Wrong image size when placing

Question

When I try to place a picture in photoshop CS6 either from drag&drop in the application window or from the place command, my image gets automatically resized based on the resolution (pixels per inch) of my document.
Example:
I create a new blank document, 1000*1000px @ 300ppi.
I have another image that I want to place in the document and this image measures 500*500px @ 100ppi.
I then go to File->Place  and the image that appears is way too big.  In the Info panel, it says that the image is 1500x1500 and the transform settings at the top indicate that the image hasen't been scaled because both width and height are at 100%
If I cahnge my document resolution (no resample) to 100ppi, the image has the right size when I place it.
So my question is:  Is this normal?  Because it has never done that with past versions of Photoshop.  If it is normal, is there a way I can change this because placing an image based on it's physical (printed) size makes absolutely no sense.  1 pixel = 1 pixel.
Thank you for your help

Answer 1

Once you understand how Photoshop works you can batch some some things you create some actions for.  Size is difficult to deal with in actions and often you will have problems dealing with aspect ratios and image orientation.
To automate a process well scripting is more powerful then actions for you can use logic to solve problem area involving sizing, orientation, aspect ratios and positioning.  You can size an image to cover an area then mask off any excess to virtually crop the image to the areas aspect ratio.  If you download my Photoshop Photo Collage Toolkit there are script that create composite that can deal with any size image.
One script PasteImageRoll.jsx can past selected images into a document to be print on roll paper. Images will be tiled into the document some images may be rotated for a better fit for the tiles aspect ratio. Image will be resized to fill the tile area and masked to virtually make a center crop of the images.  Other scripts will place in images file into collage template as smart object layers. Smart object images layers will be scaled to fit the various templates images areas position over the area and masked to the area. Link Documentation and Examples for the toolkit and Link Paste Image Roll Script Information
Scripting is very powerful you can even open image off the web using its URL even stack all the image on a web page using its url
OpenImageFromWeb.jsx
// OpenImageFromWeb.jsx
// Copyright 2006-2009
// Written by Jeffrey Tranberry
// Photoshop for Geeks Version 3.0
// modified by MLH
// modified by JJMACK 2010
<javascriptresource>
<about>$$$/JavaScripts/OpenImageFromWeb/About=JJMack's OpenImageFromWeb.^r^rCopyright 2010 Mouseprints.^r^rJJMack's Script.^rOpen Image From Web as a Placed smart object layer!</about>
<category>JJMack's Script</category>
</javascriptresource>
Description:
This sample script shows how to download images from a web server using the
Socket object.
// Note: Socket.read() parameter & behavior
// Socket.read() will read or time out. It may not read all data fromserver. <---------------
// Socket.read(999999) will read 999999 bytes, or timeout, or socket will be
// closed by the server.
// enable double clicking from the
// Macintosh Finder or the Windows Explorer
#target photoshop
// Make Photoshop the frontmost application
app.bringToFront();
// SETUP
var html = "";
var request = "";
var url = "";
var binary = "";
var requesthtml = "";
var socket = new Socket;
var domain = "www.mouseprints.net" // the domain for the file we want
var sImg = "/old/dpr/JJMack8btiSrgb.png"; // the rest of the url for the file we want
var port = ":80"; // the port for the file we want
// MAIN
var url = prompt("Enter the image's full URL http://domain/full image path",url);   // prompt for domain name
if (url != null && url != ""){
          if ( (url.indexOf("http://") != -1)  || (url.indexOf("HTTP://") != -1)  ) {
                    domainPathLength = url.length - "http://".length;
                    domainPath = url.substr(7, domainPathLength);
                    pathOffset = domainPath.indexOf("/");
                    domain = domainPath.substr(0, pathOffset);
                    sImg = domainPath.substr(pathOffset, domainPath.length - pathOffset );
                    // Isolate Image name
                    var Name =  sImg
                    var imagePath = "";
                    while (Name.indexOf("/") != -1 ) {                                        // Strip Path
                              imagePath= imagePath + Name.substr(0, Name.indexOf("/") + 1);
                              Name = Name.substr(Name.indexOf("/") + 1 ,);
                    //alert("domain = " +  domain + " , Image = " + sImg + " Image File Name = " + Name);
                    if ( domain != "" && sImg != "" && sImg != "/" && Name.indexOf(".") != -1 ) {
                              var f = File("~/" + Name); // Image file name
                              f.encoding = "binary"; // set binary mode
