How To Use The Program

AKVIS Magnifier lets you change the size of an image without loss in quality. The software allows enlarging an image to a super-high resolution of up to 30,000 x 30,000 pixels (300,000 in the 64 bit version). Whether creating poster-size images, adding resolution for printing an enlargement, or reducing image size, AKVIS Magnifier will make your prints look sharper and better defined!

Compare the ten times magnified image with the original image.

The image after scaling using the Navigator

Image magnification with the program

AKVIS Magnifier can work independently as the standalone application and as plugin in Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements.

In order to resize an image, one should perform the following steps:

• Step 1. Open an image.

  - If you work with the standalone edition (use a file in JPEG, RAW, PNG, BMP, or TIFF format):

  The dialog box Select File to Open appears if you double-click on the empty workspace of the program or if you click on the button on the Control Panel. You can also drag the required image into the workspace of the program.

  - If you work with the plugin:

  Open an image in your photo editor by calling the command File -> Open or using the key combination Ctrl+O on Windows, ⌘+O on Mac.

  Make sure that layers are merged otherwise the plugin can't be called, and launch the plugin.

  Attention! Unlike other AKVIS plugins (which are available in Filter menu), you will find the Magnifier plugin in Automation features of Photoshop.

  Select the menu item File -> Automate -> AKVIS Magnifier (in Adobe Photoshop); File -> Automation Tools -> AKVIS Magnifier (in Adobe Photoshop Elements).

• Step 2. The first time the program is opened it will be in Express mode, with a simplified interface and a minimal set of sliders, which help to quickly obtain a satisfactory result.
  
  The AKVIS Magnifier window (Express)

  Experienced users who are familiar with the capabilities of AKVIS Magnifier can switch to Advanced mode. Switch to this mode by clicking the Advanced button in the Control Panel: the interface's appearance will change, granting access to the full functionality of the program.

  Note: All features and parameters work in Express mode. Some are hidden and use default values or those of a chosen preset.

  
  The AKVIS Magnifier window (Advanced)

  To be able to see the result of the parameters' change at once it is recommended to activate Autorun Mode (see Preferences).

  The image will be scaled to 100%. In this mode any change in the settings or navigation on the image will result in an automatic start of image processing.
  When the Autorun Mode is off, the image processing starts by pressing the button .
  To interrupt the process, click on the button Cancel right to the progress bar.

• Step 3. Before resizing, in the standalone version, you can use the Crop tool to trim a part of the picture. The tool is useful when you want to improve the image composition, straighten a crooked photo, turn a horizontal photo into a vertical one and contrariwise.

  Note that the tool is applied to the original image! First use the tool, then change the image size.

  You can change the crop area by dragging the sides and the angles of the bounding frame. Use the buttons in the Settings Panel to control the tool. To apply the result and remove the areas outside the frame, press OK or use Enter. To cancel the operation and exit the tool, press Cancel or use the Esc-key. To restore the original area keeping the tool active, press Reset button.

  
  Crop
• Step 4. Set the required size change into the Width or Height field (in pixels, per cent, cm, mm or inches) with Resolution.
  
  Changing the image size

  If you are not going to print the image it's recommended to use 72 dpi as image resolution.

  As soon as the size is changed, the program will start processing the visible part of the image with the default settings (AKVIS Default preset or the last used preset).

• Step 5. If needed, adjust the parameters in the Settings Panel.

  The parameters are grouped in sections: Downsize and Upsize. Depending on the New Size value, different parameters ill be active.

  Hints:

  To avoid distortion of details, it is recommended to scale the image to its original size (100%) before changing the settings of the program.

  By using the hot-key combination Alt+underlined letter you can quickly move the focus into the corresponding entry field.

   

  Downsize (reducing an image):

  Sharpness (0-100). The parameter increases image sharpness by intensifying the color contrast between the neighboring pixels. The higher the value of the parameter, the sharper the image becomes.

  
  Sharpness = 20

  
  Sharpness = 80

  Remove Noise (0-25). The parameter lets removing noise and defects by increasing the level of smoothness. The higher the value, the smoother the result is.

