Acquiring images from cameras and scanners

Acquiring digital images from cameras
You can copy images to your computer by connecting your camera or a media card reader to your computer.

• Use theGet Photos From Camera command in Adobe® Bridge® to download photos, and to organize, rename, and apply metadata to them.
• If your camera or the card reader appears as a drive on your computer, copy images directly to your hard disk or into Adobe Bridge.
• Use the software that came with your camera, Windows Image Acquisition (WIA), or Image Capture (Mac OS). For more information on using
• Windows Image Acquisition or Image Capture, see your computer documentation.

Import images from a digital camera using WIA (Windows only)

Certain digital cameras import images using Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) support. When you use WIA, Photoshop works with Windows andyour digital camera or scanner software to import images directly into Photoshop.

1. Choose File > Import > WIA Support.

2. Choose a destination in which to save your image files on your computer.

3. Make sure that Open Acquired Images in Photoshop is selected. If you are importing a large number of images, or if you want to edit the

images later, deselect Open Acquired Images.

4. To save the imported images directly into a folder whose name is the current date, select Unique Subfolder.

5. Click Start.

6. Select the digital camera from which to import images.

Note: If the name of your camera does not appear in the submenu, verify that the software and drivers were properly installed and that the camera is connected.

7. Choose the image or images you want to import:

Click the image from the list of thumbnails to import the image.

Hold down Shift and click multiple images to import them at the same time.

Click Select All to import all available images.

8. Click Get Picture to import the image.

Importing scanned images

To import scanned images, either open TIFF files saved from separate scanning software, or use a TWAIN or WIA interface directly in Photoshop.

In either case, make sure to install the software necessary for your scanner. For installation instructions, see the documentation provided by the

scanner manufacturer.

Note: Scanner drivers are supported by the scanner manufacturer, not Adobe. If you have problems with scanning, make sure that you are using the latest version of the scanner driver and software.

Import images from a separate scanning application

Most scanners come with software you can run outside of Photoshop, providing identical scanning options and quality. This method avoids issues caused by outdated TWAIN drivers. It can also improve efficiency, letting you edit images in Photoshop while scanning continues in the background.

1. Start the scanning software, and set options as desired. (In Mac OS, you can also use the Image Capture utility.)

2. Save scanned images in TIFF format.

3. In Photoshop, open the saved TIFF files.

Some scanner software lets you designate Photoshop as the external editor for an image after a scanning is completed.

Import images using a TWAIN interface

TWAIN is a cross-platform interface for acquiring images captured by certain scanners, digital cameras, and frame grabbers.

1. Install the TWAIN software provided by the device manufacturer.

2. Download the Photoshop TWAIN plug-in for Windows or Mac OS.

The plug-in supports 32-bit Windows and Mac OS. It also supports 64-bit Mac OS 10.6 if the scanner manufacturer provides 64-bit drivers.

(Very few do, so most Mac OS users must run Photoshop in 32-bit mode.)

3. Choose File > Import, and select the device you want to use from the submenu.

Import images using a WIA interface (Windows only)

1. Choose File > Import > WIA Support.

2. Choose a destination on your computer for saving your image files.

3. Click Start.

4. Select Open Acquired Images In Photoshop (unless you have a large number of images to import, or if you want to edit the images at a later

time).

5. Select Unique Subfolder if you want to save imported images in a folder named with the current date.

6. Select the scanner that you want to use.

Note: If the name of your scanner does not appear in the submenu, verify that the software and drivers were properly installed and that the

scanner is connected.

7. Choose the kind of image you want to scan: Color Picture, Grayscale Picture, or Black And White Picture or Text.

To specify custom settings, select Adjust The Quality Of The Scanned Picture.

8. Click Preview. If necessary, drag the handles of the bounding box to adjust the size of the crop.

9. Click Scan.

The scanned image is saved in BMP format.

