This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Scaling up and down
Images are rarely exactly the right size for printing, but you can scale them easily in the Print dialog.
Default position
In the example shown left, the image is displayed at the default 100% scale, on the current paper size and at the ideal Print Resolution value of 200 ppi. This means there’s been no scaling up or down. If you want to make the image appear bigger or smaller on the paper, you need to make adjustments.
)
Scaling with the bounding box
)
Click Show Bounding Box, as shown above, to reveal four handles at the corners of your image. Slide any handle to the center to make the image smaller, or to the edge to make it bigger. Notice how the Resolution value has increased to 268 ppi, because we’ve scaled it down.
Drag-and-drop positioning
)
If you deselect the Center Image position, you are free to drag and drop your image anywhere on the page. Simply place your cursor over the image and drag into the new position. The example shown above has been placed slightly higher than center.
Image too big for paper
When printing from very high resolution files, you’ll encounter the situation shown left. The image extends beyond the edge of the paper and even though the Bounding Box option is checked, you can’t see the handles to move them. The only way to scale the image down is to use the Scaled Print Size controls.
)
Using Scaled Print Size
In the Scale box, as shown left, enter 60. This increases the ppi above the ideal 200 to 333. This won’t make the image any sharper to the eye but won’t make it any worse either. When you scale in the Print dialog rather than Elements’ Image Size dialog, the alteration to the ppi is only temporary. The image now sits in the center and can be scaled with the Bounding Box option if you wish.
)
Image too small for paper
The example at left shows a low-resolution image scaled up to fit the paper size. The only problem now is that the print resolution has now dropped below the ideal 200 ppi to 147 ppi, which will result in a blurred or pixelated printout. When a low-resolution image is scaled up, in this case enlarged to 135%, the pixels become visible on the printout.
)