                              f.open("w");
                              if (socket.open(domain + port, "binary")){
                                        //alert("GET " + sImg +" HTTP/1.0\n\n");
                                        requesthtml ="\n\nDmain:" + domain + " Port" + port + " binary\n"
                                        request ="GET " + sImg +" HTTP/1.0\n\n"
                                        socket.write(request); // get the file
                                        var binary = socket.read(99999999);
                                        binary = removeHeaders(binary);
                                        f.write(binary);
                                        socket.close();
                              else { alert("Connection to Domain:" + domain + " Port" + port + " Failed   ");}
                              f.close();
                              if (binary.length != 0) {
                                        //alert ("file length = " + binary.length );
                                        if(app.documents.length == 0) {
                                                  //app.documents.add([width] [, height] [, resolution] [, name] [, mode] [, initialFill] [,pixelAspectRatio] [, bitsPerChannel] [,colorProfileName])
                                                  app.documents.add(new UnitValue(1600,'px'), new UnitValue(1200,'px'), 72, null, NewDocumentMode.RGB, DocumentFill.WHITE, 1,BitsPerChannelType.EIGHT, "sRGB IEC61966-2.1" );
                                        placeSmartObject( f );
                              f.remove(); // Remove temporary downloaded files
                    else { alert("Invalid Image URL: " + url ); }
          else { alert("Invalid URL: " + url ); }
else { if ( url == "" ) alert("No URL Entered"); }
// FUNCTIONS
function placeSmartObject(fileRef){
          //create a new smart object  layer using a file
          try {
                    var desc = new ActionDescriptor();
                              desc.putPath( charIDToTypeID( "null" ), new File( fileRef ) );
                              desc.putEnumerated( charIDToTypeID( "FTcs" ), charIDToTypeID( "QCSt" ),charIDToTypeID( "Qcsa" ));
                              desc.putUnitDouble( charIDToTypeID( "Wdth" ),charIDToTypeID( "#Prc" ), 100 );
                              desc.putUnitDouble( charIDToTypeID( "Hght" ), charIDToTypeID( "#Prc" ), 100 );
                              desc.putUnitDouble( charIDToTypeID( "Angl" ), charIDToTypeID( "#Ang" ), 0 );
                              desc.putBoolean( charIDToTypeID( "Lnkd" ), true );
                    executeAction( charIDToTypeID( "Plc " ), desc, DialogModes.NO );
                    activeDocument.activeLayer.resize(100 ,100,AnchorPosition.MIDDLECENTER);
                    activeDocument.revealAll();
          } catch (e) { alert("Placeing file: '" + fileRef + "' failed"); }
// Remove header lines from HTTP response
function removeHeaders(binary){
          var bContinue = true ; // flag for finding end of header
          var line = "";
          var httpheader = "";
          var nFirst = 0;
          var count = 0;
          while (bContinue) {
                    line = getLine(binary) ; // each header line
                    httpheader = httpheader + line;
                    bContinue = line.length >= 2 ; // blank header == end of header
                    nFirst = line.length + 1 ;
                    binary = binary.substr(nFirst) ;
          if (httpheader.indexOf("Bad Request") != -1 || httpheader.indexOf("Not Found") != -1) {
                    alert (requesthtml + request + httpheader);
                    var binary = "";
          //alert (requesthtml + request + httpheader + "\nFile length = " + binary.length);
          return binary;
// Get a response line from the HTML
function getLine(html){
          var line = "" ;
          for (var i = 0; html.charCodeAt(i) != 10; i++){ // finding line end
                    line += html[i] ;
          return line ;
StackWebPageImages.jsx
// Copyright 2007.  Adobe Systems, Incorporated.  All rights reserved.
// This script demonstrates how to download images from a web server using the Socket object.
// Adobe's Socket.jsx Photoshop sample javascript
// modified by JJMACK 2011
<javascriptresource>
<about>$$$/JavaScripts/StackWebPageImages/About=JJMack's StackWebPageImages.^r^rCopyright 2011 Mouseprints.^r^rJJMack's Script.^rPlaces Images used in a Web page as smart object layers in stack in a new document!^rOnly images embedded coded with path relative to the domains root will be Placed though.^rImages that fail to be placed may be Placed into the document using your browser right click to copy image URL.^rThen paste that URL into the OpenImageFromWeb script URL input field. </about>
<category>JJMack's Script</category>
</javascriptresource>
// Note: Socket.read() parameter & behavior
// Socket.read() will read or time out. It may not read all data from server.
// Socket.read(999999) will read 999999 bytes, or timeout, or socket will be
// closed by the server.
