How do you prepare a photo in Photoshop CS2

[Billy]

I just purchased an Epson Stylus Pro 9800. I'm not sure how to prepare the photos (size-wise) in Photoshop CS2 before I sent it to the printer. Can you print 2 pictures side by side? If so, how? The digital photos are taken with Canon EOS-1D Mark II 8 megapixel camera in a raw format. I use Photoshop CS2 raw plug-in to open them. I can adjust the color the way I want it using the raw plug-in, then I open the photo again in the full version of Photoshop. I do some final touch ups to the image. But I don't know how to size it properly and I don't fully understand the print settings. When I size it according to the page settings and choose 44" x 36" then the image in the preview pane gets small. What is the proper procedure for me to follow to print my photos without wasting alot of paper. Can any one help?

[Walt Calahan]

Billy

You've got some really nice gear there.

Printing to the 9800 shouldn't be too much of problem, but with anything there is a learning curve, and with that curve comes waste.

It's easy to print two images side by side on such a large printer. First you make a copy of the image in PhotoShop, then expand the canvas size of the original image, finally paste the copied image a long side the original to make a "two up" image print.

As far as understanding the print settings, we need to know if you are using a third party RIP or the Epson driver. If you are using the Epson driver, it is better to assign your printer's profile to the digital file for the paper and ink you are using, and then turn off all color management in the driver.

Don't worry that the image in the preview gets smaller. The software is probably resizing the image to fit the paper size in the preview.

Mostly you need to sit down with a few PhotoShop books and invest the time to learn this stuff.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1592004318/qid=1137181256/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/104-3220715-1475925?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0321330625/qid=1137181037/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/104-3220715-1475925?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0321334116/qid=1137181037/sr=1-6/ref=sr_1_6/104-3220715-1475925?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0321334094/ref=pd_bxgy_img_b/104-3220715-1475925?%5Fencoding=UTF8

[dan nguyen]

Although Walter answered your question, you will find more infos here...

www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a.tcl?topic=Digital%20Darkroom

[Scott Fleming]

When and if I ever go that route I'm hiring a consultant. I've read and read about the process and it is deep deep deep. I've also read many many posts about guys trying to figure it out by themselves with books and websites really going through hell and using up mucho hours, ink and paper. If one is going to do this stuff it's worth doing it right. A few hours with a really good consultant would save dozens and dozens of hours of trial and error from which one might or might not be able to get the exact results necessary. I'd also spring for a good RIP for each paper I wanted to use.

[Ed Richards]

Nothing personal, but unless you are a geek, I would also recommend the consultant and some of the workshops on digital printing. For example, you have not mentioned your calibration drill. Since every 44x36 error can cost $40, you do not want to learn this by trial and error. Plus this is the wrong forum - there are places where photoshop is a religion. Here we still debate whether digital is really really photography.:-)

[Frank Petronio]

Hire me ;-)

[Scott Fleming]

Yeah I agree. Hire Frank. He's smart. He's funny ... and I like his politics as well. Frank can set you up with a great website so you can sell those great big prints as well.

[darr]

The Epson Print Academy is holding Track One & Track Two seminars in selected cities. Track Two includes in-depth color management and custom profiling, expert-level fine-art printing techniques, using a RIP for contact proofing, advanced black-and-white printing techniques, PS CS2 advances plus Adobe Lightroom demo, and more. Visit this page (http://www.epsonprintacademy.com/) for more info.

[Jack Flesher]

I'm with Scott and Frank on this -- hire a consultant to get you up to speed. Two 3-hour sessions and you will be running circles around most after a two-day seminar.

I think Frank is based back East, so in case you are closer to the West coast, I'll toss my hat in the ring for these services as well.

;),

[Scott Fleming]

Well now I have to recommend Jack as well. He's a real sweetheart. Nicest guy on the web in my five years of www photography junkiedom. He likes the same cameras I do too.

I understand that a lot of people figure this stuff out by themselves and if you are really a bonefide geek then go for it. I know I would get such a headache I wouldn't even want to print anymore.

[Frank Petronio]

Actually I will teach at the Visual Studies Workshop this summer, which is a nice time to visit Rochester and see the Eastman House and the ancient ruins of Kodak, Wollensak, and Graflex... RIT removed most of their darkrooms so there isn't much to see over there...

First week-long, 3-credit workshop is on digital capture and basic Photoshop, the second week is more advanced. They have a Epson 7600 and you can make your tuition back on free printing if you come prepared (you can print while I teach). But don't hog it because I try to print 20-30 feet of prints per day too!

The best Epson large format printers are somebody else's ;-0