Really stupid basic question

[weirdbeardmt]

As most of you who know me are aware I am absolutely useless at graphic design work. Whenever I have to do something I use PSP6. Anyway this is something that is baffling me.

I scanned in a photo which physically is 9"x6".

However, when I open it up in PSP, it says it is only 3.7"x2.8"....

Why is this? Is this something to do with what the scanning has done? It is important because I need to create from that photo a 3"x3" image (so a section thereof) but it is hard to tell when the figures are all over the place. What is going on?

[Technosailor]

Don't know PSP...but that's 1/3 the size it should be....just to let you know... Maybe change your scan resolution...

Sketch

[weirdbeardmt]

Well I scanned it a 1200dpi...

[creole]

There are two main variables when scanning.

- Percentage of original image
- Resolution

Let's say you start with a 5in x 5in image at 100% scanned at 300dpi. IMAGE > IMAGE SIZE will tell you taht the Pixel dimensions of the image are 1500x1500. Document size will tell you that the image is 5inx5in at 300dpi. If you do the math, the first figures divide evenly into the second figures.

If you scanned in this 9x6 image at 100% at 1200dpi (which is WAYYY too big unless you're printing it on the side of a building) then the pixel dimensions of the image should be 10800x7200 (9*1200x6*1200). It sounds like you either scanned it in at a lesser percentage or you're looking at the wrong area.

[creole]

one thing to add...

If you've got this image at 1200dpi at 3.7x2.8in, then you can safely size it UP without losing quality. See, you've already got MORE resolution than you need so you won't be losing quality. Do you follow me?

[weirdbeardmt]

Thx Creole...

I was trying to create a photo for my GF for Valentine's day, so in the end I rescanned it at 400 dpi and it worked out well.