// Settings
#target photoshop
app.bringToFront(); // bring top
//if("en_US" == $.locale) { // display only US build
//          alert("This sample script shows how to download images from a web server using the Socket object.");
// Remove header lines from HTTP response
function removeHeaders(binary)
          var bContinue = true ; // flag for finding end of header
          var line = "";
          var nFirst = 0;
          var count  = 0;
          while (bContinue) {
                    line = getLine(binary) ; // each header line
                    bContinue = line.length >= 2 ;  // blank header == end of header
                    nFirst = line.length + 1 ;
                    binary = binary.substr(nFirst) ;
          return binary;
// Get a response line from the HTML
function getLine(html)
          var line = "" ;
          for (var i = 0; html.charCodeAt(i) != 10; i++){ // finding line end
                    line += html[i] ;
          return line ;
var socket = new Socket;
var port = "80";
var html = "";
//if (socket.open("www.adobe.com:80")){
//          socket.write("GET /index.html HTTP/1.0\n\n");
//          html = socket.read(9999999);
//          socket.close();
var url = "";
var url = prompt("Enter the Web page full URL the images are in like http://domain/index.html",url);   // prompt web page
if (url != null && url != ""){
          if ( (url.indexOf("http://") != -1)  || (url.indexOf("HTTP://") != -1)  ) {
                    domainPathLength = url.length - "http://".length;
                    domainPath = url.substr(7, domainPathLength);
                    if ( domainPath.indexOf("/") != -1 ) {
                              pathOffset = domainPath.indexOf("/");
                              domain = domainPath.substr(0, pathOffset);
                              wPage= domainPath.substr(pathOffset, domainPath.length - pathOffset );
                    else {
                              domain = domainPath;
                                wPage = "/";
                    // Isolate Page name
                    var pName=  wPage;
                    var pagePath = "";
                    while (pName.indexOf("/") != -1 ) {
                              pagePath= pagePath + pName.substr(0, pName.indexOf("/") + 1);
                              pName = pName.substr(pName.indexOf("/") + 1 ,);
                    //if (socket.open("www.adobe.com:80")){
                    if (socket.open(domain +":" + port)){
                              //alert("GET page = " + wPage + " HTTP/1.0\n\n");
                              socket.write("GET " + wPage + " HTTP/1.0\n\n");
                              html = socket.read(9999999);
                              socket.close();
                              //var aImg = html.match(/src=\"\/images\/(.*?)\"/g);                    //  src="/images/~~~"
                              //var aImg = html.match(/img src=\"(.*?)\"/g);                              // img src="~~~"
                              //var aImg = html.match(/img src=\"(.*?)[\"?]/g);                    // img src=["|?]~~~" 
                              //var aImg = html.match(/img (.*?)src=\"(.*?)[\"?]/g);                    // img ~~~src="~~~" 
                              var aImg = html.match(/<img (.*?)src=\"(.*?)\"/g);                    // <img ~~~src="~~~"
                              //var aImg = html.match(/<img (.*?)src=\"(.*?)[\"?]/g);                    // <img ~~~src=["|?]~~~"
                              //alert("Image List\n" + aImg);
                              if (null != aImg) { // parsed image tags
                                        //app.documents.add([width] [, height] [, resolution] [, name] [, mode] [, initialFill] [,pixelAspectRatio] [, bitsPerChannel] [,colorProfileName])
                                        app.documents.add(new UnitValue(1600,'px'), new UnitValue(1200,'px'), 72, null, NewDocumentMode.RGB, DocumentFill.WHITE, 1,BitsPerChannelType.EIGHT, "sRGB IEC61966-2.1" );
                                        for (var i=0; i < aImg.length; i++) {
                                                  var str = aImg[i];
                                                  imageNo=i+1;
                                                  //var sImg = str.substring(5, str.length-1); // remove "src=" & ["]
                                                  //var sImg = str.substring(9, str.length-1); // remove "img src=" & ["]
                                                  var sImg = str.substring(str.indexOf('src="')+5, str.length-1); // remove "<img ... src=" & ["]
                                                  try{
                                                            if (sImg.substring(0,7) == "http://" || sImg.substring(0,7) == "HTTP://")  { placeWebImage(imageNo, sImg); } // redirect image
                                                            else {
                                                                      if (sImg.substring(0,1) != "/" ) { sImg = pagePath + sImg ; }                               // image is relative to web page path
                                                                      //else { sImg = sImg.substr(1, sImg.length - 1) ; sImg = pagePath + sImg; }          // aways include web page path bad idea
                                                                      // Isolate Image name
                                                                      var Name =  sImg;
                                                                      var imagePath = "";
                                                                      while (Name.indexOf("/") != -1 ) {                                        // Strip Path
