CAnon IPF5100 - Consensus on resolution?

[Josh-H]

Is there a consensus on wether its best to send the IPF5100 the files native pixels properly sharpened for the appropriate image size as long as the image falls between 180 PPI and 480 PPI [The Jeff Schewe approach   ] - OR - wether its best to resize in photoshop and uprez to 600 PPI [the native resolution of the printer] for the appropriate image size and then send the image to the printer to avoid the printers own internal interpolation?

If its best to uprez for 600PPI then I guess the next question is how to handle output sharpening - output sharpen before uprez or after?

Sorry if this is a stupid question - but I have read everything on the Wiki and I really cant find anything conclusive either way - despite the exhaustive thread on it.

My 'normal' workflow with the Pro9500 printer has been to do as much as possible in Lightroom - then export the file as a 16 bit TIFF to CS3 for any creative sharpening. Then size the image between 180 and 480 PPI to suit the image size I want to print - then output sharpen with Photo Kit Sharpener appropriately and print.

Any reason to change with the new IPF5100?

[jerryrock]

The Photoshop  CS3 plug-in for the iPF5100 will automatically convert your image to 600ppi prior to printing in 16 bit.  I resize my images to print size in Photoshop, convert to my custom icc profile for the paper I am using, apply any sharpening and then export to the iPF plug-in for printing. This procedure produces the best output for me.

[michael]

Here's a wild suggestion. Try it yourself.

It will only cost a few pieces of paper and then you'll have the definitive answer.

If you can see a difference then it works. If you can't, then it doesn't.

Michael

[Josh-H]

Here's a wild suggestion. Try it yourself.

It will only cost a few pieces of paper and then you'll have the definitive answer.

If you can see a difference then it works. If you can't, then it doesn't.

Michael
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Appreciate the bluntness of the obvious and though it be true enough - that is that there is no substitute for direct experience and trialling it for oneself. It still... doesnt hurt to be armed with others experiences and thoughts. The benefits of sharing experiences on the forums - no?

[suttree]

I tried the various options, and settled on uprezzing to 300dpi using Photozoom Pro, at the final print dimensions. You can do this right in photoshop. Then open the resulting image and export to the canon export plugin.

I use the S-Spline method, not the S-Spline XL method that was added in the latest version (which I gather is only good for huge enlargements).

The S-Spline method has the benefit of bringing smooth definition to curved lines (less pixelated), while bringing equivalent sharpening quality to what you can get through other sharpening workflows. The S-Spline XL method is a little bit over-zealous with rounding out edges, a problem the S-Spline method doesn't have.

It also has a "detail" slider, basically for adding some film grain-like noise.

Another nice feature is that in addition to the S-Spline methods, you can also try out other approaches within the same tool: bicubic, Lanczos, etc.

I think they have trial versions that leave watermarks on your image, but it would at least give you a chance to try it out.

Frankly, I have not found any other option that even comes close.

I'd be curious to know of others' experiences, too.