Hello Prepress and photoshop users

Can someone let me know if scaling a photoshop mask that has a feather vignette will result in quality loss?

I am doing hi-res work at a job where someone asked me to take the vignette mask that was used for a small FPO and place it in the hi-res and then just scale it up.

If the FPO is much smaller than the hi-res, I thought this might result in image quality loss. I told this person on the job I would ask about it on this forum.


Thanks in advance!

When you scale an image in PS. your mask automatically scales with it. Be careful not too scale the image more than 10 percent to so or you will affect the resolution as well. This resource has a great section on resolution and other info:

http://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Digital-PrePress-Delmar/dp/141801236X
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Prepress guru

Hi Prepress Guru,

I would not be scaling the actual image--only the mask.

My question is, do resolution rules apply to just masks as well?

Do you lose the quality of the feather if you scale a mask up more than 10%?

I've been requested to grab the layer mask from a small FPO and scale up ONLY THE MASK to match the large High-res.

Resolution loss on the actual image is not being affected. That is being kept at original size. Just the mask being pulled in from the small FPO and being scaled up.

So, my question is, do you lose quality of the feather edge when scaling JUST a vignette masK>>(as you do with images)?

thank you!

As far as I know there should be no loss of image when scaling a mask in Photoshop. I would still scale the image first and then recreate the mask.
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Prepress guru

enlarging a pixel based mask will result in "some" degredation - depends by how much - it's a judgement call.

i know its prolly a pain but recreate the mask as stated before, on the larger image - then you know it'll be right - the time taken will be less cost/time than a reprint coz it was wrong......
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expertise: nothing