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Actual Pixels and Actual Print Size

Community Beginner ,
Feb 22, 2009 Feb 22, 2009

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What is the difference between Actual Pixels and Actual Print Size?

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Adobe
Contributor ,
Feb 22, 2009 Feb 22, 2009

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I assume you are referring to the special zoom modes of "Actual Pixels" and "Print Size".

Actual pixels displays the image on your monitor so that 1 image pixel uses exactly 1 monitor pixel. This zoom state allows you to see the maximum amount of detail available in your image, including detail that you will not likely see if you print at common sizes.

Print size (I don't remember ever seeing "Actual Print Size" anywhere in Photoshop) is Photoshop's attempt to show you the image at roughly the same dimensions on screen (in inches or centimeters, not pixels) that it will print at.

In order for Print Size to work reasonably well, you need to make sure that the units in the Preferences are set correctly. To check this, do the following:
Edit>Preferences>Units and Rulers...
Look at the number for Screen Resolution. This needs to be set at the pixels per inch for your monitor. In the past, this was commonly thought of as 72 but these days monitors often have PPIs in the 90s or greater. You can calculate this for your monitor by measuring the width of the screen and then divide the pixel width of your monitor by this number. In my case for example, my monitor displays 1920 pixels horizontally and is 20.5 inches wide. That makes my Screen Resolution approx. 94 pixels per inch (1920/20.5).

Once you have the preference set correctly, then when you select "Print Size" the image will appear on-screen at about the same dimensions as it will print, assuming the current document dimensions and resolutions (as shown in Image>Image Size, for example) are maintained through to printing.

For example, if Image>Image Size tells you that you currently have an image that is 8x10 inches, then if you select the zoom mode of "Print Size", the image should be approx. 8x10 inches on your screen.

Prior to CS4, many people felt that the Print Size zoom state was not very useful since it often produced an odd zoom size that caused "jaggies". Now, with the OpenGL graphics features turned on in CS4, this zoom state is a little more useful since jaggies are greatly reduced regardless of zoom percentage.

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New Here ,
Sep 29, 2010 Sep 29, 2010

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When we discuss of the difference between Actual Print and Actual Pixels we should know that there is great difference between them, normally good pixel rate generates required result of Actual Print. If we consider something regarding print quality then resolution matters a lot. You have to make sure that the resulation is balanced and the monitor is showing the Actual Print result.

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Guest
Feb 22, 2009 Feb 22, 2009

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Actual pixels shows the image at 100%, Print Size should show the image at approximately the size it will print, but the real print size is shown in the Document Size box in the Image size dialog.

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Guest
Feb 22, 2009 Feb 22, 2009

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Oh well I was slower but briefer. ;)

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Contributor ,
Feb 22, 2009 Feb 22, 2009

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I was definitely the one being
b verbose
this time. :)

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New Here ,
Apr 16, 2010 Apr 16, 2010

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Okay I'm a little over a year later finding this but the verbose post gave a more thorough explanation - thanks.

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New Here ,
Sep 29, 2010 Sep 29, 2010

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Actual Print varies from type to type u r using in your printer. Actual Pixel does not mean that the fianl result of any Print on a document although it depends on the printer which u r using, better brand gives better quality of Actual Print and the Pixel. If the excellent quality of any printer is selected then that printer will produce automatically the Actual Print required by someone.

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LEGEND ,
Sep 29, 2010 Sep 29, 2010

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jackfragile wrote:


Actual Print varies from type to type u r using in your printer. Actual Pixel does not mean that the fianl result of any Print on a document although it depends on the printer which u r using, better brand gives better quality of Actual Print and the Pixel. If the excellent quality of any printer is selected then that printer will produce automatically the Actual Print required by someone.


I am left to wonder...  Why dig up an old post that's already answered and answer it in an unintelligible way with essentially wrong information?  Prep for spamming?

-Noel

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New Here ,
Sep 29, 2010 Sep 29, 2010

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it is not a spam, its an informative post

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Valorous Hero ,
Sep 29, 2010 Sep 29, 2010

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my message deleted as redundunt

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New Here ,
Sep 30, 2010 Sep 30, 2010

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Actual pixel is to be set by and it could be customized according to your wish and Actual Print quite relates the preferences. when the Actual pixel is set and you have make sure the preferences of print size image for the Actual Print the image will appear on screen as you want the Actual Print with the dimensions. If you have currently image size of 8 X 11 inches and you select the zoom mode that must show on screen with the size of 8 X 11 if it does not happen then check on any other graphical software to varify whether this software has a problem or not and including photoshop there are so many other graphical softwares that you can use for the Actual Print of your photo.

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LEGEND ,
Sep 30, 2010 Sep 30, 2010

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Hello again, jackfragile, aka tome45.  Do you not think people sense that these nonsense posts are from the same person, by the wording?

Who's paying you to do this?

Honest work is so much more rewarding.

-Noel

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New Here ,
Sep 30, 2010 Sep 30, 2010

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what happen to pixels when you save from pdf ?

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New Here ,
Sep 30, 2010 Sep 30, 2010

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Pixels are picture view elements. When someone zoom a photo and if it’s of low resolution then there are blurs on the edges of the image. Pixels are small dots and if you have any image printed you can easily see these spots via optical lens. But the question is that why the image is pixilated? It happens when you save the image from any designing software like photoshop in low resolution or when you take the photo with low pixel camera. And you print the image actual print preview doesn’t seem to be of good quality.
It’s because printer’s pixels don’t resemble monitor’s pixel and there have not sensor pixels same. Mostly monitors believe on physical credits of colored light while printer on colors. Printer combines colors mainly 3 to produce black. There should be correspondence between monitor’s and printer’s physical properties to get the actual pixel results when printed.

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New Here ,
Oct 01, 2010 Oct 01, 2010

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If you zoom a photo in low resolution that would create blurs on the image sides because pixels increase the view elements of any picture. When you see a picture using optical lens that specializes to show you the dots on a picture and those dots are pixels. If we talk about the reason of damaging picture due to pixels we would know that there might be problem in saving that picture in low resolution especially from graphical software, and printer’s pixels do not match with the monitor’s pixels because there can be communication between printer and monitor which shows the pixel result.

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