The free tool SmillaEnlarger looks a bit better then Adobe's bicubic sharper.Īll we need is a sample of perfect resize now. Looking at these images, it seems Qimage looks better, smoother. Still in Qimage there are now about a dozen different methods you can choose from, so you have a choice.Īnother one at the same size and some alterations of the default settings: Potentially different methods have pros and cons, but I found better was better. Since 2005 Qimage has developed three newer methods, Hybrid, Hybrid SE, and the latest Fusion. If I was doing the test again, I would downres the file with Bicubic Sharper, and then do the upres only with the various software methods, to see how close you get back to the original.
This testing may be a method you could use to compare current software if you get to the free trial download stage. You can see it is not restored to original quality, but not bad. The best (in my opinion) at that time was Qimage Pyramid, and is the last image. Not surprising as the purpose of Bicubic Sharper is really for reducing resolution, not increasing it. The second image is the one produced by the Adobe Bicubic Sharper, and was probably about the worst. The interpolation method used for both the downres and the upres were the same. The first one is the original, and that is followed by images produced by downressing from the original 5.5" width and 72 ppi, to 1.75" at 72 ppi, and then upressing back to the original size and at 72 dpi. Below are some images I used to compare interpolation methods used by Adobe and Qimage. Just remember, that you’ll need an external image editor alongside it to get the best out of your digital pictures.I did some testing back in 2005 or so. If you’re looking for something to help you manage and share your pictures more easily, Photomeister is great, especially if you’re new to computing. There’s also a batch conversion mode to help you speed up the process of applying a change to multiple images. Having said this, it contains a neat one click optimization function, which auto adjusts the picture to make it as pleasing on the eye as possible.
Image editing is not PhotoMeister’s strong point, and it’s lacking in the kind of advanced manipulation features you’d find in Photoshop Album or Paint Shop Pro Album. Although the quality of the web album templates isn’t great, it provides a very quick way of sharing your latest escapades with everyone, with no technical knowledge required. The tools under the ‘Impress’ menu give you a plethora of options for sharing images, allowing you to insert them into web pages, slideshows, email, photo books, screensavers, PDA albums or burn to CD. If you’re the type of person who likes to bore everyone with your holiday photos then PhotoMeister opens up a world of possibilities. However, this method can get a little annoying after a while, and seasoned users are likely to be left dreaming of drag-and-drop capabilities, which are notably absent from PhotoMeister.
Things are made easier thanks to the inclusion of an Import Wizard, making it great for those taking their first steps in digital photography.
The principal feature of the utility is its ability to import photos from any source (either on your PC or direct from your camera) and sort them into albums.
While many of its rivals excel in image editing and optimization, this app concentrates on helping you keep your snaps organized before sharing them with the world.
Sorting through your pictures is far from an easy task, but applications such as PhotoMeister help to lighten the load. Photo management programs are ten for a penny these days, as software developers wise up to the fact that the rise of digital photography means that folk now have more pictures on their hands than in the days of scrapbooks and flip-albums. Manage, publish and edit photos with your digital camera