More Help topics

About printer resolution

Printer resolution is measured in ink dots per inch, also known as dpi. Generally, the more dots per inch, the finer the printed output you’ll get. Most inkjet printers have a resolution of approximately 720 to 2880 dpi. (Technically, inkjet printers produce a microscopic spray of ink, not actual dots like imagesetters or laser printers.) Printer resolution is different from, but related to image resolution. To print a high quality photo on an inkjet printer, an image resolution of at least 220 ppi should provide good results. Screen frequency is the number of printer dots or halftone cells per inch used to print grayscale images or color separations. Also known as screen ruling or line screen, screen frequency is measured in lines per inch (lpi)—or lines of cells per inch in a halftone screen. The higher the resolution of the output device, the finer (higher) a screen ruling you can use. The relationship between image resolution and screen frequency determines the quality of detail in the printed image. To produce a halftone image of the highest quality, you generally use an image resolution that is from 1.5 to at most 2 times the screen frequency. But with some images and output devices, a lower resolution can produce good results. To determine your printer’s screen frequency, check your printer documentation or consult your service provider. Note: Some imagesetters and 600-dpi laser printers use screening technologies other than halftoning. If you are printing an image on a nonhalftone printer, consult your service provider or your printer documentation for the recommended image resolutions.

Screen frequency examples
A. 65 lpi: Coarse screen typically used to print newsletters and grocery coupons B. 85 lpi: Average screen typically used to print newspapers C. 133 lpi: High-quality screen typically used to print four-color magazines D. 177 lpi: Very fine screen typically used for annual reports and images in art books

Determine a suggested resolution for an image
If you plan to print your image using a halftone screen, the range of suitable image resolutions depends on the screen frequency of your output
device. Photoshop can determine a recommended image resolution based on the screen frequency of your output device.
Note: If your image resolution is more than 2.5 times the screen ruling, an alert message appears when you try to print the image. This means
that the image resolution is higher than necessary for the printer. Save a copy of the file, and then reduce the resolution.
1. Choose Image > Image Size.
2. Click Auto.
3. For Screen, enter the screen frequency for the output device. If necessary, choose a different unit of    measurement. Note that the screen value is used only to calculate the image resolution, not to set the screen for printing.
4. For Quality, select an option:

Draft Produces a resolution that is the same as the screen frequency (no lower than 72 pixels per inch).
Good Produces a resolution 1.5 times the screen frequency.
Best Produces a resolution 2 times the screen frequency.

View the print size on-screen | CS5 and CS6
Do one of the following:
Choose View > Print Size.
Select the Hand tool or Zoom tool, and click Print Size in the options bar.
The image is redisplayed in its approximate printed size, as specified in the Document Size area of the Image Size dialog box. The size and resolution of your monitor affect the on-screen print size. Note: The Print Size command is not available in the Creative Cloud version. Resampling Resampling is changing the amount of image data as you change either the pixel dimensions or the resolution of an image. When you downsample (decrease the number of pixels), information is deleted from the image. When you resample up (increase the number of pixels, or upsample), new pixels are added. You specify an interpolation method to determine how pixels are added or deleted.

Resampling pixels
A. Downsampled B. Original C. Resampled up (selected pixels displayed for each set of images)
Keep in mind that resampling can result in poorer image quality. For example, when you resample an image to larger pixel dimensions, the image
loses some detail and sharpness. Applying the Unsharp Mask filter to a resampled image can help refocus the image details.
You can avoid the need for resampling by scanning or creating the image at a sufficiently high resolution. If you want to preview the effects of
changing pixel dimensions on-screen or to print proofs at different resolutions, resample a duplicate of your file.
Photoshop resamples images using an interpolation method to assign color values to any new pixels based on the color values of existing pixels.
You can choose which method to use in the Image Size dialog box.
Nearest Neighbor A fast but less precise method that replicates the pixels in an image. This method is for use with illustrations containing edges
that are not anti-aliased, to preserve hard edges and produce a smaller file. However, this method can produce jagged effects, which become
apparent when you distort or scale an image or perform multiple manipulations on a selection.
Bilinear A method that adds pixels by averaging the color values of surrounding pixels. It produces medium-quality results.
Bicubic A slower but more precise method based on an examination of the values of surrounding pixels. Using more complex calculations,
Bicubic produces smoother tonal gradations than Nearest Neighbor or Bilinear.
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Bicubic Smoother A good method for enlarging images based on Bicubic interpolation but designed to produce smoother results.
Bicubic Sharper A good method for reducing the size of an image based on Bicubic interpolation with enhanced sharpening. This method
maintains the detail in a resampled image. If Bicubic Sharper oversharpens some areas of an image, try using Bicubic.
You can specify a default interpolation method to use whenever Photoshop resamples image data. Choose Edit > Preferences > General
(Windows) or Photoshop > Preferences > General (Mac OS), and then choose a method from the Image Interpolation Methods menu.