  
  Remove Noise = 0

  
  Remove Noise = 10

   

  Upsize (increasing an image):

  Sharpen Edges (0-100). This parameter increases the sharpness and intensity of the object's edges.

  Note: Because of the specific properties of the algorithm, this parameter is active only in the range of 101% to 500%; at a higher New Size the optimum parameter value is chosen automatically and the parameter is disabled.

  
  Sharpen Edges = 0

  
  Sharpen Edges = 80

  Edge Smoothness (1-8). This parameter smoothes color gradients on the border of contrasting color zones. At high values of the parameters the border looks softer. At low values of the parameter the border line looks uneven and irregular: it is very visible on an image with contrasting color zones.

  
  Edge Smoothness = 1

  
  Edge Smoothness = 8

  Simplicity (0-400). This parameter sets the level of detail on the final image. The higher the value of the parameter, the more simplified and artificial the result will look; the lower the value, the more details will be visible. The sharpness/smoothness of the image is influenced at the same time by the size and the scale of the image. At high values of the Sharpen Edges parameter, the difference between the original and the simplified image increases.

  
  Simplicity = 10

  
  Simplicity = 380

  Grain (0-25). This parameter adds slight noise to the image. It is helpful in case of an oversmoothed image (an image processed with high values of the Sharpen Edges parameter and a high level of Simplicity).

  
  Grain = 0
  Sharpen Edges = 50, Simplicity = 300

  
  Grain = 15
  Sharpen Edges = 50, Simplicity = 300

  Remove Artifacts (0-100). The parameter lets removing defects that appear when resizing images. It smooths the pixelated image while preserving the edges and details.

  
  Remove Artifacts = 0

  
  Remove Artifacts = 60

  Also, you can smoothen the image with the Remove Noise parameter which is available in both groups: Upsize and Downsize (see its description above).

  Unsharp Mask. This tool sharpens the image by increasing contrast between the pixels. When the check-box is enabled, the program compares the resulting image with its blurred copy and if the pixel of the image contrasts with the pixel of the blurred copy, the contrast is increased; otherwise, the pixel stays unchanged. The program processes all image pixels in this way.

  • The level of contrast between the pixels is regulated by the parameter Amount. The values of the parameter range between 0 and 250%. At 100% the contrast is increased twice, at 200% - by 4 times, etc.
  • The Radius of the copy blurring shows the number of pixels around the pixel to be corrected (that is the sharpen contour size). While 1.5 pixel is a recommended blurring radius, the latter can vary between 0 and 50 pixels.
  
  Before Unsharp Mask

  
  After Unsharp Mask
• Step 6. If you do not use Autorun Mode click on the button to process the image with the adjusted settings.

  Attention! Increasing an image's size is a resource-intensive process and requires a substantial RAM capacity and 2-3 Gb of free space on disk C:/ for swap-files. When increasing a 5-10 megapixel image by 400%, the image area increases by 16 times + 200-300 Mb; in this case the processing will consume about 1.5 Gb RAM.

• Step 7. It is possible to save the settings you like as a preset and use them in the future. To save a preset, enter a name for the preset into the Presets field and press the button Save.

  The settings of the selected preset will be used as default settings. If you change the values of the parameters, you can always come back to the default settings of the preset with a click on the button Reset. To process an image with the settings of a certain preset, you should select it from the drop-down menu and press the button . To delete a preset, select it from the list and press Delete.

  
  Presets
• Step 8. Share your result by clicking on . It opens the list of the services where you can publish the image: Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr, Google+.

  In the standalone version, you can also print your result using .

• Step 9. Save the processed image.

  - If you work with the standalone edition:

  Click on the button to open the Save as dialog box. Enter a name for the file, choose the format (TIFF, BMP, JPEG or PNG) and indicate the target folder.

  - If you work with the plugin:

  Press the button to apply the result and close the plugin window. The AKVIS Magnifier plugin will close and the resized image will appear in the workspace of the photo editor.

  Call the Save As dialog box using the command File -> Save As, enter a name for the file, choose the format and indicate the target folder.

  Below you can see the result of image scaling with parameters, presented in the screenshot.

  
  Five-fold magnified image fragment

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