Using Preview to resize an image

rsherid · Nov 29, 2008

I'm using Preview to adjust the size of a scanned 5x7. I went into the settings and adjusted it as such (5x7 inches, not pixels) and when I printed it out it took up the whole page! I need it exactly 5x7 so why isn't it printing as such?

BlueMac · Nov 29, 2008

rsherid said:
I'm using Preview to adjust the size of a scanned 5x7. I went into the settings and adjusted it as such (5x7 inches, not pixels) and when I printed it out it took up the whole page! I need it exactly 5x7 so why isn't it printing as such?

You need 5x7 paper.

rsherid · Nov 29, 2008

BlueMac said:
You need 5x7 paper.

I'm using 8x11 paper, which means a 5x7 should fit. The thing is the dimensions here are not 5x7 like I specified -- instead they span almost the entire 8x11 sheet of paper.

Kash · Nov 29, 2008

Probably because there's a setting that is set to take an image and span the entire page rather than print it at 100%. Are you printing straight from Preview?

BlueMac · Nov 29, 2008

rsherid said:
I'm using 8x11 paper, which means a 5x7 should fit. The thing is the dimensions here are not 5x7 like I specified -- instead they span almost the entire 8x11 sheet of paper.

Resizing in preview will only make the image SMALLER... the dimensions smaller, that is. You'd have to manually change the print settings.

rsherid · Nov 29, 2008

Kash said:
Probably because there's a setting that is set to take an image and span the entire page rather than print it at 100%. Are you printing straight from Preview?

Yes, straight from Preview

Kash · Nov 29, 2008

BlueMac is exactly where I was going with this. When you hit Print, the default setting is to scale the image to fit the page. What you want to do is hit the little down arrow next to Printer, and then go down to where it says Scale to fit and select Scale instead. With the number set to 100%, it should print the actual size of the image rather than fit it to the entire sheet.

Also, if you want to cut it out, then uncheck Center Image as well, it's a lot easier to cut a picture when it's against a side and not smack in the middle.

rsherid · Nov 30, 2008

Kash said:
BlueMac is exactly where I was going with this. When you hit Print, the default setting is to scale the image to fit the page. What you want to do is hit the little down arrow next to Printer, and then go down to where it says Scale to fit and select Scale instead. With the number set to 100%, it should print the actual size of the image rather than fit it to the entire sheet.

Also, if you want to cut it out, then uncheck Center Image as well, it's a lot easier to cut a picture when it's against a side and not smack in the middle.

Just when I thought I had it set up perfectly with your help, I re-scanned it as a TIFF for high quality, followed your instructions (which had previously worked in test runs), and now it's printing even BIGGER than the 8x5 paper. Is it because I changed it to TIFF quality?

rsherid · Dec 1, 2008

Bump (sorry)

bigmof · Dec 1, 2008

When you scanned it, did it scan larger than 5x7?

What I mean is, did it make the image larger when it scanned?

rsherid · Dec 2, 2008

bigmof said:
When you scanned it, did it scan larger than 5x7?

What I mean is, did it make the image larger when it scanned?

Yes, when it scans, it scans in huge, but I thought I could re-size it.

Kash · Dec 2, 2008

Try saving the original as a JPEG, resize, and then print as per the instructions I provided above.

rsherid · Dec 6, 2008

Kash said:
Try saving the original as a JPEG, resize, and then print as per the instructions I provided above.

Still huge

Edit: I ended up printing the photo in Photoshop and it came out fine.