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Author Topic: processing for LARGE prints  (Read 10996 times)

Quentin

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processing for LARGE prints
« on: March 28, 2005, 02:28:49 pm »

The biggest I print is 24" x any size (normally around 36").  24" is the maximum width I can print on my Epson 7600 printer.  

A print that big is BIG in any nromal domestic circumstances.  I use Photozoom to upsize, but bear in mind that you can reduce the ppii to 240ppi above A2 size without any loss in quality.  For really large prints, drop down to lower ppi, say 180 or less.

Quentin
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Quentin Bargate, ARPS, Author, Arbitrato

Jack Flesher

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processing for LARGE prints
« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2005, 11:41:43 pm »

I get the image fully "print ready" at its native size INCLUDING sharpening.  Then I uprez per my normal method described here:

http://www.outbackphoto.com/workflow/wf_60/essay.html

Cheers,
Jack
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Jack
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DarkPenguin

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processing for LARGE prints
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2005, 11:37:15 am »

Quote
I get the image fully "print ready" at its native size INCLUDING sharpening.  Then I uprez per my normal method described here:

http://www.outbackphoto.com/workflow/wf_60/essay.html

Cheers,
Jack
This is remarkably cool.  I had actually grabbed the plugin they made but hadn't read the article.

This looks like it would be perfect for prepping images to be sent to places like whcc.com.

Thanks.
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arthropod

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processing for LARGE prints
« Reply #3 on: April 11, 2005, 03:40:07 pm »

I've made a 30x40 print from a 5 megapixel image.

I made very little image preparation, as the image was already more or less optimal. It was one of my older shots, back when I settled for in camera sharpening. The setting I used wasn't aggressive, and serves my purposes nicely. A small contrast and brightness adjustment was made.

I used Genuine Fractals to make it large enough for a 30x40 print. Although more megapixels tends to better, the most important thing is an image that's free of noticeable artifacts and noise (especially when it comes to point and shoots, low ISO is critical... noise reduction programs are also effective to a degree)

Genuine Fractals 4 is an excellent plugin. If I'm not mistaken, you can currently download it from lizardtech.com... fully functional, for a limited amount of enlargements. There's some criticism here and there about it not living up to its claims. I've done my own tests with Adobe CS bicubic(one step adjustment and 10% increments), S-spline and Lanczos interpolations, and I've found Genuine Fractals to be the absolute best in preserving the colors and detail. One strength of Genuine Fractals is that the edges of details remain better defined than any other method. The images may appear very "geometric" or fractalized at 100% magnification, but this isn't noticeable at print resolution.

S-spline was the second best interpolation method... and I would use it over bicubic any day... that is, if I didn't have Genuine Fractals!
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indiacharleston

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processing for LARGE prints
« Reply #4 on: March 28, 2005, 01:40:23 pm »

I'm using an 8mpx dslr. The largest I've ever printed from it is a 16x20, which still looked GREAT pixel wise. But I'm curious about ressing up to even larger prints (maybe as big as 4 ft x 6 ft?). I'm fond of the small, intimate print, but LOVE the power of really big ones (like the ones shown on this site by Clyde Butcher-I realize he's printing from 8x10 negatives). How does the process change when you're preparing a file that big?

Do you do processing (color adjustment, burn, dodge, sharpening, etc.) before or after ressing up?

What program is best to res up? I know genuine fractals is fairly standard, but what about Adobe bi-cubic smoother?

How do you view it to be sure it looks as good on paper as on your screen?

It seems like a big commitment to me to print that big. I would love it if someone wrote an actual tutorial on this, but if you're not that motivated, just simple advice would be great!
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Digi-T

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processing for LARGE prints
« Reply #5 on: March 28, 2005, 10:34:49 pm »

You might want to look into some of the online printing services for this type of project. Many of them will do the upressing for you specific to their own printers. I think you should be fine doing all of the editing, like with normal sized prints, prior to resizing or sending it off for upsizing and printing. Every once in a while I will crop a smaller area out of an image and then rez that area up many times in different ways to get a good idea how the whole image might look. It just takes too long, if it is possible at all on machines like mine, to experiment this way on the full size images. Maybe someone else will be able to recommend to you some good sites for printing poster-sized images.

T
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indiacharleston

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processing for LARGE prints
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2005, 12:53:25 pm »

Thanks for the advice and tutorial! Now I'm ready to go home and try it!
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ausoleil

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processing for LARGE prints
« Reply #7 on: April 11, 2005, 01:16:17 pm »

Scott Kelby of NAPP recommends taking things up in Photoshop using 10% increments, and it seems to work rather well.

Another tool to consider is Genuine Fractals, it seems to be the choice plug-in for this process, but of course costs a decent amount of money.
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