Fix capture problems at capture
If you still have access to the physical original, a new careful scan may be more useful than enlarging an old compressed copy. Keep the surface and scanner appropriate for the material, avoid damaging fragile originals and seek specialist help when preservation matters. Record the scan settings and retain an untouched master. A technically larger scan cannot correct every focus, lighting or handling problem, but it can avoid discarding detail before editing begins.
Choose the capture target from the output
Work backward from the intended print dimensions and the printer’s requested pixel density. The physical size of the original affects how much scanning resolution is needed. Do not confuse scanner sampling settings with the PPI metadata later attached to an export. Check the resulting pixel dimensions. Preserve color and tonal information in a suitable master format for your workflow rather than repeatedly compressing the only copy while experimenting.
A small-original example
A fictional 4 by 6 inch photograph is intended for an 8 by 12 inch print at 300 PPI. The output needs 2400 by 3600 pixels. A scan that genuinely captures 600 samples per inch across the original dimensions supplies those pixel counts before further cropping. That arithmetic does not guarantee scanner optics, source sharpness or restoration quality. Inspect the result and avoid claiming new detail simply because a scanner offers a very high numerical setting.
Separate preservation from interpretation
Keep the raw scan, a corrected version and any AI-enhanced version clearly named. Dust repair, tone correction and generative reconstruction are different interventions. For family or archival material, decide which changes are acceptable before editing faces, writing or background detail. Record the chosen purpose with the file. If the goal is historical fidelity, an imperfect but faithful scan can be more valuable than an attractive reconstruction that changes what the original depicts.
Sources used for this page
These records support the facts and comparisons above. Merchant-controlled records are labelled so you can separate product claims from independent evidence.
- Adobe image size and resolution reference — Merchant documentation · helpx.adobe.com · Merchant-controlled · checked 2026-09-25
- Let's Enhance print-preparation help (September 16, 2026) — Merchant documentation · help.letsenhance.io · Merchant-controlled · checked 2026-09-25