Ok heres another thing I always have trouble with, re-sizing an image. Now to reduce I know its easy just go to the
Image> Image Size menu
Click on Re-sample Image and choose Bicubic Sharper from the drop-down menu.

This is the best setting for making sure that an image doesn't blur. You get a good result most times in PSCS, but what if you want to increase the size of your image and still keep that sharp crisp look.

I always have trouble with it blurring or pixelating some times I get a reasonable result but you cant increase it to far.

My question is, how do you increase the size of an image with out loosing to much quality?

This is a TOUGH one.

Part of the deal, when you stop to think about it, is that you can cut a piece of wood smaller, but it is kind of a tricky problem to cut the wood LARGER.

There is no "perfect" way. There is the Photoshop "IMAGE SIZE" happy area: Bicubic SMOOTHER is your first step. In the new CS3 they've actually added the words "bicubic sharper (best for reduction)" and "bicubic smoother (best for enlargement)".

It can help if you up-size in about 5 to 10% intervals. But it will still not be razor sharp (assuming your original was). Some like to add a small amount of Smart Sharpen, or Unsharp Mask at every step.

There are some programs out there that are touted to do this particular job rather well, two of them being Genuine Fractals and another one being Corel's Blow Up.

agree with Reinman. Just discussing this tonight with a friend of mine who is learning PS and wanted to enlarge an image. This was a good visual I found earlier that kind of shows the enlargement in math figures. Thought it was interesting to actually see it this way.
http://www.benvista.com/main/skin1/images/products/examples/photozoompro/enlarge400.jpg

i heard about increasing it by steps of 11%.

Come on guys there must be more ways to do this

Start sharing with your fellow choppers

On reduction in the old PS 7 and lower here is trick I read some where that works quit well

In earlier versions of PS just zoom out so that ya window and image are at either 50% or 25%, then take a screenshot of the image window at this new size. The trick to this work is to use either a 50% or 25% or 12.5% view size before taking the screen shot. If you view the image at 66%, 33%, or 16%, the image will not be as clear due to the way PS draws images at those sizes.

Ok Ledrilo put me on to this sweet little program
Photo zoom pro 2
works well you can get a demo download thats good for 30 days from tucows.

I use Alien Skin Blow Up. (I didnt realise Corel had bought them out??)

It uses a Spline algorithm for a very pleasing result on enlargements..even HUGE enlargements.

My company is actually picking up a copy of this. From the sounds of it (on their site and from people who have used it), its a great program for enlargements.

I have a pro-photog buddy back in our nation's capital (Ottawa, for those of you who have forgotten) and he uses BlowUP. He likes it and uses it for up-rezzing his stock images for eventual sale to some Huge Uncaring Corporate Uni-Company.

He's not so fond of blue cheese though yet I still enjoy his company.

I just had a Rosenborg Danish Blue cheese and caramelised red onion relish melt

BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!!!

How DARE you taunt with CHEESE when you just KNOW my cupboard is BARE!!!!!