Pict to Print
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- versa
ok, so we all have our ways of doing things that we are used to, and seem to work, but i am wonderin if i am missing some component that may give me better results
many times for print projects i will get files from people who have shot digitally - they give me files at 72 dpi, with large dimensions
roughly put, i then will sharpen them, mess with color balance, and levels etc., then downsize them, while increasing their ppi
what steps do you all take, and in what order, to take 72, high res picts to print ?
thx
- spendogg0
You just adjust the resoluton the 300dpi and make sure the size adjusts accordingly. that is your target size
- versa0
so....any thoughts
- ribit0
First...forget the dpi attached to the incoming file...it doesnt really exist...it's just metadata that someone made up and attached to the file. All that counts is the x by y dimensions in pixels.
Now, you go choose your print dimensions, and/or dpi, resamplingif you need to get to a specific physical and dpi setting (you may not need to resample depending on your printing system).
- cvirus0
increase the size of the picture 10 percent at a time until you reach the desired size, instead of all at once. it retains more of the details.
everything else you said works well too.
- versa0
really ? is that actually true in final output ? do you all sharpen before resizing ?
- ribit0
Do you really need to upsize the image?...(wasn't mentioned in your original question).
What size is the image in pixels?
What is your target print size?
What dpi does that work out to?
etc..
- cvirus0
it has something to do with the math in photoshop...i've only tested it and you can see a difference...never used sharpen before, but that might help too.
it won't make a horribly lo-res picture look great, but it's a little tip i picked up from a digital photographer that seems to work.
- versa0
sorry, should have clarified that usually when i do this, it is a downsizing situation
like say 30 x 20 at "72dpi", that needs to go down in size, say 20 x 10 at 300 for print
i usually sharpen first, and other adjustments then increase dpi, and resize to desired size
its just sometimes i feel like i loose alot of data and crispness, though maybe in reality i don't loose that much
- ribit0
Isnt that example up in size (in pixels)?
30"x20" at 72dpi = 2160 pixels wide
20"x10" at 300dpi = 6000 pixels wideWhats the real example here?
- ricstultz0
I wouldn't sharpen/adjust the image first... I would do all my resizing... then save.. then do any image editing... you can also set up an actions pallet to do it for ya.
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- versa0
no real example right now, tho i have done this alot in the past
but yeah, up in pixels down in physical dimensions
any more thoughts
thx alot
- ribit0
...and we're still not sure we need to resize at all...
- ribit0
Wait till you have a real problem...
Forget the incoming DPI...it's a myth.
Understand the size of your image in pixels and what this means for possible print size.
Be sure you actually need to resize the image in order to send to the printer.
- ricstultz0
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nah ribit... I always go final size in inches, 300dpi. Unless the printer specifies different... always ask the printer. It'll save lots of hassle.
deal with pixels when on the web... inches when you print.
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- ribit0
Well of course...or cm.
I just mean ignore the dpi tag on the incoming file... People seem to be resizing unneccessarily just "because it's 72dpi", which is meaningless.
- versa0
right, i got ya ribit, but when you open a file that was shot digitally, and it comes in with certain dimensions, and a 72 dpi, the new file you want to create will obviously need to be the size you really want in output, and then 300 dpi, which means you have to resize that base image up in pixels to get it 300 dpi
so , knowing that, i just feel like the order i do things might not be optimal
- ribit0
No... you don't necessarily have to resize (resampling/changing the number of pixels).
Ignore the supposed "72dpi"
What counts is your target physical size and the target dpi... That tells you if you have to resize the bitmap image from x by y dimensions to something else.
- versa0
k, say my incoming file is like the example i created before
orig = 30 x 20 72dpi
new desired = 20 x10 300dpi?
- versa0
^ inches
- ribit0
If your incoming file was tagged as 30" wide at 72dpi, thats 2160 pixels wide.
2160 pixels wide is the only 'real' thing here... the dpi and print size quoted are just another way of describing the bitmap image.
If you wanted to print it at 20" wide, without resizing you get 108dpi
20" wide at 300 dpi requires a 6000 pixel wide image...so you are upsizing in this example...
But not because of the incoming dpi, but simply because the image was too small in pixels to acheive your desired dpi/physical size.