What is 100% vs 1:1 vs Actual Size in lightroom/photoshop?

snerkler

snerkler

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I've always thought that viewing at 100% was viewing at 1:1, which seemed to be confirmed by the fact that if I choose to view actual size it's the same as 100%. However if I export the image and view on my Mac (using preview) and choose view actual size (CMD+0) it's far more 'zoomed in' and is actually the same as viewing at 200% in lightroom/photoshop.

Why is there this discrepancy and which is "true"?
 
There's no such thing as actual size but you knew that, right?). 1:1 is 1 image pixel to 1 screen pixel, and the image size depends on screen resolution. an image at 1:1 on this 15" QHD laptop will be much smaller than 1:1 on the 27" QHD monitor upstairs.

Actual size requires defining a pixel pitch in relation to a physical dimension: 72ppi for example.
 
ancient_mariner said:
There's no such thing as actual size but you knew that, right?). 1:1 is 1 image pixel to 1 screen pixel, and the image size depends on screen resolution. an image at 1:1 on this 15" QHD laptop will be much smaller than 1:1 on the 27" QHD monitor upstairs.

Actual size requires defining a pixel pitch in relation to a physical dimension: 72ppi for example.
Click to expand...
Thanks. So I know that 1:1 is 1 pixel to 1 pixel which is why an image will ‘zoom in’ more on a low mp screen compared to a screen with high mp.

However, actual size I don’t understand tbh, and I don’t understand why actual size in Lightroom is different to that in preview when viewed on the same screen?

So when zooming to 100% in Lightroom/PS you’re definitely viewing 1 image pixel per screen pixel?
 
snerkler said:
I've always thought that viewing at 100% was viewing at 1:1, which seemed to be confirmed by the fact that if I choose to view actual size it's the same as 100%. However if I export the image and view on my Mac (using preview) and choose view actual size (CMD+0) it's far more 'zoomed in' and is actually the same as viewing at 200% in lightroom/photoshop.

Why is there this discrepancy and which is "true"?
Click to expand...
Maybe this will explain it.

Re: Images are appearing smaller in photoshop than on desktop/in browser and are distorted when uplo

Photoshop displays it correctly. You have a retina screen, and most consumer-oriented web browsers and image viewers then scale the image up to 200%, so that it displays at the same screen size as people are used to from traditional screens. It's the accepted industry workaround for retina...
community.adobe.com community.adobe.com
 
L320Rio said:
Maybe this will explain it.

Re: Images are appearing smaller in photoshop than on desktop/in browser and are distorted when uplo

Photoshop displays it correctly. You have a retina screen, and most consumer-oriented web browsers and image viewers then scale the image up to 200%, so that it displays at the same screen size as people are used to from traditional screens. It's the accepted industry workaround for retina...
community.adobe.com community.adobe.com
Click to expand...
Thanks, so basically most viewers aren’t actually showing you actual size, they are showing a standardised size which on high density screens means you’re going to see something much larger? Brilliant :rolleyes:
 
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