Resizing in workflow

[vicpeh]

Hi Seniors,

A quick question: technically for best IQ, should resizing of the image to the required size be performed at the start of the workflow OR after all the other PP has been performed?

Thx!

[WuffRuff]

I'm not sure about IQ, but I always leave resizing to the last step.
This is because, after doing all the image editing, I will save a copy in high res, then resize and save a copy in low res.
If you resize first, then you will only have a copy in low res.
What if you find that you need a high res copy of it later on?
Gonna do all the PP work again? Esp. if the PP work was a lot... you may not even be able to reproduce the same image again...
So it always makes sense to do resizing at the end. And always save a high res copy first.

[catchlights]

• Always keep a copy of original un-touch.
• do your processing and save a working copy in layered PSD.
• The working copy can be delete till you no longer needed.
• from working copy, downsize, add USM, add whatever things you like (like fancy borders with Hello Kitty, Winnie the Pooh or Transformers, name of photographer, Model, MUA, Stylist, Art Director, Location, copywriters info, camera, lens, filter used, Chinese/Japanese/Greek text or Oracle), and save as web jpg

usually my working copy do not have names or signatures, so I can resize for large print or different sizes of web jpg as and when I needed

[night86mare]

last step

you will lose some amount of "sharpness" when resizing, so this is a general guideline, use your eye to judge.

resize to TWICE the final size, for example, if you going to resize to 700 pixels longest edge, resize to 1400 pixels FIRST, go to filter --> sharpen --> sharpen

do it ONCE if you have usm before, TWICE if you have not. then resize to 700 pixels. some photos are more resilient to this than others, but no more than TWICE, please.

hope this helps. anyways, what do you mean by best IQ? IQ refers to full size image leh, you can't tell much IQ from resized file. 700 pixels, see what IQ? even a blur picture can look sharp..

[vicpeh]

Thanks all!

[junliang78]

Not a senior here , but i also always leave resizing to the last step . Coz if I am not wrong by resizing u r u losing resoltion and hence details ?

[Octarine]

When using tools like Lightroom then the resizing is part of the export process. Judging from the dialog for resizing I guess it's one of the last actions when exporting into target file.

[WuffRuff]

Originally Posted by catchlights do your processing and save a working copy in layered PSD. from working copy, downsize, add USM, add whatever things you like (like fancy borders with Hello Kitty, Winnie the Pooh or Transformers, name of photographer, Model, MUA, Stylist, Art Director, Location, copywriters info, camera, lens, filter used, Chinese/Japanese/Greek text or Oracle), and save as web jpg

Is there a difference to the image whether you downsize, then USM or USM, then downsize?
If you save all your processed files in PSD, doesn't this take up a lot of space?

[catchlights]

Originally Posted by WuffRuff Is there a difference to the image whether you downsize, then USM or USM, then downsize? If you save all your processed files in PSD, doesn't this take up a lot of space?

please refer to night86mare's post about sharpening.

yes, it does take up a lot of HD space, just need to buy a few more HD and problems solved.

[freelancephoto]

I normally leave resizing to the last step. Except in cases where the file I'm working on is too heavy for the system to handle, then I'll resize to a more managable size and work from there. Then resize again to the required final dimensions.