Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/07/17
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I have now tried a workflow change in printing suggested on the LUG and HUG for upsizing/scaling the print size, and it seems to work quite well, but I am still getting grainy results...First an explanation of the print scaling process...there are actually two ways to do print scaling in Photoshop 7, 1. Select "Image" then "Image Size", uncheck "Resample", change the document size to the widith and height that you want. Photoshop then doesn't resample at all, and it changes the resolution in pixels per inch to what ever it falls to based on the pixels in the original scan vs. the desired print size. 2. Select "File", then "Print with Preview", and use the "Scaled Print Size" feature...simply key in the size you want. I've tried printing both of the above ways and they appear to deliver the same results. I am still getting really poor print quality even with the 4000DPI 16bit Nikon 8000 scans and printing at less than an 8X10 (for square images I'm printing at 7.5X7.5 inches, for 35mm printing at about 5.5X8. The issues tend to be noise in the shadow areas and in the sky. So as long as I only shoot landscapes with nothing that has a shadow or sky showing I am fine;-( Gotta be a better way.... My set up (again) is a Windows XP computer, 2.26Ghz, 1 Gig RAM, 240 Gig of disk space, connected via parallel port to an Epson 3000 running Generations inks with Profiles. Papers used are ConeTech Photo Matte (seems to give the best result), Hahnamule Photo Rag, and Wells River. The Epson 3000 is about 6 weeks old, has had a new print head installed, I have confirmed that it is printing as accurately as a 3000 will in terms of paper feed (within a 16th of an inch at 20 inches, well inside the Cones requirements), and has had it's new print heads throughly alligned by the Epson tech for those adjustments I can't make, and by me for the adjustments I can. I'm pretty well ready to say the printer just won't print a quality color photograph. I have a second 3000 that is doing well with B&W Peizotone inks, but Peizotone and the Cones Plugin is very different technically than the Generations with profiles. I have posted the original scan of the transparancy (converted to JPEG and 300 DPI), and a scaned print and placed them on the Leica-Gallery at http://www.leica-gallery.net/darrell-jennings/image-30225.html The scan of the transparancy was done on the Nikon Coolscan 8000ED and was used to create the print. The print was done on the Epson 3000 on Cone Tech Photo Matte paper (which is a very smooth surface, so the grain you are seeing is not coming from the paper surface). If you look at the images you will see grain in the shadow area on the church that is not on the scan done from the transparancy. Also, while it doesn't show as much there is also a fair amount of grain and noise in the sky on the scanned print that doesn't show on the transparancy. I realize a scan from a print won't look as good as a scan from film, but what I see on my screen at home of these two images posted on Leica-Gallery is pretty close to the difference I see between the hard copy print vs. the original scan on my screen sitting here at home. Any thoughts would be appreciated....Am I expecting too much? __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Autos - Get free new car price quotes http://autos.yahoo.com - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html