Help me with Free Transform command in Photoshop CS2

[Spooky]

I do up montages of say 10-15 images and as a result I need the ability
to quickly resize individual images and rotate to fit them into the
overall montage.

Currently I open all the images that will appear in the montage and when
I need to insert them into the montage, I guess how big I need them,
resize the image and copy and past it in onto its own layer. If it is
not quite right I have to delete the layer from the montage and repeat
the resizing and insertion process until the size and rotation are
correct. As I go I need to constantly move and resize images to fit
into the "look" of he montage as it develops. Obviously this is a real
pain.

I have recently discovered the free transform command in Photoshop CS2.

I realise now I can copy the images in at full size and then transform
it to the size and rotation I want by just dragging the corners.
Fantastic!

My question is when you use free transform do you lose data? Eventually
I print the montages and I need to maintain maximum image quality.

Say you free transform an image down to half size. An bit later you
decide you need it larger so I drag it back to near full size.

Have I just reduced the quality of that image?

Does Photoshop actually throw away data when you transform an image by
making it smaller so that when you make it bigger (say back to its
original size) it has to "make up" data to restore it to its original
size?

Or does it maintain the image info at the original size and simply show
the image as being smaller?

If it is the latter then it will meet my needs, otherwise I think I will
have to stick to my current laborious method.


Any advice with this appreciated.

Thanks

[beetleboy]

I hate to confirm your suspicion but when you scale something down with the transform tool, you can't then expand it again to it's original size without PS interpolating (making up dots!).

There used to be a program called Live Picture with which you could do such things but I don't know what happened to it! I also think there are montaging progs that can do this kind of thing but Photoshop ain't one of em (as far as I'm aware!).

I'm racking my brain for a solution to your problem but coming up blank (not uncommon after a glass of vino!).

Liam =]

[NikonUser]

I have an idea... might be crap, but it's an idea!!

How about

1. Select the marquee tool.
2. Set it to 'fixed aspect ratio' and set the aspect ratio to the same aspect ratio as the picture you are going to import (eg 3:2)
3. In the montage image select the area where you want to import the photo to
4. Make sure the 'info' palette is visable. It will tell you the width and height of your current selection.
5. Resize the image you are about to import to this figure
6. It should now fit where you want it.

I know that won't solve your problem of being able to resize your images once you've imported them... but it should take some of the guesswork out of the resizing?

Like I said.... might not be a good or practical idea... but it's an idea

Paul

[beetleboy]

I think you're going about your montage in the right way using the Free Transform tool, just make sure you apply an Unsharp Mask afterwards as all the resizing will be downsampling your photo's.

[big pix]

unless it is possible to make said image a smart object in PSCS2....... then you can scale up and down without loss of quality.........

EDIT: I think this only works with single objects or images.........

[jethro]

Bettleboy I have a mac full copy of Live picture which i personally was an early adopter. Man what a concept. Real time image manipulation. must i say it cost me $6,000. What a fu..in waste of a great idea
Jethro

[jethro]

Acyually after reading more with this post, whats wrong with INdeign for this process. i can smack an image up extremely well with minimal data loss.
Jehro

[beetleboy]

Hey Jethro..

Ouch for you RE the $6000 Live Picture!

You could do this in InDesign but then you'd struggled to blend the images together which is what I'm assuming Spooky is doing here.

Big Pix - good call RE smart objects. I think they're for smart people tho, i've never been able to work them out (or find an actually useful purpose for them!!).

Liam =]