Change pixel dimensions of an image

Changing an image’s pixel dimensions affects not only its on-screen size but also its image quality and its printed characteristics—either its printed
dimensions or its image resolution.
1. Choose Image > Image Size.
2. To maintain the current ratio of pixel width to pixel height, select Constrain Proportions. This option automatically updates the width as you
change the height, and vice versa.
3. Under Pixel Dimensions, enter values for Width and Height. To enter values as percentages of the current dimensions, choose Percent as
the unit of measurement. The new file size for the image appears at the top of the Image Size dialog box, with the old file size in
parentheses.
4. Make sure that Resample Image is selected, and choose an interpolation method.
5. If your image has layers with styles applied to them, select Scale Styles to scale the effects in the resized image. This option is available
only if you selected Constrain Proportions.
6. When you finish setting options, click OK.
For best results when you produce a smaller image, downsample and apply the Unsharp Mask filter. To produce a larger image, rescan
the image at a higher resolution.
Change the print dimensions and resolution
When creating an image for print media, it’s useful to specify image size in terms of the printed dimensions and the image resolution. These two
measurements, referred to as the document size, determine the total pixel count and therefore the file size of the image; document size also
determines the base size at which an image is placed into another application. You can further manipulate the scale of the printed image using the
Print command; however, changes you make using the Print command affect only the printed image, not the document size of the image file.
If you turn on resampling for the image, you can change print dimensions and resolution independently (and change the total number of pixels in
the image). If you turn off resampling, you can change either the dimensions or the resolution—Photoshop adjusts the other value automatically to
preserve the total pixel count. For the highest print quality, it’s generally best to change the dimensions and resolution first, without resampling.
Then resample only as necessary.
1. Choose Image > Image Size.
2. Change the print dimensions, image resolution, or both:
To change only the print dimensions or only the resolution and adjust the total number of pixels in the image proportionately, select
Resample Image and then choose an interpolation method.
To change the print dimensions and resolution without changing the total number of pixels in the image, deselect Resample Image.
3. To maintain the current ratio of image width to image height, select Constrain Proportions. This option automatically changes the width as
you change the height, and vice versa.
4. Under Document Size, enter new values for the height and width. If desired, choose a new unit of measurement. Note that for Width, the
Columns option uses the width and gutter sizes specified in the Units & Rulers preferences.
5. For Resolution, enter a new value. If desired, choose a new unit of measurement.
To restore the initial values displayed in the Image Size dialog box, hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS), and click Reset.

What affects file size?

File size depends on the pixel dimensions of an image and the number of layers it contains. Images with more pixels may produce more detail
when printed, but they require more disk space to store and may be slower to edit and print. You should keep track of your file sizes to make sure
the files are not becoming too large for your purposes. If the file is becoming too large, reduce the number of layers in the image or change the
image size.
You can view the file size information for an image at the bottom of the application window.
More Help topics

Image size and resolution

About pixel dimensions and printed image resolution:

Pixel dimensions measure the total number of pixels along an image’s width and height. Resolution is the fineness of detail in a bitmap image and is measured in pixels per inch (ppi). The more pixels per inch, the greater the resolution. Generally, an image with a higher resolution produces a better printed image quality.

Same.

