Multi photos into one image

[paul56]

I'm sure I'm trying to do something fairly basic here but the manual doesn't seem to help me re canvas re-sizing (unless I'm missing something).

I want to take several images straight from the camera (say 3-4Mb each) and combine them to eventually make a single jpeg. Is this done by resizing canvas? Is it a case of taking one image and resizing the canvas or starting with a blank new canvas?

Thanks

[LeviFiction]

Whichever way you want to.

You can create a brand new canvas and do a simple Copy and Paste to get the other images into the new one. Or you can resize the canvas of one of the images and copy and paste the others into it. Both work.

But I would like to make a suggestion, "Canvas Size", which is the resize canvas option, fills the background with a special color and the image is positioned according to one of the nine options (top, bottom, left, right, top left, top right, center, bottom left, bottom right) so it's not very useful if you want to move the image you're resizing the canvas on. So I would just make a new image the size that you want and paste the other images in as their own layers.

[teknisyan]

Plus creating your image from a blank/new canvas will allow you to keep the original image untouched. Just create your new canvas as large as you can then just crop it once you are done with your project.

[paul56]

Many thanks for the helpful replies. Regarding the images themselves, I have been checking out the process for re-sizing them down to the required resolution AND print size. I believe this is the best method - please correct me if there's a better way. I am the (amateur) editor of a magazine that is printed professionally, hence the need to get it right.

Take an image from camera at max 8M
Using Image..Resize. Uncheck the Resample box. Change res to 300 ppi (optimum for printing).
A new print size is shown. OK

Check resample box (to change Print Size without altering resolution).
Set Print Size. OK

I believe this gives optimum res for printing at the required print size as well as keeping the jpeg file size as low as possible.

[LeviFiction]

Well....it doesn't hurt the image. I have personally never found an instance where changing the resolution first makes any difference. Every image I've tried it on has come out looking identical, right down to the noise.

Essentially, since selecting "Resample" will change the pixel values to match the resolution and print size changing the print size and resolution should give you the exact same pixel dimensions whether you resample all in one go or change the resolution and then resample.

And since it's using the same algorithm, and the actual pixels never changed between the original resolution change and the resampling, it's going to be compressing the exact same pixels, in the exact same way, to the exact same size regardless of the method applied.

Now maybe a more professional photographer or printer will correct me here but it doesn't logically make sense to do a separate resolution change before resampling based on what I know of the process.

[AlvinMoore]

Resize the canvas. To resize the canvas scroll to the “Image” tab on the command bar and select “Canvas Size.” A canvas size properties box will open where you can enter the desired height and width by either pixels or inches. On the lower left of this box you can select the placement by left-clicking on the corresponding canvas placement arrows. Finally, you can specify that the canvas be resized proportionately by checking the “Lock Aspect Ratio” box.