How To Zoom In on A Picture

[Inspeqtor]

to maybe 200% then crop it, saving the crop and save it to THAT new larger size to be able to show that cropped image online?

Thank you

[Inspeqtor]

In the past when I have tried this, that portion of the picture went BACK to it's original size.

[BuckSkin]

Later versions may have the ability, but I have always wished my version had the ability to crop to the window; in other words, me zoom in to the image I want and it then crop to exactly what I am seeing.

My suggestion to your situation is, instead of the crop tool, use the rectangular selection tool to select what you want and then from the top menus under "Image" click "Crop"; then, Save As with another name (add a letter or number or something)

Try that and see if it will accomplish what you are wanting.

[Inspeqtor]

I should have mentioned this, and I just changed my signature to show my correct version of PSE 2021

I tried your suggestion, but no it did not do what I was hoping for.  The cropped section, using the "Rectangular selection tool" and the "Image" then clicking on "Crop" when I saved it, it was saved at the same smaller size but only showing a smaller section of the picture.

[pontiac1940]

The rectangular marquee tool only selects pixels no matter the zoom power. So if you zoom a photo to 200% with someone's face and crop just the face you are selecting exactly the same number of pixels had you selected the face with the image view at 100%. If you need a larger "face" (in this case) after cropping you can select: Image >> Resize >> Image size and increase the pixel dimensions. See screenshot. (Others will know better ways to increase the image size.) But be aware that increasing the size will reduce image quality. If you take a cropped image that is 1,000 pixels wide and increase it to 1,200 pixels wide, it will be okay. But if you double the size, the image quality will be reduced significantly.

[Sepiana]

Feb 13, 2022 3:30:45 GMT Inspeqtor said:

to maybe 200% then crop it, saving the crop and save it to THAT new larger size to be able to show that cropped image online?

Charles, 

I don't see how this can be done.  

The purpose of the Zoom tool is to change your view of a photo in the workspace so that you can get a better look at it. The purpose of the Crop tool is to allow you to "trim" a photo to a certain size.  That's how the Adobe Team designed these two tools.

If you check the settings for the Crop tool, there is no option to crop your photo based on zooming, i.e., on how you are viewing your photo. Your options are pixels, inches, etc.

This also applies if you go to Rectangular Marquee tool>Image>Crop. Elements is not going to look at zoom percentage when cropping your photo.

If I remember it correctly, you have a copy of Barbara Brundage's The Missing Manual. She explains in detail the cropping process using the Crop tool or RMT>Image>Crop. (See Chapter 3, Cropping Pictures section.)

[BuckSkin]

Like pontiac1941 said, to end up with a larger result, you are going to have to resize.

I find the resizing feature in FastStone to be superior to that in Elements.

Also, I find that instead of resizing in one fell swoop, resizing in increments sometimes yields a better result.

And, like pontiac1942 said, sometimes the image just does not have the pixel integrity to withstand resizing and will fall to pieces when stretched.

[ChrisAnn]

To do that I would crop the element of the photo I needed; save it with a fresh name. Create a new blank file in the size and resolution I need; then place the cropped image (or drag it from the Photo Bin; grab a corner of the image to fit it into the new blank file; save again. It seems to work for me but I haven't tried it with 200% increase. I think the cropped image becomes a smart object. Or have I got that completely wrong and just been lucky?

[cats4jan]

Expounding on ChrisAnn's idea

If the crop was a large part of the photo, cropping first would be unnecessary. Just dropping the photo onto a project in the finished size wanted - then manipulating the photo with the move tool until just what you want to save was on the project - would accomplish the same thing without the cropping step.

However, if the part of the photo was quite a bit smaller than the original photo size, ChrisAnn's idea is best. Less cumbersome to work with.

The only thing I don't understand is smart objects and degradation - so the method you use to drag or drop or place the object onto your project may have something to do with the quality of the finished result. I do not know which method preserves more pixels. Maybe someone else will provide that info.



Alternatively - I like to use clipping/grouping.

Open a new project - Make a photo block the size you wish your finished photo to be - and clip/group your photo to your photo block.

While on the photo layer, use the move tool to manipulate the photo (resizing and moving the photo) until you have just what you want of your photo showing in your photo block. You can do multiple photos on the same project using multiple photo blocks.

[Sepiana]

Feb 13, 2022 10:20:58 GMT ChrisAnn said:

To do that I would crop the element of the photo I needed; save it with a fresh name. Create a new blank file in the size and resolution I need; then place the cropped image (or drag it from the Photo Bin; grab a corner of the image to fit it into the new blank file; save again. It seems to work for me but I haven't tried it with 200% increase. I think the cropped image becomes a smart object. Or have I got that completely wrong and just been lucky?

ChrisAnn,

You are not wrong at all; you are right on the mark as to Smart Objects.

