Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Beginner's Questions => Topic started by: Simon Withington on August 07, 2010, 05:48:39 pm
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Hello
I would really appreciate some advice on how best to 'enlarge' an image for printing in Photoshop (CS5) and where in the digital workflow this step is best placed.
For example, if I am looking for a 39 x 28" print and am starting from a RAW file, is it best to first enlarge to this size in PS, prior to making changes such as cropping etc and prior to 'saving' as a TIFF or other format? Or is it better to convert to TIFF, then enlarge, then crop? OR... does it make no difference if I were to crop the RAW, save as a TIFF, then enlarge to this size?
Am I right in assuming that the most effective method used to enlarge an image in PS, is the [Image/Image Size] menu option?
Can I realistically expect to get a print of this size to be 'sharp' from say a 16MB (NEF) RAW file?
Any help, advice or pointers would be really appreciated.
Cheers in advance,
Si
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http://www.digitalphotopro.com/technique/s...the-up-res.html (http://www.digitalphotopro.com/technique/software-technique/the-art-of-the-up-res.html)
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Great article. Thanks.
Have Fun,
Jeff
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It depends on what you mean by "size." It is the pixel size that matters when it comes to printing. You can use the Image Size command in PS to change any image to any size you like, in inches, but that's largely (although not entirely) irrelevant. It's the resolution, or pixels per inch, that is important.
Many experts and my own experience say that you want a resolution of at least 180 pixels per inch for best quality prints. What I do is use the Image Size command in PS to set the size to the desired final print size (in inches) - make SURE the Resample Image option is off. Then, the Resolution field in the Image Size dialog box will tell you the image's resolution at the desired print size. If it's 180 ppi or more, you are cool. If not, you need to up-sample the image. I use Genuine Fractals but you can also use the PS tools. I won't go into details, but you may find my workflow useful (see link in signature line).
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Have a look at Qimage.
Nill
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I agree about using Qimage. It has an interpolation scheme that I have found to be at least as good as Photoshop's, as well as an excellent output sharpening scheme. The real advantage is that it does this on the fly, so you don't have to save a larger file.
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Qimage gets my vote also. You never have to worry about upsizing or sharpening. Just take the native file and drag it to the template with the appropriate size on it. Best bang for the buck software I have ever used. The more you use it the better it gets. Great support and the newest version - Ultimate - is great.
Mike
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Qimage, bah! LR upsizes better.
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Does it really? Have you compared them side by side?
Nill
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Yes.
Edit: My results reflect my usage. Be sure to run your own tests. Both products have trials.
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Yes.
Edit: My results reflect my usage. Be sure to run your own tests. Both products have trials.
Are your comparisons/results worth sharing?
Cheers,
Bart
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Are your comparisons/results worth sharing?
Cheers,
Bart
I didn't keep any of that.