Pixel Basics
Now we have some images to manipulate. But before we can begin, we should learn a little about what it is we are manipulating.
First, we'll spend some time looking at pixels. First open any image from the web in photoshop, and zooooooooooooom in on it.
Here's an image you could use. It's a beagle puppy. Or you could use any other picture from the web. Take a good look at the pixels by zooming in. Take a screenshot of the zoomed in area, then take a screenshot of the "regular" view. Then combine them to make a comparison file. You will have to increase the canvas size, move one file into the other, arrange and crop. Here's what mine looks like. Make your own with a picture you like from the web.
Next, read these pages so you understand a little more about pixels:
http://www.photoelf.com/support/faq/pixel.shtml
http://www.scantips.com/basics1b.html
http://www.nanooze.org/english/articles/5senses_pixel.html
http://www.tildefrugal.net/photo/dpi.php
When you are finished reading all of this, you should be able to answer the following questions.
These are the questions that will be included on your first quiz:
What is a pixel?
What is a pixel made of?
What does "dpi" stand for, and what is its relationship to a digital file?
What is "ppi", and how is it different from "dpi"?
If an image is three inches by four inches at a resolution of 200ppi, how many pixels does it contain? (show your math)
What is a mega-pixel?
What does it mean when we say that an image is "pixelated"?
What is the difference between print size and image resolution?
What is the relevance of the term 72dpi?
When you change the size of a photoshop image, what happens to the pixels?
Your Opinions:
What was the most confusing question?
What was the most interesting question?
What was the most useful website/page?
We will discuss all of this in class, but you should be able to find these answers online. Feel free to google any of these questions to get help, and talk it over with your neighbors in class.
What you need to do:
Make a pixel comparison file by zooming in and making a snapshot.
Read the information on the links.
On a piece of paper, with a pencil or a pen, write out the answers to the questions listed above.
What you need to turn in:
Your pixel view screenshots combined. Name this file "pixels_astudent". Use your name, not "astudent".
Your handwritten answers to the questions above.
What I will be grading:
You will get credit for completing the "pixels_astudent.jpg" file.
You will get credit for turning in your handwritten answers to the questions.