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Author Topic: How do you do a print test strip?  (Read 7775 times)

Cynthia B.

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How do you do a print test strip?
« on: January 24, 2008, 08:25:42 am »

I don't want to use up tons of ink and paper, so how is the best way to multiple test strips on one sheet of paper. Any suggestions or links to an article about this?
Thank you.
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Peterretep

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How do you do a print test strip?
« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2008, 10:21:20 am »

I'm sure there are many ways of doing this but my method is to keep a seperate 8.5x11 print named "test" in which I drag the entire photo to, but in a reduced size. I generally start testing by reducing an image from its longest dimension down to three inches, select all, copy, and before I paste the image in the "Test" print I go back a few steps in the history palette and return the iimage to its original size to avoid making a mistake of saving it at the reduced size. I then paste into the "test" and position the small image and hit print. Of course you can do this with multiple images. Save the test with the most recent paste so you can continue with another image later. I find it helpful to see the whole photo and not just a strip.
Peter

Robert Spoecker

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How do you do a print test strip?
« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2008, 11:28:02 am »

If you have Photoshop  CS3 then

File > Automate > Contact Sheet II

will do it very easily.

I am sure earlier versions of photoshop will have the same feature also.

Robert
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rdonson

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How do you do a print test strip?
« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2008, 03:21:21 pm »

I either do it manually or use Qimage (another endearing feature of that tool).  I do prefer strips to smaller versions as most of my energy goes to certain areas of the image that I want to make sure print large well.

Qimage (from the PDF)

Test Strips - Before printing large prints and committing large amounts of paper, printing a small section of the large print can be helpful for the purpose of judging detail, sharpness, and color. There is a "Test strip" function on the full page editor that will allow you to create a small, proportional print that contains a piece of the larger print. From the main window in Qimage, start by adding the photo you wish to print at the desired final size (20x30 inches for example). Then click the "Full page editor" button below the preview page, select the print on the page, click the "Cropping" button on the right and the "Test strip" button will be visible under the small crop window. The test strip button can be used in any of the following ways:
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You may repeatedly click the test strip button to make your test strip progressively smaller until you have a size as small as you like.
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You may click the test strip button once and then change the size of the print manually using the sizing functions on the main window. Once the test strip button is clicked, that print remains a test strip which will conform to a piece of the original size print until you remove the print crop or manually move the crop zoom lever in the page editor. You could, for example, start with a 20x30 inch print, click the test strip button, and then choose a new size of 4x6. Since the print has been identified as a test strip, the 4x6 print will be a 4x6 portion of the 20x30 print! The area of the 20x30 print shown in the 4x6 can be adjusted by simply dragging the crop in the page editor or using the high precision cropping tool in the page editor.
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You may select a smaller paper size (4x6 for example) and add your large print to the queue, specifying that it is OK to create a poster larger than one page. Then simply click the test strip button in the page editor once and the test strip will automatically be resized to the size of your (smaller) paper. The crop can then be moved manually to any part of the print using the cropping tool in the page editor.
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Note that while left clicking on the test strip button will make the test strip smaller, right clicking or Ctrl-clicking on the test strip button will make the test strip larger.
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Regards,
Ron

Cynthia B.

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How do you do a print test strip?
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2008, 03:38:34 pm »

Thanks for the tips, I am not using Qimage and will look into it. What I was thinking was doing a 1" test strip of a section of the image looking at colors, blacks, important detail. Then possibly doing a second 1 " test strip of this same area adjusting curves or levels, whatever. Somewhere in the internet I saw a "How to" article with specific info on what to adjust in these 1: test srips. Unfortunately I can't find it again. Still looking.
Cynthia
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rdonson

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How do you do a print test strip?
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2008, 05:26:07 pm »

Cynthia,

I'm not sure if this is what you're searching for but John Paul Caponigro has mentioned something similar in his downloads.

Just one such article.
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Regards,
Ron

Cynthia B.

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How do you do a print test strip?
« Reply #6 on: January 25, 2008, 12:03:50 am »

Thanks for the link to JPC, the article I am looking for is like that only more detail on making changes for each test strip.
Cynthia
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Richowens

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How do you do a print test strip?
« Reply #7 on: January 25, 2008, 12:40:19 am »

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Cynthia B.

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How do you do a print test strip?
« Reply #8 on: January 25, 2008, 08:58:54 am »

Thanks Rich - that's the one I was looking for!!
Cynthia
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chilehead

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How do you do a print test strip?
« Reply #9 on: January 25, 2008, 09:26:29 am »

What ever method you use, be aware that some new printers will refuse to let you print test strips over and over on the same page if you have printed too close to the top edge of the paper.  This is due to the sensor thinking you have inserted a smaller sheet than selected in your printer settings.  (Yes, this printer “intelligence” has gone too far.)

The solution is just to make sure you keep your strips a half-inch or so away from the top edge of the paper.

Mark
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