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87 Change Image Size or Resolution

When needed, Paint Shop Pro can display information about the basic characteristics of an imageits file type, resolution, size, and data specific to the conditions under which it was taken. To display this information for any currently open image, change to that image first; then select Image, Image Information from the menu bar. The Current Image Information dialog box opens, containing three tabs, all loaded with information about the current image.

The Current Image Information dialog box.

On the Image Information tab, you'll find this data:

• Source file Here you'll see the filename and file type (such as JPEG or TIFF).

• Image The dimensions of the image are displayed in pixels and inches. The example shown here uses a resolution of 300 pixels per inch (ppi), resulting in a print size of 6.827"x5.120". These two values are interconnected ; you'll learn more about changing resolution and resizing images in (106 About Size and Resolution .

• Status Here you can tell whether any changes have been made to the image, and whether it contains any current selections, layers , or alpha channel information.

  KEY TERM

  Alpha channel Data saved with an image for reuse when needed, such as selections, masks, and creator information.

• Memory used If your computer resources are running low, you can look here to see how much memory your image editing is consuming.

The data on the Creator Information tab of the Current Image Information dialog box is entered by you and stored in the alpha channel of the image file. If you intend to publish your PSP image to public places, such as a personal web page, you can claim your copyright by typing copyright information and your name into this tab.

Many newer digital cameras are capable of saving additional data, such as the camera type, date the photo was taken, and shot conditions such as f-stop, shutter speed, and focal length. This data is stored in the image's Exchangeable Image File (EXIF) header. You'll find this data on the EXIF Information tab of the Current Image Information dialog box. Some of this data can be used by an EXIF-compatible printer to print your photo more accurately, with better color and brightness matching.

EXIF data may be stored with an image.

To make sure you don't lose this valuable EXIF data, save your image file using an EXIF-compatible program (PSP happens to be one) in an EXIF-compatible format (PSPImage or JPEG).

The Overview palette also displays some image information, because you might need to refer to it while considering changes to an image. Click the Info tab on the Overview palette to see the size of your image in pixels (useful to know, especially if you're working with the image zoomed in). You'll also see the pixel format listedthis is essentially the color depth . Some of Paint Shop Pro's features are not available unless an image is currently using 16 million colors, so looking here first can save you the trouble of looking for an option that you won't be able to select. On the Info tab, you'll also see the amount of memory being usedagain, this is useful information to have if you're using an older computer with limited resources.

KEY TERM

Color depth The size of the image's current color palette , which contains the colors available for use in an image.

The Info tab of the Overview palette.

At the bottom of the Info tab, you can see the relative location of your mouse pointer as a pair of x (horizontal) and y (vertical) coordinates. In this coordinate system, { 0, 0} is considered the upper-left corner of the image. The x value increases as you move the pointer to the right, and the y value increases as you move it down. When you're selecting a rectangular area of an image to be cut out or copied , the Info tab will also show you the selection's size in pixels and the relative locations of both the upper-left and lower-right corners of the selection.

TIP

Before placing text or other data in a precise location within an image, display the Info tab of the Overview palette so that you can see the x and y coordinates as you work.

The data on the Info tab of the Overview palette also appears at the right end of the status bar. At the left end of the status bar, you'll find a brief description of any tool, toolbar button, or menu command you point to.

The Status toolbar displays vital information.