Photo reducing?

[Jantrix]

I need to learn how to easily reduce images for making decals, without loosing clarity and focus. I do not have any art programs past Paint and do not know a pixel from a pixie. Can someone offer me a tutorial on this procedure? Is there a freeware program that I could use? And once I have the program how should I go about it? Any help is kindly appreciated.

[Jordan White]

I would suggest downloading the OpenOffice pack from here. It's basically like Microsoft Office, but it comes with a program called Draw (and it's free). In it, it's quite simple to use to make pictures smaller without losing clarity.

Once you have the program open, look at the bottom of the screen. There should be a button with a red square, blue triangle, and yellow circle. This opens up a picture from your harddrive (which you have to search for obviously).

When the image is opened on the screen, right-click on the image and select "position and size". In it, you can actually change the size of the image using inches. There's a little check box that says "keep ratio" that you want checked if you want the image to have the same height-to-width ratio as normal when you resize it. Otherwise, if you want it to have a different ratio, then you just unclick the box.

Once that is done, you're ready to print it!

Edited October 26, 2010 by YJIslander

[Jon Cole]

I use this one, and it is free:

http://www.picresize.com/

[MikeMc]

MS word....import a image into it and then you can shrink it without any loss

Damncranky taught me and I used it on my 47 interior

found a google image used MS to size it in scale

also works on Acme platemaker images

Edited October 26, 2010 by MikeMc

[Chuck Most]

I used the old fashioned method for mine- stand back about 15' (which works for my particular camera), and just make sure the lighting is good, to photograph the actual object. That's how I made these Wolf's Head oil cases- you lose only some of the very fine printing on some items, but these came out pretty well.

I've tried programs such as Microsoft word to resize images, but I must suck at it because I've never had much luck with them!

[Len Geisler]

MS word....import a image into it and then you can shrink it without any loss

Damncranky taught me and I used it on my 47 interior

found a google image used MS to size it in scale

also works on Acme platemaker images

I too use this method, and have never been disappointed with my results, for plates, mag covers or boxes...

[Jantrix]

MS word....import a image into it and then you can shrink it without any loss

Damncranky taught me and I used it on my 47 interior

found a google image used MS to size it in scale

also works on Acme platemaker images

Mike, this works perfectly. Thanks very much.

[Foxer]

Actually, I would recommend not changing the original. Trouble is, I use Photoshop and only "resize" the intended print size without changing pixels. This changes the pixel/inch rather than eliminating the resolution as most programs do. The bitmap resolution of an image you see on the screen has nothing (well, almost) to do with the size it prints. These are two different ways to describe the same image. In printer terms, it is described as size in inches by pixels/inch.

I don't mean to confuse, but it you want to retain the maximum resolution you must just size it correctly when you print, not destroy pixels. I'm afraid I don't know how mush adjustment in printing other programs offer, but your printer should allow you to specify the actual size you want to print at. This is what you need to do.

[DanielG]

Sizing down the image usually makes it clearer. Sizing up is when you tend to lose clarity. When I am printing I take as close a pic as I can and then it gets sized way down. A 1/18 scale licence plate starts off about 5 inches across.

[MikeMc]

I too use this method, and have never been disappointed with my results, for plates, mag covers or boxes...

Mike, this works perfectly. Thanks very much.

Yep....I gotta thank Cranky.......