Inside Photoshop® CS

Interpolation Means “Interpretation”

Interpolation is such a neat-sounding word, isn't it? Many of us have a vague notion (within context) of what interpolation means, but you need to understand precisely what it means when you're using it on your work.

Interpolation, in computer graphics, is an application's interpretation of what something should look like, especially when it does not have sufficient data to carry out your request. Interpolation is always an averaging process of some kind. For example, suppose that you have a color image that is 4 pixels wide and 4 pixels high. You want the image to be twice the size: 8 pixels by 8 pixels.

No program on earth will create the new image using sensitivity and artistic talent. The reason is obvious: ...