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Photoshop settings for large prints 48 and 36 square

C

carl_sanders

Member
Hi there, anyone know if there is an optimum setting for getting the best quality from
16MB files being enlarged to 36'' and 24'' square and printed out, from photoshop? Or do we just trust the
printer?

best wishes, Carl
 
Hey Carl. Do you mean your home printer, or sending out to be printed?

It depends on the actual printer being used. On the Leica users form, there was a very informative post by a highly respected master printer that does display stuff for big name photographers and artists ... I didn't know who he was, but many excellent Leica photographers did know of him, and were excited that he took time to post how to get the best prints.

So, for prints the size you are talking about, done on a pigment based archival Epson Ink-jet printer, he said 360 ppi was the setting to use. I believe that with other printers it's 300 ppi.

In other related posts the consensus is that any enlargement is best done in steps, 10% increments seems to be the rule of thumb. Fred Miranda offers a Step Interpolation plug in for Photoshop that works pretty well called SI Pro.

I'm currently expermenting with the latest version of Genuine Fractals (5.0), it's pretty amazing, and a quantum leap for this enlarging program.

I have also determiined that when enlarging in Photoshop, the res&ling box should be set to Bicubic Smoother for nicer tonal gradations.

BTW, if you are printing at home, I urge you to get a RIP printer program. That has made a big difference in the minute detail of my prints. I did a side-by-side print test from the same file, on the same printer on the same paper, and the RIP version was visably better.
 
Marc A. Williams (Fotografz) wrote on May 12:

' 2007 - 10:50 am,RIP printer program'
Click to expand...

Hi Marc,
I'm sorry but I don't know what an RIP printer program is. I am sure that I should know but I don't. I tried to find out a bit more on the web but without much success. I wonder if you could explain a bit more as I am in the market for a new printer.

Thanks and best wishes,

John
 
A RIP is a dedicated printer program that maximizes the printer input (RIP means Raster Image Processor) Try going here first to get an idea of what a RIP does:

http://www.dtgweb.com/ripsoftware/

I just got a new printer myself ... the Epson 3800. Epson offers a few different software programs with this printer depending on what the end use will be. There is one for portrait studios, or there is the Pro model that includes RIP software... which is what I got.

I also still have an Epson 2400 which I can run through Photoshop at the same time the 3800 is printing using the RIP. Same file printed on the 3800/RIP verses the 2400 through PS, and the print quality of the 3800 is superior. I then tried the 3800 with and without the RIP, and the result was the same ... 3800 with RIP was better. Not mind boggling better, but when using all this high end Zeiss stuff, big digital backs and hugh scans from film, every bit of detail and workflow ease is worth it.

The beauty of the RIP is that I can send an entire folder of wedding prints to it without opening each one to set the printing specs. I run batches of 50 prints at a crack by just selecting the 50 and hitting the go button. I just walk away after that and when I return all 50 prints are done.

Google: Inkjet Printer RIP Software ... there are a number of them available including ones for smaller format printers.
 
Not really Carl. As I stated above, there are RIPs for smaller format desktop printers also. Google Inkjet printer RIP software, there are a number of choices to select from.

When preparing work for external printing, you don't need a RIP, the lab does ... which they most likely do have. A RIP is for sending a file to the printer, which is their job.
 
Interesting how the meaning changes with the addition of a question mark!

"Hi Marc, this would be for an external professional printers? thanks Carl"

was in response to

"Hey Carl. Do you mean your home printer, or sending out to be printed?

The question mark should not be in the sentence, it should have read,

" Hi Marc, this would be for an external professional printers, thanks Carl.

This has been answered and thanks, there is also a section where Adobe RAW is mentioned
to enlarge to 30" x 30".

best wishes, Carl
 
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