                                                                                imagePath= imagePath + Name.substr(0, Name.indexOf("/") + 1);
                                                                                Name= Name.substr(Name.indexOf("/") + 1 ,);
                                                                      Name= imageNo + " " + Name;
                                                                      //var f = File("~/socket_sample_" + i + sImg.substr(sImg.length-4)); // 4 = .gif or .jpg
                                                                      var f = File("~/" + Name ); // Temp File name
                                                                      f.encoding  = "binary";  // set binary mode
                                                                      f.open("w");
                                                                      //if (socket.open("www.adobe.com:80", "binary")){
                                                                      if (socket.open(domain +":" + port, "binary")){
                                                                                socket.write("GET " + sImg +" HTTP/1.0\n\n"); // Adobe's site image link starts with "/"
                                                                                var binary = socket.read(9999999);
                                                                                binary = removeHeaders(binary);
                                                                                f.write(binary);
                                                                                socket.close();
                                                                      else { alert("Socket Open " + domain + ":" + port + ", binary Failed"); }
                                                                      f.close();
                                                                      //app.open(f); // Open files in Photoshop
                                                                      placeSmartObject( f );
                                                                      f.remove();  // Remove temporary downloaded files
                                                  catch(e){
                                        alert("Number of images found in page = " + imageNo );
                              else { alert("No images found for " + url); }
                    else { alert("Connection to Domain:" + domain + " Port " + port + " Failed   ");}
          else { alert("Invalid URL: " + url ); }
else { if (url == "") alert("No URL Entered"); }
// FUNCTIONS
function placeSmartObject(fileRef){
          //create a new smart object layer using a file
          try {
                    var desc = new ActionDescriptor();
                              desc.putPath( charIDToTypeID( "null" ), new File( fileRef ) );
                              desc.putEnumerated( charIDToTypeID( "FTcs" ), charIDToTypeID( "QCSt" ),charIDToTypeID( "Qcsa" ));
                              desc.putUnitDouble( charIDToTypeID( "Wdth" ),charIDToTypeID( "#Prc" ), 100 );
                              desc.putUnitDouble( charIDToTypeID( "Hght" ), charIDToTypeID( "#Prc" ), 100 );
                              desc.putUnitDouble( charIDToTypeID( "Angl" ), charIDToTypeID( "#Ang" ), 0 );
                              desc.putBoolean( charIDToTypeID( "Lnkd" ), true );
                    executeAction( charIDToTypeID( "Plc " ), desc, DialogModes.NO );
                    activeDocument.activeLayer.resize(100 ,100,AnchorPosition.MIDDLECENTER);
                    activeDocument.revealAll();
          } catch (e) { }
function placeWebImage(num, url){
          var socket = new Socket;
          domainPathLength = url.length - "http://".length;
          domainPath = url.substr(7, domainPathLength);
          pathOffset = domainPath.indexOf("/");
          domain = domainPath.substr(0, pathOffset);
          sImg = domainPath.substr(pathOffset, domainPath.length - pathOffset );
          // Isolate Image name
          var Name =  sImg
          var imagePath = "";
          while (Name.indexOf("/") != -1 ) {                                        // Strip Path
                    imagePath= imagePath + Name.substr(0, Name.indexOf("/") + 1);
                    Name = Name.substr(Name.indexOf("/") + 1 ,);
          Name= num + "R " + Name;
          //alert("domain = " +  domain + " , Image = " + sImg + " Image File Name = " + Name);
          if ( domain != "" && sImg != "" && sImg != "/" && Name.indexOf(".") != -1 ) {
                    var f = File("~/" + Name); // Image file name
                    f.encoding = "binary"; // set binary mode
                    f.open("w");
                    if (socket.open(domain +":" + port, "binary")){
                              //alert("socket.write GET " + sImg +" HTTP/1.0\n\n");
                              //socket.write("GET " + sImg +" HTTP/1.0\n\n");           // did not work
                              socket.write("GET " + url +" HTTP/1.0\n\n");                    // use url to this server works
                              var binary = socket.read(9999999);
                              binary = removeHeaders(binary);
                              f.write(binary);
                              socket.close();
                    //else { alert("Connection to Domain:" + domain + " Port" + port + " Failed   ");}
                    f.close();
                    placeSmartObject( f );
                    f.remove(); // Remove temporary downloaded files
          //else { alert("Invalid Image URL: " + url ); }