Can I control the resolution of PSD import?

**aleistad** · 09 September 2014, 10:20 PM

Hi!

Old time user here, since the beginnings of Artworks on RISC OS

I now have to import and incorporate material from Photoshop in drawings, and I'm hitting a resolution-wall.

Some of the PSD files I'm importing are using vectors. When I import these, Xara flattens them and makes bitmaps of the contents. The problem is that whatever I do, the bitmaps are very low res. I can set the DPI in the import dialogue and it generates more or less pixel sizes, but the actual PS vector objects are always rendered low res (96 DPI?). I.e. it may generate, say, a 500 pixel wide bitmap object, but the vectors rendered into it can end up with, say, a width of 80 pixels, and they are then stretched to full the 500 pixel wide object. It does not look good, in fact it's unusable for what I'm doing. It seems that Xara always uses the DPI that is specified in the PSD file. I've tried every permutation of Xara page configurations that I can think of, but to no avail. The only way I can get reasonable resolution is to get a buddy with PS to save the PSD with a higher DPI specified.

I have searched high and low on the net (including Talk Graphics), and I've read the Xara manual, but I can't find anything to help me with this issue. The strange thing is that Xara CAN flatten the PSD vector objects to any DPI, it just doesn't obey the PSD import DPI dialogue.

Is there anything I can do to take control of the resolution of imported PSD vectors, short of buying Photoshop (which is a go no!)?

I'm using Xara Photo& Graphic Designer 2013, v 8.1.4.30831 (the latest update AFAIK).

TIA,

Are

**Albacore** · 10 September 2014, 09:11 AM

It's in the Page Options under the view tab. Have a look at the file here it shows the values. You might want to look at flattening the files that you want to bring in, in PS, before you bring it into Xara because of the reason you stated. If the file is for print then 300 dpi and please remember you will need to set that up in PS. I would do it in my Preference options under Edit. Because there must be a script that runs in the PS import filter in Xara convert your files first in PS and even export them as 24 bit RGB TIFF or a 24 bit PNG file rather than .psd as there is nothing to be gained rather the opposite.

**aleistad** · 10 September 2014, 11:50 AM

Thank you for the reply Albacore!

I have to pick up PSD files and use them as they are; I haven't got the opportunity to work on them in Photoshop, unfortunately.

The frustrating thing here is that Xara is fully capable of rendering the vectors in the PSD to the required resolution, as shown by my friend upping the DPI setting before saving the file. That upped DPI is just an altered number in the otherwise identical PSD file, AFAIK. So, the dilemma is that there's no way to control it that I know of, and the resolution used is quite low.

I shall investigate the issue further, and if I find a solution I will report here.

**Albacore** · 10 September 2014, 01:39 PM

If you have any Adobe products and registered those products you can download PS CS2 for free.

**mwenz** · 10 September 2014, 03:04 PM

Try having the person handing over the PSD files export as a PDF of a high enough PDF version that maintains transparency (1.4 and above, I believe).

The screen shots below show the paths survive.

Mike

**aleistad** · 11 September 2014, 11:42 AM

@ Albacore : Unfortunately I haven't got any Adobe products.

@ Mike : OK! Tested this right now with an Adobe suite owning professional designer friend. His Photoshop keeps crashing on PDF (and EPS) exports though. So, moving on to Adobe owning professional designer friend #2. His PC also crashed and froze during PDF export and crashed on EPS export... Eventually he got a PDF out of it though. When I tried to import the PDF into Xara, it seemed to work, then I got several errors in a row when I touched the objects, starting with "out of memory" (on a 16GB Win7-64bit PC), and in the end Xara crashed. The second attempt gave me the same "out of memory" message, but I could partly manipulate the drawing, and there was indeed paths in there! However it keeps giving "out of memory" messages, there are a lot of bitmaps in there still in addition to the vectors (no less than 1044 4.2MP images). Maybe I can make the file workable is I can remove those, but even so there are a few missing bits and some things look strange.

I also spent a few hours earlier today writing a program to manipulate the PSD files, changing the DPI settings, but it was not enough (I'm a programmer by trade, not a graphics artist...). The file format is not simple and there are secret bits in there, so I can imagine why Xara have limited support for it. Oh well, I love my Xara anyway

So, in practice the only way for now then, is to get my friends to save the PSD files with a higher DPI setting.

Thanks to Talk Graphics and said PS wielding friends for the help in unravelling this!

I didn't ask initially, so I'll do it now: is the PSD import/export functionality extended to cover my original needs in newer versions, or the Pro version of Xara? I'm guessing not, and I certainly wouldn't blame the Xara developers after todays experiences with PSD files and Photoshop having such trouble exporting its files.

**gwpriester** · 13 September 2014, 03:35 PM

Not sure why your posts fell into moderation. Usually a new user posting a script of a link will be moderated but I do not see that in your posts.

Let me know and I will delete the follow up attempts.

**mwenz** · 13 September 2014, 04:41 PM

Well, I don't think I have ever crashed Photoshop exporting a PDF nor an EPS.

Can you upload an actual sample file?

**aleistad** · 13 September 2014, 11:47 PM

Originally Posted by gwpriester

Not sure why your posts fell into moderation. Usually a new user posting a script of a link will be moderated but I do not see that in your posts.

Let me know and I will delete the follow up attempts.

Please delete #6, #8 and #9 - it would leave the thread much cleaner

Sorry to have caused such a mess.

**aleistad** · 13 September 2014, 11:55 PM

Originally Posted by mwenz

Well, I don't think I have ever crashed Photoshop exporting a PDF nor an EPS.

Can you upload an actual sample file?

I can't "publish" it (there are restrictions), but I can make it available to you through PM if you want to test an export/import cycle. There's just the little snag that I can't to find out how to send you a PM with a link. I'm quite used to vBulletin, but TalkGraphics seems to be configured a bit differently from what I know.