I've got a sewing pattern that was drawn by hand. It's larger than a standard sheet of printer paper (maybe 14"x20" or so). I scanned it in two pieces and matched those up, then used the pen tool to trace around the original pattern and stroked the path. Now I need to reduce the whole thing in such a way that if someone else were to download the file and enlarge it by the same amount (or trace around it with X amount of added space all around) it would match my original pattern. (Gee, does that make sense? I hope I explained it right.) I have tried changing the image size, saving it as a new file, and then opening that new file and enlarging the image size by the same amount I reduced it, but when I print it (just allowing the lines to go off the edges of the paper since it's too big), it doesn't match my original. What am I doing wrong? Thanks!
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Reducing and Enlarging an Image
- Thread starter muddlepud
- Start date
well you should make it a vector image but thats for AI, if you have traced it out into a shape, I dont understand you problem, I think you should just enlarge the shape, not the entire file, use control/option+T after you drag the "sewing pattern" layer into this new document
A vector image won't help people who don't have Photoshop or Illustrator, and I am attempting to make this pattern available for download by others. I traced it as a black line on a white background, not as a shape. I think I've figured out how to handle this, though. Thanks for your response.
You're wrong and Mfox is right, there is not other option than using vectors.
Let's get serious here, you can't make a non-vector image a lot smaller and then expect a person to "up"size it again to the original size and expect the same quality, if you believe that this is possible, then you probably also believe that we all come from Mars.
Wow, why the hostility? I wasn't implying Mfox was wrong. I was simply saying that if I make it a vector image, only people who have Photoshop will be able to enlarge it, so it won't be helpful to anyone else. I need a solution that will work for anyone, and I <i>have</i> found a solution that will work, but I never said it involved "upsizing," since, as you so kindly pointed out, that isn't possible without a vector image. There was no need at all for you to be insulting, and it makes me wonder why anyone would want to return to this forum if this is the type of welcome you provide new members. Geez.
Thanks, mfox. I thought about this more and realized I didn't really ask the right question. (It was late; I was tired and not following a logical train of thought. Oops.) The reason I want to make it smaller is so that people can print it and then enlarge it by tracing around it or on a photocopier. In that case, they don't need to be able to enlarge the actual file itself, so there's no need for them to have a vector image. I simply needed to know how to size it down with the correct proportions so that it was printable. The way I was downsizing was making incorrect proportions, so the pattern would have been wrong once enlarged. So now I've figured it out, and I appreciate your pointing me toward vector images. I'm off to give it a go! 
Thanks, mfox. I realized after some more thinking that I wasn't focusing my question in the right direction. I intend to size the image down so it's a printable size and then would expect anyone downloading the file would print it and enlarge either by tracing or photocopier. So there really wouldn't be any need for them to have a vector image. What it comes down to is that <i>I</i> need a vector image so that I can size it down with correct proportions so that their enlarging will be accurate. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!