Picture Resolution Issues

[wizzer]

Hi,
Can anyone help with this problem.

Generally when I import photos and use say crop the images appear on screen at standard 72ppi. For some reason when I import other photos they do so at 300ppi and I can't understand why.

This is a bit frustrating when using the crop tool. I prefer working at 72ppi (so I can see the full picture size if displayed on a pc) and also I have to change it manually every time if I am using the crop tool set to use existing photo dimensions.

Any help appreciated.
Thanks.

[Rusty]

Hi Wizzer, welcome to the forum,

We beat this to death last month when somebody else asked almost the exact same question. Look at this thread

http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27881&highlight=resolution

Rusty

[wizzer]

Hi Rusty,
Thanks for your response.

Yes a new poster and the first thing I do is embarass myself! I should have searched first but I did second and almost immediately after posting saw the item about different cameras downloading images at different ppi's.

Something I'd never given thought about. I'd assumed all cameras downloaded at the same ppi. I suppose it makes sense for bigger cameras (with bigger sensors and therefore potentially bigger images) to download at a higher ppi so that the whole image (or a bigger part of it) can be seen.

Thanks

[Rusty]

Hey, Wizzer,
I wasn't putting you down :) I knew you were new and probably didn't know how to use "search". Heck, I was around for about six months before I figured it out.

As far as seeing the image on your screen, it really doesn't matter at all what ppi numbers may be selected. Click the Zoom Tool (magnifying glass) and across the tool bar you see 3 options. Click the middle one, "Fit Screen".

Rusty

[Chuck S.]

Wizzer, the inch dimensions and ppi don't mean anything to your camera or the transfer of information from your camera to your computer. The electronic image file is basically an array of pixels the dimensions of which are set in your camera. A six megapixel camera might capture a file that's 3000 pixels wide and 2000 pixels high, and that's what's passed from camera to computer. The editing software - in this case PSE - tacks on a resolution (ppi) and calculates the linear dimensions (in inches) to help you get a feel for the size of image you could print from the pixel dimensions of your original image. It's meant to be helpful, I'm sure - but it's created anxiety for every one of us when we first open an image in PSE and find that it's only 72 ppi and we paid good money for our camera! :eek:. Then, maybe, we notice that the image it proposed to print is 40 inches by 30 inches, and we start to think something isn't quite kosher about that 72 ppi....