What comes last sharping or down sizing to 8 bit

[mr_orange]

I don't mean to start of yet another debate, regarding preferences over 8/16 bit size, but my question is; I work with 16 bit and convert to 8 bit at the end and sharpen, not always in that order, but while doing this recently, I wondered which should come last, sharpening or converting down to 8 bit. I'm of the feeling it should be converting to 8 bit, or does it make no difference.

 

[afranklin]

Hi Paul,

> I don't mean to start of yet another debate, regarding preferences > over 8/16 bit size, but my question is; I work with 16 bit and convert > to 8 bit at the end and sharpen, not always in that order, but while > doing this recently, I wondered which should come last, sharpening or > converting down to 8 bit. I'm of the feeling it should be converting > to 8 bit, or does it make no difference.

You have the ability to determine this for your self, so I'd suggest experimenting and see what works best for you. You may find that for some images one scenario works better, and for another image, the other scenario works better...or, that the order doesn't make a difference ;-)

Regards,

Austin

 

[fotografz]

What processing program are you using Paul?

If it is Photoshop CS2, you can record an action to batch convert all your images to 8 bit via compcuterized automation. Converting to 8 bit, is a constant where the degree of sharpening for any given image is not making it less of batching type function ( unless of course all the images are basically the same ).

So make sharpening the last manual function you do AFTER resizing. Then batch all the images to 8 bit while you go have a beer : -)

When I am processing a zillion wedding images I use a batch action to convert to 8 bit, and to also convert the color space to sRGB ... because I provide my clients with DVDs of their wedding photos and they can get them printed anywhere.

I'm now using Lightroom more than ACR and Bridge. Processing is much faster in Lightroom ... plus many functions usually only found in RAW processing programs are available for use on Jpg and Tiff files.

 

[mr_orange]

I'm Presently using cs3 Mark, which is a great improvement; only using the trial version at moment, but very impressed with it. Like your self, I now use light room, its sooooooo much quicker and only got into photoshop when need be.

Reason I asked the question, was I know there are so many rules of thumbs such as sharping last, even though I know people who disagree, so was more curies than anything else and wondered if anybody had heard of such a rule, such as sharpen first bit size afterwards.

Which brings me on to the next question, does anybody use the colour space ProPhoto for printing, I don't print myself, I generally convert the files to adobe 98 before giving to client, is there any difference when printing to adobe 98 ? I hear you have to keep prophoto in 16 bit other wise you get problems when printing?

 

[fotografz]

I think the "sharpen last" notion is because it should be done after resizing which is usually a decision done just before printing. Some people I know sharpen last, send the file to the printer, and then step back to remove the sharpening before re-saving. This allows the file to be used at different sizes with each being sharpened for different sized prints.

Pro RGB is supposed to be a broader color space than Adobe 1998, which while I doubt the eye can't see the difference, provides more color data for manipulation. But most all printers are 8 bit and I believe sRGB is as wide a gamut as they can actually print.

I can send Pro-RGB files to my 3800's Color-burst RIP and it will recognize them ... but I think it just converts everything. So, other than the space that 16 bit files take up, converting to 8 bit is a theoretical waste of time. I do it because I store multi-thousands of wedding images. I'd prefer 16 bit files for times when I want to rework an image or print it really huge ... but it's not practical.