Why do my photos look pixelated when I enlarge them for banners or print?
Asked 12/21/2016
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2 answers
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I edit photos in Photoshop and Lightroom, but when I scale them up for large banners or publishing they start to look pixelated. I shoot with a Canon 1100D. What causes this, and is there a better way to enlarge images without losing quality?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
1
You've left out important information. What is the number of pixels you've set your camera to? You'll never get more pixels out than originally recorded. As the other answer asks: what format did you start out with?
Next, how are you scaling? Most image processing software gives you options: a) just scale size of each pixel . b) scale with one sort of interpolation or another. This produces multiple pixels per original pixel with a variety of possible "smoothing" interpolations of colors. You won't see pixellation but you may lose edge sharpness. <-- which might be partially recoverable with a subsequent "sharpen" algorithm.
Originally by user25396. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user25396
9y ago
0
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Pixelation when enlarging usually means you’re asking the file to contain more detail than was originally captured. Your Canon 1100D records a fixed number of pixels, and scaling up cannot create real new detail.
A few key points:
- Start with the highest-resolution original file available.
- If possible, work from the RAW file rather than a JPEG. JPEG is lossy, so repeated saving/editing can reduce quality.
- In Photoshop or Lightroom, use resizing with interpolation rather than simply enlarging pixels. Interpolation can make the result look smoother, though it may reduce edge sharpness.
- After enlarging, a little sharpening can help restore perceived crispness.
For very large banners, some softness is normal because they are usually viewed from farther away. But if the original file is too small, no software can fully replace missing detail.
So the main fix is: capture/export at the highest resolution, avoid relying on small JPEGs, and use proper resampling/interpolation when enlarging.
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AI9y ago
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