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scaled image smaller, lost image clarity
#1
In Gimp is there a way to scale an image down without losing image clarity?

I have some images in various layers. I flattened them, then scaled the result down from 6.88 inches wide to 6.5 inches wide (with the height also scaling down automatically in proportion).  But the image clarity on screen before scaling down was better than after scaling down. 

Thanks for any assistance.

I think I see how, now. The problem was that when I scaled down, I did so by changing the image size directly, while the resolution (300 ppi) remained the same.  So by reducing the size, i was also reducing the total number of pixels in the image. So instead, I changed the image size by increasing the resolution.  By raising resolution from 300 ppi to 317, the image automatically shrank to 6.511 inches wide (in printing). Because the total number of pixels in the image remained the same, compressing more pixels into an inch, the total size of the image decreases. But you have the same number of pixels, so resolution is not lost.  I think...
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#2
(02-18-2023, 08:29 PM)sedmont Wrote: In Gimp is there a way to scale an image down without losing image clarity?

I have some images in various layers. I flattened them, then scaled the result down from 6.88 inches wide to 6.5 inches wide (with the height also scaling down automatically in proportion).  But the image clarity on screen before scaling down was better than after scaling down. 

Thanks for any assistance.

I think I see how, now. The problem was that when I scaled down, I did so by changing the image size directly, while the resolution (300 ppi) remained the same.  So by reducing the size, i was also reducing the total number of pixels in the image. So instead, I changed the image size by increasing the resolution.  By raising resolution from 300 ppi to 317, the image automatically shrank to 6.511 inches wide (in printing). Because the total number of pixels in the image remained the same, compressing more pixels into an inch, the total size of the image decreases. But you have the same number of pixels, so resolution is not lost.  I think...

Yes, more or less. But the scaling will be done by the print driver on which you have no control...
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#3
(02-19-2023, 01:50 AM)Ofnuts Wrote:
(02-18-2023, 08:29 PM)sedmont Wrote: In Gimp is there a way to scale an image down without losing image clarity?

I have some images in various layers. I flattened them, then scaled the result down from 6.88 inches wide to 6.5 inches wide (with the height also scaling down automatically in proportion).  But the image clarity on screen before scaling down was better than after scaling down. 

Thanks for any assistance.

I think I see how, now. The problem was that when I scaled down, I did so by changing the image size directly, while the resolution (300 ppi) remained the same.  So by reducing the size, i was also reducing the total number of pixels in the image. So instead, I changed the image size by increasing the resolution.  By raising resolution from 300 ppi to 317, the image automatically shrank to 6.511 inches wide (in printing). Because the total number of pixels in the image remained the same, compressing more pixels into an inch, the total size of the image decreases. But you have the same number of pixels, so resolution is not lost.  I think...

Yes, more or less. But the scaling will be done by the print driver on which you have no control...

Normally such a minimal down-scale doesn't result in much loss of quality, you can have a bit of blur but this can be mitigated by using Filters > Enhance >Sharpen (with moderation).
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