Same image at 72-ppi and 300-ppi; inset zoom 200%

Unless an image is resampled (see Resampling), the amount of image data remains constant as you change either the print dimensions or resolution. For example, if you change the resolution of a file, its width and height change accordingly to maintain the same amount of image data. In Photoshop, you can see the relationship between image size and resolution in the Image Size dialog box (choose Image >Image Size). Deselect Resample Image, because you don’t want to change the amount of image data in your photo. Then change width, height, or resolution. As you change one value, the other two values change accordingly.

Pixel dimensions equal document (output) size times resolution.

A. Original dimensions and resolution B. Decreasing the resolution without changing pixel dimensions (no resampling) C. Decreasing the resolution at same document size decreases pixel dimensions (resampling).

Quickly display the current image size If you want to quickly display a document’s current image size, use the information box at the bottom of the document window. Position the pointer over the file information box, and hold down the mouse button. 

File size

The file size of an image is the digital size of the image file, measured in kilobytes (K), megabytes (MB), or gigabytes (GB). File size is proportional to the pixel dimensions of the image. Images with more pixels may produce more detail at a given printed size, but they require more disk space to store and may be slower to edit and print. Image resolution thus becomes a compromise between image quality (capturing all the data you need) and file size. Another factor that affects file size is file format. Because of the varying compression methods used by GIF, JPEG, and PNG file formats, file sizes can vary considerably for the same pixel dimensions. Similarly, color bit-depth and the number of layers and channels in an image affect file size.

Photoshop supports a maximum pixel dimension of 300,000 by 300,000 pixels per image. This restriction places limits on the print size and

resolution available to an image.

About monitor resolution

Your monitor’s resolution is described in pixel dimensions. For example, if your monitor resolution and your photo’s pixel dimensions are the same size, the photo will fill the screen when viewed at 100%. How large an image appears on-screen depends on a combination of factors—the pixel dimensions of the image, the monitor size, and the monitor resolution setting. In Photoshop, you can change the image magnification on-screen, so you can easily work with images of any pixel dimensions.

Image essentials

About bitmap images:

Bitmap images—technically called raster images—use a rectangular grid of picture elements (pixels) to represent images. Each pixel is assigned a

specific location and color value. When working with bitmap images, you edit pixels rather than objects or shapes. Bitmap images are the most

common electronic medium for continuous-tone images, such as photographs or digital paintings, because they can more efficiently represent

subtle gradations of shades and color.

Bitmap images are resolution-dependent—that is, they contain a fixed number of pixels. As a result, they can lose detail and appear jagged if they

are scaled to high magnifications on-screen or if they are printed at a lower resolution than they were created for.

Example of a bitmap image at different levels of magnification

Bitmap images sometimes require large amounts of storage space, and often need to be compressed to keep file sizes down when used in certain

Creative Suite components. For instance, you compress an image file in its original application before you import it into a layout.

Note: In Adobe Illustrator, you can create bitmap effects in your artwork using effects and graphic styles.

About vector graphics:

Vector graphics (sometimes called vector shapes or vector objects) are made up of lines and curves defined by mathematical objects called vectors, which describe an image according to its geometric characteristics.

You can freely move or modify vector graphics without losing detail or clarity, because they are resolution-independent—they maintain crisp edges when resized, printed to a PostScript printer, saved in a PDF file, or imported into a vector-based graphics application. As a result, vector graphics are the best choice for artwork, such as logos, that will be used at various sizes and in various output media. The vector objects you create using the drawing and shape tools in Adobe Creative Suite are examples of vector graphics. You can use the Copy and Paste commands to duplicate vector graphics betweenCreative Suite components.

