps not.

Thanks again.

Mark
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Martin Wynne
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Re: Resize Question

Unread post by Martin Wynne »

mbroski wrote:4) I past the screenshot into a new email. And it's too big.
Hi Mark,

Changing the ppi setting won't help - if you have too many pixels in the image
for the destination screen, the only option is to re-sample it into fewer pixels!

The easier solution might be to resize the Window from which you are taking
the screenshot to a smaller size.

As you mentioned inch sizes I assumed you were concerned with printing.

Martin.
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