Hello Experts,
I really need some help understanding how cropping works in Photoshop Elements 4.
If I take a photo with my Minolta 5D at the “Large” size, I get an image that is 3008 x 2000 pixels. That is the correct aspect ratio (3:2) for a 4 x 6 print. Therefore, if I wanted to create a 4 x 6 at 300 dpi, I would need to crop the image to be 1200 x 1800 pixels, right?
To me that means that my cropped image would not be able to include the full image, however, when I select the crop tool in Photoshop and set my aspect ratio to 4 x 6, I can still select the full image as my cropped area. How is that possible? What happens to all the extra pixels that won’t fit on a 4 x 6 at 300 dpi?
Also, Photoshop lets me set my resolution to any size I want. So, for example, if I set my resolution to 600 dpi for the 4 x 6 image, that would require 2,400 x 3,600 pixels, and that’s much larger than the original 3008 x 2000 that I took with my camera. How is that possible?
So, the BIG question is, what is the correct way to crop my 6 megapixel (3008 x 2000) image in Photoshop, when I want to print a 4 x 6 photo at 300 dpi? Should I change the resolution to 300 dpi first, crop a portion at 4 x 6, and then save? Or do I need to use a different sequence of steps? Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.
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