Adobe Photoshop 7.0 question.

[paulktreg]

I am using a graph plotting software package and the only way to get a copy of the graph is via the copy option. The program doesn't have the option to save as anything but a .rdg file, its native format, no way to save as a bitmap, jpg, etc. The problem is I open Photoshop and paste the image which is coming out at a crisp and sharp 1794 x 1266 which I have to shrink to 800 x 600. The shrinking process is causing a loss of sharpness in the image, have a look at the DC voltage load regulation graphs in the power supply reviews. Is there any way of sharpening up the image, especially the text, in Adobe Photoshop 7.0?

[bp9801]

Make a copy of the image layer by using the rectangle marquee tool. Use that tool and drag it over the entire image, then hit Ctrl and C, then Ctrl and V to paste it onto a new layer. Make sure that new layer is selected and then go up top to the menus and find Filter. Click that and then go down to Sharpen and then click on Sharpen in the little menu it pops up on the side. If everything looks too sharp, then go back up top and click on Edit, then go down to Fade and lower the value from 100% down to 70% or so.

 

Thats one way to do it but I don't guarantee it will fix the issue exactly. It should help some though imo.

[hardnrg]

You mean images like this one?

 

I was expecting something a LOT worse, like text a few pixels high, blurred, and unreadable...

 

You should be able to get better results by one of the following techniques:

 

1. Bicubic Sharper resize

- use this algorithm for downwards image scaling

 

2. Iterative resize

- instead of resizing down in one step, go down in several steps, reducing the resolution each time to end up at the target resolution (I'd normally use Bicubic resize for this method)

 

3. Sharpen using the High Pass filter

- this is how I sharpen all my photos

- http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/sharpen-high-pass/

 

 

 

Also, why is the source image 1794 x 1266? Is there any way to reduce the size of the source? Could you change the desktop resolution or window size to get a smaller graph?

[bp9801]

Yeah, using the High Pass filter is another option. If you do use the High Pass way, I prefer setting it to something low like 0.8 to get just enough sharpness without getting any of the other effects High Pass can bring.

[paulktreg]

Thanks guys I'll try your suggestions.