How to Change a GIF File to a Higher Resolution

Increasing resolution.

Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) is a graphics storage format for bitmap images. It is one of many formats--or extensions--used for graphic images and photographs. The resolution of any image is set when the image is created or captured. Once that resolution is set, it can be decreased without harm to the quality of the image. Increasing the size, however, will compromise the image's quality.

Things You'll Need

• GIF image
• Computer
• Graphics or photography software
• Scanner
• Optional: printer

Instructions

Increasing Size

1. Open your GIF in either a graphic design or photography program.

2. Change the number of pixels in your image. Generally, this is done by changing the size of the image from the "Image" tab at the top of the software. Increase the size of the image based on the pixels in the image. If your image is 400 by 600 pixels and you want it twice the size, enter 800 by 1200 pixels.

3. Use "Save As" to save your image at the larger size. Make sure to use a different file name than the original file so you do not overwrite the original.

   The drawback to this is that the image may be pixelated (making individual pixels visible), depending on the resolution of the original file. To avoid this, try the steps in Section 2.

Importing a File to Increase Size

1. Make a print of your image. If you are increasing the size of a graphic image, you can simply print it out using a standard printer. If you are increasing a photographic image, you will need to use a photo printer.

2. Use a flatbed scanner to import the image, using the hard copy you printed in Step 1. Set the resolution at 600 dpi (dots per inch). This will give you a higher resolution of the image without losing as much quality as you do when increasing the size using software.

3. Open the scanned image in photo editing software (see the Reference section for examples). The new scanned image should be larger and with a better quality than if you had increased the pixels.

Increasing GIF Resolution in Paint

1. Open Paint, a free, native Windows program.

2. Open your image.

3. Choose "Resample" or "Resize" (depending on your version) from the Image menu.

4. Change the "Image size" by increasing the pixels. Paint allows you to increase the size by using a percentage, rather than increasing the exact number of pixels.

5. Save your new image using "Save As." Give your new file a different name so you retain your original image

Increasing Resolution of a Photo in Photoshop

1. Open Photoshop.

2. Open your file.

3. Choose the "Image" menu. Scroll down to "Image Size."

4. Increase the size of your photograph. You can get a quick sense of how the higher resolution will look by increasing the resolution instead of the dimensions. Photoshop will automatically increase the image in your work environment.

5. Save your new, higher resolution image. Use "Save As" from the File menu to save your new photograph with a new name so you do not lose your original file.

Tips & Warnings

• Rely on "Ctrl + Z" in Windows or "Apple + Z" on a Mac to undo your work if you don't like the new image size you have created.

• You can increase the size (pixels) of the image in any photo or graphics software, but once you increase the number of pixels, the quality decreases, giving your image a "pixelated" look.

References

• Adobe: Photoshop
• Apple: iPhoto
• Corel: Painter

Resources

• Dummies Books: Creating Web Graphics