Photoshop® CS4 Bible

Chapter 5. Creating New Images, Resizing, and Adjusting Resolution

IN THIS CHAPTER

Getting started with new images Opening images

Importing images

Placing images

Image resizing

To create from scratch or not to create from scratch? You can start your Photoshop project by making a new blank canvas that is just the right size and resolution, or you can start with an existing image and resize it, if necessary. But you should put some thought into it before you start.

In general, it is probably more convenient and safe to start with a new document that has exactly the size, resolution, and other parameters you need. But be aware that if you bring in images that don't contain enough information to describe their detail at the new document's size, you may end up with poor quality. The same is true if you start with an existing image that doesn't have enough information and you enlarge it significantly.

If you are creating a new document from scratch and not bringing other images into it, you would start by creating the new document with exactly the parameters you need. For example, this might apply if you were creating a logo or a painting from scratch.

NOTE

To test the quality of images destined for print, print a proof on a good printer; don't rely on the onscreen display to check quality. If possible, do this early in the process before you've put a lot of work into it. If you are preparing images for the Web, of course check the onscreen display of the image to determine its quality. ...