As technology advances and the quality of digital photography improves, having high-resolution photographs has become a necessity. High-resolution photos are essential for graphic design, printing, and marketing purposes. However, not all images come at high resolution. In some cases, you may have to increase the resolution of your photos for your desired output.
In this blog, we will discuss the challenge of low-resolution images, things you need to prepare, and methods to increase the resolution of your photos on a Mac. We will also list some reasons why you may encounter issues when trying to increase your photo resolution and how to fix them.
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The Challenge of Low-resolution Images
Low-resolution images result from either poor-quality equipment or compressing the photos. These photos usually have pixelated or blurred images that make them look unprofessional. When printing or uploading low-resolution images will lead to poor quality visual outputs.
Some of the challenges of low-resolution images include:
1. Inability to print photos at large sizes without losing quality.
2. Difficulty in using low-resolution images in professional designs or marketing.
3. Poor quality visual outputs, which may discourage potential customers.
Things You Need to Prepare
Before we get into the methods, it is essential to gather all the necessary tools to avoid challenges during the process.
The things you need to prepare include:
1. A Mac computer with photo editing applications.
2. Your low-resolution photo that needs a quality boost.
3. Internet connection to download plugins or software if necessary.
Now that you have everything you need let us discuss three methods on how to increase the resolution of your photos on a Mac.
Method 1: Using Third-party Plugins
Using third-party plugins is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to increase the resolution of your photos on a Mac. A plugin is a software component that adds a specific feature to an already existing program.
Here are the steps to follow:
1. Download and install the Resize Sense plugin on your Mac.
2. Open the Low-resolution photo with the Photos application.
3. Choose "Edit" and select "Plugins > Resize Sense."
4. A pop-up window will appear, set your desired resolution size and press “Resize.”
5. Save the modified image, and you have your high-resolution photo.
Plugin applications such as Perfect Resize and Blow Up 3 are additional third-party plugins you can explore if you have challenges with the Resize Sense plugin.
Method 2: Using Image Trace in Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator is one of the best photo editing software you can use to increase the resolution of your photos on a Mac. The Image Trace option in this application enables a high-quality image trace that can improve the photo resolution.
Here are the steps to follow:
1. Open the low-resolution photo with Adobe Illustrator.
2. Select your image, go to "Object > Image Trace > Make."
3. Adjust the settings, including the Threshold, Paths, and Corners until you have the best resolution.
4. Click on "Expand" and save the modified image.
Method 3: Using Image Size in Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is another tool that you can use to increase the resolution of your photos. The software has an Image Size option that helps you resize and improves the quality of low-resolution photos.
Here are the steps to follow:
1. Open the low-resolution image with Photoshop.
2. Select "Image > Image Size" option from the menu.
3. In the Image Size menu, enable the "Resample Image" checkbox.
4. Increase the resolution size and other settings such as width and height as desired.
5. Select “OK” to save changes.
Why Can’t I Increase the Resolution of My Photos?
Here are some reasons why you may not be able to increase the resolution of your photos:
1. Your monitor display is not large enough to display your image at that resolution.
2. The image is too small to increase the resolution further.
3. You may not have edited the high-resolution photo properly or not at all.
4. The original photo may have a low resolution, and increasing it will only make it pixelated.
Here are some fixes:
1. Ensure your monitor display can handle the resolution you want to increase your photo.
2. Find a larger photo with higher resolution to replace the low-resolution image.
3. Ensure you edit and save the high-resolution photo using appropriate photo editing tools.
4. Avoid increasing the resolution of a small image since that will lead to pixelated images.
FAQs
Q: Can I use online tools to increase my photo resolution?
A: Yes, several online tools can help improve low-resolution images. However, keep in mind that most of them have limitations, including the size of images, quality of uploaded photos, and loss of quality in exported images. It is also essential to ensure you use reliable online tools since some may harm your computer with malware.
Q: What is the ideal resolution for printing?
A: The ideal resolution for printing depends on the type and size of the image. Generally, a resolution of 300 pixels per inch (PPI) is recommended for printing high-quality photos. However, lower resolutions can work for low-resolution printing, although they may not be ideal for professional printing purposes.
Q: Will increasing the resolution of my photo improve the quality?
A: Increasing the resolution of your photo will increase its size and the number of pixels. If you increase the resolution of your photo significantly, it may lead to pixelation and make it look worse. It is advisable to increase the resolution moderately, depending on the size and use of the photo.
Q: Why does increasing the image resolution increase its size?
A: Increasing resolution increases the number of pixels, which makes your image size larger. As you increase the resolution, the photo becomes less pixelated and more detailed hence will need more memory to hold the additional pixels.
Q: Can I fix a pixelated image?
A: Yes, you can fix a pixelated image using photo editing tools such as Photoshop, Lightroom, or GIMP. However, it is essential to keep in mind that pixelation is permanent and fixing will only improve the overall image quality.
Conclusion
We hope you’ve found this blog helpful in learning how to make photos high resolution on a Mac. We have discussed some of the challenges, tools required, methods, and ways to fix issues that may arise during this process. Ensure you edit your photos correctly before trying to increase the resolution and use third-party plugins to work more efficiently. Remember to save the images in the appropriate format and size that suits your output requirements.