Output size on R2400

[Dave_6060]

Hi all,

Have just read that on Epsons current printers to get the best from the machines
one should input at the printers native resolution of 720/360/180.
In the past i have always gone with the reslolution Of whatever Im working with.
As of late it is raw files from Canon 10D

So most times depending on image size I'll have dpi of 300/200/170.
In real life will I really gain anything at all if i resize in Photoshop CS to 360dpi for the smaller prints that have a real resolution of between 200-300 and 180 for the larger prints of 12 x 18 with a real resolution of 170?

Dave

[Guy Tal]

Dave,

There's no such thing as a "real" output resolution of a captured image. The number embedded in your digital camera files is arbitrarily picked by the manufacturer.Output resolution is device-dependent and the camera has no way of knowing what it might be in advance.
I don't know about the 2400, but the previous generation of UC printers use an internal resolution of 360dpi. You can choose to use other resolutions but these will be interpolated to 360 by the printer anyway. May as well do it yourself and have some more control over the process.

Guy
Scenic Wild Photography (http://www.scenicwild.com)

[John Berry ( Roadkill )]

In a seminar by Jeff Schewe, (the Eric Clapton of photoshop by the way) he said change to output factor of printer. Don't make the printer do more than simple arithmatic.

[Dave_6060]

Thanks Guy and John

You seem to confirm what I was reading, so will give it a try.
Guy, perhaps im using the wrong terms. What I met to say is an image coming from a camera or scaner, will give you a default resolution at a certain image size and of cource I can adjust the image size, but the resolution/dpi will go up or down, depending on print size.
Unless I use one of the scaling programs. Just wondering in real life if it really makes a difference you can see if you don't send an image to a printer at it's native resolution.

Dave

[Paul Butzi]

Just wondering in real life if it really makes a difference you can see if you don't send an image to a printer at it's native resolution.

Well, either the image gets adjusted to the printer's native resolution before it gets sent to the rip or printer driver, or it gets adjusted to the printer's native resolution by the printer driver or rip.

So the question really becomes, does your image manipulation software (e.g. Photoshop) do a better job then the rip/driver?

Until about a two weeks ago, I would have said it made no difference. Then I made a print from an image from a Canon EOS 5d, and let the Epson printer driver for my 9600 do the scaling.

It looked like crap, with visible artifacts from the scaling. I redid the print, using photoshop to resize the image and adjust it to 360 dpi before sending it to the printer. No visible artifacts.

From now on, I'll do the image size and resolution adjustment in photoshop.

[Dave_6060]

Paul,

Thanks for sharing what you encountered.
Seems the more I learn, I find the less i really know!
It's a fun process....
Think it's time to do some test prints and see if I can tell the difference.

Dave

[Ted Harris]

I totally agree with Paul but would add that, depending on the printer, you can do as well to downsize to higher multiples of 360 (e.g. 720 or 1440) it is difficult to tell for sure but there are some reasons to believe that the native resolutions of SOME of Epson's printers are eitehr 720 or 1440. Worth trying and YMMV.

Additionally, I believe the native resolution of Canon printers is 300 rather than 36o but am not sure about that. Perhaps someone else knows.

[Dave_6060]

Guy,

Just reread my orginal post.
Im using the wrong terms, when I said real resloution reagrding the Dpi of 300/200/170
What i was meaning to say is from the 10D files they have been the dpi I have been ending up with and printing at after adjusting for print sizes of roughly 7 x 10, 10 x 16 and 12 x 18.
So perhaps i should have said resolution before or without resizing.

Dave

[John_4185]

As of late it is raw files from Canon 10D

Foreign language?

[David Luttmann]

"Foreign language?"

What?

[John Berry ( Roadkill )]

Ted, I ask jeff about just that . Should the file be the same resolution as the print and he said it's not necessary. You can print at whatever and the 360 dpi file will be fine.

[Dave_6060]

Hi all,

Since it appears that I would do well to ress up my images from 10D files to 180 or 360 dpi, as from what i have read 720 dpi is overkill, then the question is, is the Bicubic setting in PhotoShop Cs the best setting to use? Skiping Bicubic Smooth and sharpen.
I use PhotoKit sharpener, would it be correct to do the oputput sharpening, after I ress up?

Is there a program out there that would be a good step up in quality, that would not cost an arm and a leg?

Have read that Qimage is very good and better than photoshops, then again on this forum, have read it's worthless?

Any advise?

Dave

[Paul Butzi]

is the Bicubic setting in PhotoShop Cs the best setting to use? Skiping Bicubic Smooth and sharpen. I use PhotoKit sharpener, would it be correct to do the oputput sharpening, after I ress up?


To res up, the rule is to use bicubic, or bicubic smoother. I would use bicubic smoother. Why not just try it both ways and see if you can see any difference, and then report your results here?

And yes, I think you'll find that the consensus is that you should do output sharpening after adjusting to the final size.