Reader Question: Adding extra pixels

Question:

Can I add extra pixels in a picture saved im my computer by Photoshop or something else for enlarge or resize it??

Lauro

Brasil

Answer:

Yes, but there’s hardly ever any reason to. When you print the picture, your printer or the printing service you use will automatically scale the picture as necessary. Nonetheless, I have run into printing services that insisted on having the picture at 300dpi (or 250 dpi or 200 dpi).

I use Photoshop Elements, but I think the steps are the same in Photoshop:

1. Open your picture.
2. Click Image, click Resize, and then click Image Size.
3. Select the Resample Image check box (if it’s not already selected). You can select Bicubic from the list. Also make sure that the Constrain Proportions check box is selected.
4. Change the Width and Height in the Pixel Dimensions group to the desired resolution. If you need to achieve a specific DPI, change the Width, Height, and Resolution settings in the Document Size group.
   
5. Click OK.

Photoshop will think for a second and then show your bigger picture. Of course, this doesn’t make your picture any sharper or add any detail–it just makes it bigger and a little blurrier. Photoshop can’t add information where their wasn’t any previously.