saving pdf and image size.

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2019-07-21 21:07:30

I'm trying to increase a jpg but when I save it as a PDF it has reverted to the old size. I pull the PDF up and look at the size and it is the same. I also tried to save as JPG and then pull it into mac preview and export as PDF but it still reverts to the original size when looked at in P Pro. Am I missing something? I tried changing the canvas size, tried the image size as JPG and all is good. The minute I make it a PDF it reverts.
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2019-07-22 07:17:49

(Pixelmator Pro 1.3.4 on macOS 10.14.5)
Hi Hettie.

I tried to replicate this but failed. :cry:

The following steps gave me PDFs that identified as the correct size in Finder:
1. Create new image 1000px by 1000px 72ppi
2. Doodle a square on the canvas with a broad brush.
3. Export to PDF using File > Export... and selecting PDF.
4. Look at exported PDF using Finder. Finder reports size as 1000 × 1000
5. Back in Pixelmator Pro resize the image to 2000px by 2000px using Tools > Image Size...
6. Export to PDF using File > Export... and selecting PDF.
7. Look at exported PDF using Finder. Finder reports size as 2000 × 2000

Do you have a set of steps that I can follow that reliably show the problem?

- Stef.
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2019-07-22 09:46:53

thank for the reply.
I have a book cover jpg 11.639x 8.268 inches. I need to make it 11.788 x 8.250
so I right click the jpg in photos and edit with p pro.
the file brings up the original size.
then I go to image size and make it bigger. I check with the arrange icon on the left and all good. It is now just that little bit bigger.
SoI go to export as jpg because when I export and pick Pdf it is portrait not landscape and I haven't found to change that.
so with my jpg in the new size I right click and edit with preview mac. Now I can export as PDf and change to landscape.
so I save it on my desktop. Then I got and bring it back to p pro to see the size and it has reverted to original size.
I tried putting it in photos and looking at the information. it was the original size.
I tried looking at it in preview but preview wont accept a pdf to resize only jpg so I cannot check the size there.
I need 300dpi for the book cover.
I thought maybe that the p pro is seeing the original file and my file is the bigger one, but no, when I upload it to my self pub platform it is the original size.
I don't want to start from scratch.
i need a PDF for my upload.
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2019-07-22 12:10:38

OK... Let me dive in and see what I can work out. I'll playback what you've said in my own words and will highlight where I think anything could have gone wrong. If anything I say doesn't make sense, let me know as that may be a possible problem.

1. So, to start with we have a file that I'm going to call file1.jpg. This is 11.639" by 8.268". Assuming 300 ppi, the file is 3492px by 2480px (plus or minus a pixel or two).

2. Edit file with Pixelmator Pro. This creates file2.pxd which initially has the dimensions of file1 as above.

3. Resize file2.pxd using Image Size... to 11.788" to 8.25" (non-proportional - bigger in one dimension, smaller in the other) (3536px by 2475px at 300 ppi). (Rounding errors still apply).

4. Export as file3.jpg. Done. Finder reports file3.jpg as 3536 × 2475 (check).

5. Right-click on file3.jpg and open with Preview. Rotate Image. Export as file4.pdf using File > Export and file5.pdf using File > Export as PDF (just in case that's doing something weird). Finder reports sizes as file4.pdf (594 × 848) and file5.pdf (595 × 842). OK both weird. Let's load them both back into Pixelmator Pro and see what they look like. file4.pdf reports as 2475px by 3536px at 300ppi. Good. file5.pdf reports as 2479 by 3508. Yuk. Lesson learned. Don't use File > Export to PDF if your dimensions are critical. Use File > Export then select PDF.

I think that File > Export then select PDF uses the app's own exporter whereas File > Export as PDF uses the one built into macOS. I'm guessing the one built into macOS is picking up a standard paper size or something. Yup. 2480 by 3508 is A4 at 300 ppi. Handy if you want to file it with a load of other A4 items. Not so good for a precise export.

Actually, we would have short-circuited the entire use of Preview and exported to PDF directly from Pixelmator Pro. In Pixelmator Pro, use File > Export (again, avoid File > Export to PDF as this will A4-ise your image) and select the format to be PDF. I'll just try that. With file2.pxd open (3536px by 2475 px) I'll export as a PDF (file6.pdf). Finder again reports this as the really strange 849 × 594 but an import back into Pixelmator Pro reports 3538 by 2475. Rounding errors aside that looks right to me.

So short answers:
1. File > Export as PDF will resize your image because it's a macOS function that is trying to be helpful (and is for many purposes). File > Export then selecting PDF will not resize.
2. I didn't comment on this in the text but you're quoting sizes in thousandths of an inch. The input box in Pixelmator Pro only accepts two digits after the decimal point so you'll be losing some accuracy when you resize in that way (as well as getting rounding errors if your specified size does not correspond to a whole number of pixels). If pixel sizes are critical I'd recommend calculating your size in pixels outside the app then resizing in pixels. You then get to make the decision yourself if you're going to round up or down a particular calculation.

Sorry this got a bit long. Hope it helps.

- Stef.
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2019-07-25 08:27:31

I Bypass the mac os and got it to work. thanks.