I'm not sure if I ever discussed image size, resolution, and finished stitched item but it's all basically mathematics.

Let's say you want a finished stitched item to be 8 inches wide using 18-count aida.

You would take 8x18 and the result would be 144 stitches across.

So the best image to give the program would be 144 pixels across.

Now let's say your image is 2,000 pixels across.  Using a photo editor program you could resize it to 144 pixels across.

Depending on the contents of your image, this reduction could easily become unrecognizable since you're basically dumping 83% of the pixels.

If the contents were less detailed (maybe something scenic), it very well could look fine.

So I would suggest doing things in reverse.

1. Decide on the final size of your stitched item

2. Decide on your aida stitch count

3. Multiply the number of inches in #1 by the count in #2

4. The result gives the number of pixels across your image should be

5. Using a photo editor program, reduce your image to the count from #4

6. Use this reduced image to create your pattern

If the resulting image in step #5 looks good, your pattern and stitched item should come out good.

If the resulting image in step #5 looks bad (i.e. You've lost too much detail), either increase the width in #1 and begin again, increase the aida count and begin again, or change the original image, or any combination of these, and begin again.

Even though the PatternWizard will do the photo reduction in place of a photo editor, I usually suggest you do it with en editor so you know right away how it will look.  It's a big time saver that helps choose the right image or forces you to start cropping and better selecting the contents.

Just some ideas...

Terry