I have an Olympus C2000Z. I need to know how to resample enlarged cropped images please as the photo quality of some of my attempts is very poor. Very jagged and certainly not acceptable as photos. Do I need specific software for this? I have Photo Express, Camedia and Picture It.

-- Meropy Bernhard (meropy@ozemail.com.au), October 12, 1999

Answers

It sounds like you are modifying your origional images, and therefore do not have an unmodified image to return to. Never perform editing on an image and then "save", always use "save as" and give the file a new name, thus preserving the origional. If you haven't erased your smart card, you can re-download the images.

If you are trying to undo several editing steps, be aware that some software has limitations on the undo function. Adobe PhotoDelux Home edition, for example, only allows one undo; Adobe Photoshop allows unlimited undo's. I have never used your software, so I don't know it's limitations. I have an Oly D-450zoom, but never used the included software. I went right for Photoshop as it is the best.

Jaggies and blockies are artifacts of image compression. You might notice that on images taken at your camera's lowest quality settings exhibit these, while those taken at the highest quality settings do not or show almost none. This is because the "low" quality settings use more compression, and "high" quality use almost none (TIFF - the highest setting your camera is capable of - uses NONE).

Resizing an image can also produce these effects. Keep a copy of the origional and experement with copies of the image. Keep trying, it takes time.

-- Dale R Dankulich (dalerd01@earthlink.net), October 12, 1999.

Well first realize that your file straight off your camera will be 72ppi. You need to resize it in a program before printing. Photoshop LE is now marketed on it's own and for 99 bucks would be perfect. You adjust your printing size throught the "Image Size" box and should get an 8x10 at 160ppi(roughly) off an 1600x1200 digicam. I have had great luck using Genuine Fractal 2.0 , saving the file in their native file format. Then you open the new file which uses its own weird ".stn" file extension, a dialog box comes up ,then resample up to 320ppi keeping the physical print size the same, my 8x10 prints come out are amazing. This works for me and should help you as well. Also DO NOT resave your initial pictures off the camera. Just transfer them to the computer (buy a smart media reader) and open the pics in Photoshop LE, immediately save the ones you like in the .PSD format, native photosop files. The point is to get them out of JPEG mode. I have a feeling you are RE-compressing your files at one point and the artifacts from heavy JPEG'ing are killing your prints. I would say Photoshop LE is a must have for yourself, the other crappy software (Picture it!) is just not technical enough to give you any control. Good Luck.

-- Cris Daniels (danfla@gte.net), October 14, 1999.

I use Picture Publisher (prefereably 8.0), It has almost all the features of Photoshop at a lower price. Masking brush is excellent tool. You can resize any way you like. You might try checking "maintain file size" box and then change resolution to your choice. I find 200 dpi plenty for 8X10 enlargements. You'll get about a 6X8 at first, then resize to your preference. PP has multiple undos and has for the last 3 versions, also layers, etc. Camedia software doesn't give you any options to resize. You'd lose a lot I believe. I havent actually tried it. Save at tif, it's pretty univesal for all software programs such as Word (even older versions, new ones support JPG). Good luck.

-- Wayne Smith (wanysmith@hotmail.com), November 21, 1999.