When you use the File>Place command, the file will be brought into Elements as a Smart Object. Depending on which Elements version you have, a file dragged from the Photo Bin will come in as a Smart Object.

All about Smart Objects

Feb 13, 2022 12:19:55 GMT cats4jan said:

Alternatively - I like to use clipping/grouping.

Open a new project - Make a photo block the size you wish your finished photo to be - and clip/group your photo to your photo block.

While on the photo layer, use the move tool to manipulate the photo (resizing and moving the photo) until you have just what you want of your photo showing in your photo block.

Janice,

This alternative works just fine. However, you need to keep in mind that, once you enlarge a photo by more than 100%, the photo will get pixelated.

This will also apply if you create a photo block, clip a photo to it, and use Free Transform to enlarge the photo to fit the block. If you need to enlarge the photo by more than 100%, you will see pixelation. Fortunately, there is the workaround below.

Bring your photo into Elements as a Smart Object by using the File>Place command. The advantage of working with Smart Objects is that they can be enlarged, shrunk, transformed, etc. without any problem. Open your photo block first and, then, bring your photo into Elements by using this command. Now, after you clip the photo to the photo block, you can resize, transform the photo without its quality being affected.

[cats4jan]

Sepiana - Thanks for the clarification about Smart Objects - I figured Smart Object was the answer - but I didn't want to add that without someone more knowledgeable providing the information.

[BuckSkin]

Feb 13, 2022 10:20:58 GMT ChrisAnn said:

To do that I would crop the element of the photo I needed; save it with a fresh name. Create a new blank file in the size and resolution I need; then place the cropped image (or drag it from the Photo Bin; grab a corner of the image to fit it into the new blank file; save again. It seems to work for me but I haven't tried it with 200% increase. I think the cropped image becomes a smart object. Or have I got that completely wrong and just been lucky?

I don't know anything about Smart Objects; but, I know this will work in many instances.

I don't use any special commands or anything; I just grab whatever I want from it's layer stack - even if it is the only layer - and drag/drop it onto the Background (or layer stack) that I wish.

If I am doing as ChrisAnn describes, once my crop layer is on top of my target layer, I hilite/select both layers; then, Move Tool and in the Align drop-down I choose Align Top Edges and then Align Left Edges; this puts the upper-left corner, the top, and the left edge in alignment and all I need do is grab he lower/right corner and drag it to fit.


Now, if you want the new image to also have all the EXIF of the original, camera information, capture information, location, author, title, caption, comments, GPS, and most important - Date Taken, then I have a trick to do that. 

[fotofrank]

Just to build on ChrisAnn solution - with the image open, PLACE the same image again and transform the now Smart Object as needed.

Original




Resized/aka as requested Cropped

[michelb]

Sometimes, I wonder if it could be possible to forget the idea of 'cropping' or 'trimming' with a pair of scissors your paper image. Instead, imagine you are working in the old darkroom with an enlarger and a margin setting tool. You can move the margin holder around and you can 'zoom in and out' by  moving the enlarger head projector up and down.

Well, it seems that it was a similar  metaphor which has been used recently to change the crop tool of Adobe Camera Raw. The margin holder is the window, and you move it around and change the crop ratio while you set your magnification by moving the head up and down. Now, you set your margins in ACR and you can move the 'projection' around and up and down. No scissors needed.

Now, back to Chris Ann's excellent suggestion.

Since only pixels are meaningful until you decide to print/display a picture, it's logical to use the drag and drop solution from the photobin to a blank 'canvas' of the right size and resolution. When you drag your whole picture, forget cropping and scissors. Think enlarging, moving, tilting the 'preview' of the image so that only the portion of the image you want to keep is displayed within the bounds of the 'canvas'.

Two possibilities.

- You don't have to enlarge. That means that the resolution of the source image is enough and that no upsizing will take place. You are at ease for printing.

- You have to slightly enlarge to fit your selection. Check the result, that may be acceptable. Anyway since you are dealing with a 'smart' layer, all the resolution of the source image will be used. A bigger enlargement is not possible. In such a case, even if resizing a copy of the source image can't provide more details, it might be necessary to 'upsize' the copy to avoid jaggies.

The advange is that you don't have to make resolution calculations to crop. Very often, you don't have to enlarge with today's megapixel cameras. By the way, practicing this workflow may help you to live with the crop change in ACR which has caused so many complaints!

[Inspeqtor]

Wow, I see this topic has created a lot of feedback which I am happy has happened.

I wanted to say that I found a user on another forum that has done this with Photoshop and I asked him how he did it, as I was pretty sure it would probably work the same way within Elements.

First crop a portion out of your photo that you want to zoom in to make THAT portion larger.  Next go to "Image/Resize/Image Size"

This is where the magic happens.  Where you see the Pixel selection, change this to Percent

I changed mine to 300%  Now you save your file and you are done!





IMG_2529 by inspeqtor, on Flickr

IMG_2529-300% by inspeqtor, on Flickr