Combining vector graphics and bitmap images:

When combining vector graphics and bitmap images in a document, it’s important to remember that how your artwork looks on-screen isn’t always how it will look in its final medium (whether commercially printed, printed on a desktop printer, or viewed on the web). The following factors influence the quality of your final artwork: Transparency Many effects add partially transparent pixels to your artwork. When your artwork contains transparency, Photoshop performs a process called flattening before printing or exporting. In most cases, the default flattening process produces excellent results. However, if your artwork contains complex, overlapping areas and you require high-resolution output, you will probably want to preview the effects of flattening. Image Resolution The number of pixels per inch (ppi) in a bitmap image. Using too low a resolution for a printed image results in pixelation output with large, coarse-looking pixels. Using too high a resolution (pixels smaller than what the output device can produce) increases the file size without increasing the quality of the printed output, and slows the printing of the artwork. Printer resolution and screen frequency The number of ink dots produced per inch (dpi) and the number of lines per inch (lpi) in a halftone

screen. The relationship between image resolution, printer resolution, and screen frequency determines the quality of detail in the printed image.

Color channels:

Every Photoshop image has one or more channels, each storing information about color elements in the image. The number of default color channels in an image depends on its color mode. By default, images in Bitmap, Grayscale, Duotone, and Indexed Color mode have one channel; RGB and Lab images have three; and CMYK images have four. You can add channels to all image types except Bitmap mode images. For more information, see Color modes. Channels in color images are actually grayscale images that represent each of the color components of an image. For example, an RGB image has separate channels for red, green, and blues color values.In addition to color channels, alpha channels, can be added to an image for storing and editing selections as masks, and spot color channels can be added to add spot color plates for printing. For more information, see Channel basics.

Bit depth

Bit depth specifies how much color information is available for each pixel in an image. The more bits of information per pixel, the more available colors and more accurate color representation. For example, an image with a bit depth of 1 has pixels with two possible values: black and white. An image with a bit depth of 8 has 2 , or 256, possible values. Grayscale mode images with a bit depth of 8 have 256 possible gray values. RGB images are made of three color channels. An 8-bit per pixel RGB image has 256 possible values for each channel which means it has over 16 million possible color values. RGB images with 8-bits per channel (bpc) are sometimes called 24-bit images (8 bits x 3 channels = 24 bits of data for each pixel).

In addition to 8-bpc images, Photoshop can also work with images that contain 16-bpc or 32-bpc. Images with 32-bpc are also known as high dynamic range (HDR) images. Photoshop support for 16-bit images

Photoshop provides the following support for working with 16-bpc images: Working in Grayscale, RGB Color, CMYK Color, Lab Color, and Multichannel, modes. All tools in the toolbox, except the Art History Brush tool, can be used with 16-bpc images. All color and tonal adjustment commands, except Variations, are available :

You can work with layers, including adjustment layers, in 16-bpc images.

Some filters, including Liquify, can be used with 16-bpc images.

To take advantage of certain Photoshop features, such as some filters, you can convert a 16-bpc image to an 8-bpc image. It’s best if you do

a Save As and convert a copy of the image file so the original file retains the full 16-bpc image data.

Photoshop CS6 workspace:
The Photoshop CS6 workspace is easy to use and includes a number of design enhancements.
Different brightness levels: Choose Edit > Preference (Windows) or Photoshop > Preferences (Mac OS) and select a Color Theme swatch in
the Interface section.
Note: To quickly decrease brightness, press Shift + 1; to increase brightness, press Shift + 2. (On Mac OS, it’s necessary to also press the
FN key.)
On-image displays: Stay informed as you use your favorite tools. On-image displays show selection dimensions, transformation angles, and
more. To change the placement of the displays, choose an option from the Show Transformation Values in the Interface preferences.
New Mini Bridge: The new Mini Bridge gallery offers easier access to images and documents. Choose Window > Extensions > Mini Bridge.
Maximized screen space: Click the button at the bottom of the toolbar to switch between Standard and Fullscreen display modes.
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Workspace overview
You create and manipulate your documents and files using various elements, such as panels, bars, and windows. Any arrangement of these
elements is called a workspace. The workspaces of the different applications in Adobe® Creative Suite® 5 share the same appearance so that you
can move between the applications easily. You can also adapt each application to the way you work by selecting from several preset workspaces
or by creating one of your own.
Although the default workspace layout varies in different products, you manipulate the elements much the same way in all of them.