# Photoshop help? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 14, 2011, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-help/592726 "2011-08-14T22:35:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-help/592726/1 "2011-08-14T22:35:36Z")
Would someone be willing to enhance a photo for me? I uploaded it to a website probably 10 years ago, and for whatever reason (probably because I was on dial-up at the time) made it rather small. Can someone increase the size to about double (or 640 pixels wide), and enhance it so that it’s not fuzzy? Maybe enhance the colours and contrast as well? Basically, make it look good? [The pic](http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m305/llaaksonen/n84573b.jpg). Thanks in advance. ---
**Author:** ![fifty-six](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fifty-six](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fifty-six)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-help/592726/2 "2011-08-14T22:54:15Z")
[Fixed](http://www.antiqueairfield.com/flyins/casa_grande_2008/skyraider_lfq.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-help/592726/3 "2011-08-14T23:00:32Z")
> [@fifty-six](#): > > [Fixed](http://www.antiqueairfield.com/flyins/casa_grande_2008/skyraider_lfq.jpg) Ooh… That’s _close!_ Only that photo should be [blue](http://www.airventure.de/oshkosh05/warbirds_jets/osh05_a-1_skyraider_0759.jpg). 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-help/592726/4 "2011-08-14T23:07:35Z")
[Done](http://www.hotink.com/wacky/dastrdly/Dastardly_ani.gif). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-help/592726/5 "2011-08-14T23:08:48Z")
Jolly jokers! ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-help/592726/6 "2011-08-14T23:14:11Z")
OK, [I had a go](http://crowaptok.com/images/johnny's_plane.jpg) in earnest. You can’t really “enhance” stuff like in the movies… Someone may know more tricks than me, but I doubt it’ll get much better than that. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-help/592726/7 "2011-08-14T23:18:44Z")
Thanks, **jjimm**. That’s much better than my attempt with HP PhotoEdit! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-help/592726/8 "2011-08-14T23:27:22Z")
[Here’s my try.](http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w197/runnerpat/Boards/JLAairplane.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-help/592726/9 "2011-08-14T23:29:12Z")
Also nice! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-help/592726/10 "2011-08-15T03:06:02Z")
Here’s a [quick try](http://imgh.us/g3380.jpg) using a technique that most people don’t know about. I didn’t mess with the contrast yet. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-help/592726/11 "2011-08-15T03:09:18Z")
If only I could have the plane instead of only the pictures! ---
**Author:** ![DHMO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@DHMO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DHMO)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-help/592726/12 "2011-08-15T09:59:58Z")
[![](https://i398.photobucket.com/albums/pp68/DHMO/Plane/n84573b1.jpg) ](https://i398.photobucket.com/albums/pp68/DHMO/Plane/n84573b1.jpg) Contrast boost, edge sharpening, color enhancement. Something like this? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-help/592726/13 "2011-08-15T10:29:29Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Here’s a [quick try](http://imgh.us/g3380.jpg) using a technique that most people don’t know about. I didn’t mess with the contrast yet. Interesting. That’s the most impressive of the efforts so far. Did you do some kind of blur (unsharp mask?) then sharpen? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-help/592726/14 "2011-08-15T11:48:16Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Interesting. That’s the most impressive of the efforts so far. Did you do some kind of blur (unsharp mask?) then sharpen? Nope. I vectorized it, put it on top of the regular upsized image, and then reduced the opacity of the vector layer to about 50%, which is where I thought you got the best of both. Vectorizing is something most people don’t do, or necessarily even know about. It means you import the image into a vector program, like Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape.\* You then select the image and use the Live Trace function (Trace Bitmap on Inkscape), and choose one of the modes that produces a color image. From there, it’s just tweaking settings until you find the right one.\*\* Then you save or export the selection as bitmap, at the resolution you want for the final file. Then you can open that image in your favorite Image editor to do what I mentioned in the first paragraph. I use the freely available GIMP. \*I use Inkscape, as it’s free. Illustrator is better, though. \*\*For this image, that was 256 scans, no smoothing or optimizing paths. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-help/592726/15 "2011-08-15T11:56:16Z")
I was trying to fix the color and contrast earlier this morning, but I made as stupid mistake last night, and now I’m pretty much having to start over. If you think it’s good, feel free to do that stuff yourself. That’s why I went ahead and put it up. I’m horribly slow at fixing colors. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-help/592726/16 "2011-08-16T08:08:28Z")
Rather than start over, I decided to consolidate our efforts. I stole **runnerpat** ’s colors, which I really liked, and changed the sky to blue instead of aqua. Here’s the [result](http://imgh.us/johny-plane.jpg). EDIT: BTW, **runnerpat** : what did you do to get those colors? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-help/592726/17 "2011-08-16T08:18:14Z")
I also use the GIMP. Just played around with the saturation and hue and darkened it a bit and a bit more contrast. Really didn’t have a specific plan, just fiddled. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-help/592726/18 "2011-08-16T14:26:07Z")
[This was my attempt](http://www.flickr.com/photos/27492458@N05/6049132847/in/photostream) on HP Photosmart Edit. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-help/592726/19 "2011-08-16T15:17:41Z")
I took **BigT** ’s version and fiddled with the colors: [http://www.flickr.com/photos/21791091@N03/6049297029/](http://www.flickr.com/photos/21791091@N03/6049297029/) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-help/592726/20 "2011-08-16T16:30:00Z")
Tough to do much with that sort of photo without ending up with a lot of pixelation. You can only compress just so much, and focus is not really fixable. I’ve started shooting in RAW and with manual settings, then doing correction in Photo Shop Elements. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-help/592726.md?page=2)