tweaks a little here tweak a little there

[lakewud]

So - been having a play around with this impressive piece of kit, printed out on all sorts of paper different ideas, b/w with a hint of colour / zoomed motion etc etc

One question only then. How do i ensure that im getting the best possible quality from photos (taken with 8millionmegapixals..also from 3.2million as well though and printed out on a canon ip4300.

Now i know both with 3.2 / 8million and the printer..not the bestest pieces of kit..happy with results from my photos taken and printed the normal way, from a shop..and the printer does not a bad job at all really.

But, really wanting to mess around with digital pics / and images stills from videostudio camcorder...and wanting the best resolution possible. eg, wanting to make a little dvd cover for example..or stitch two or more pics together...im guessing using that Poster mode wont be much use...as blowing up the image so big...the pixals or whatever is needed just wont be there..unless im using canon 5d or more camera combined with 500pound photoshop etc...you pays your money..the quality is the price you pay....or is it?

Whats the order of settings i need to ensure i get that, I really dont get all the zip files talk..just wanting to keep it simple. By default will i get the best possible result if i bring in an image from my camera / or videostudio, and mess around with it then print it? Or will i need to tweak it here and there?

[Bobm03]

One question only then. How do i ensure that im getting the best possible quality from photos (taken with 8millionmegapixals..also from 3.2million as well though and printed out on a canon ip4300.

If YOU like your final result, then YOU have done "things" correctly. If YOU don't believe that it's the best possible, then YOU can/should change "things."

Remember this most important rule: YOU are the final arbitrator (judge) of your own work. Anyone else can criticize, but YOU can tell that the critic doesn't have a clue because.....

Whats the order of settings i need to ensure i get that, I really dont get all the zip files talk..just wanting to keep it simple. By default will i get the best possible result if i bring in an image from my camera / or videostudio, and mess around with it then print it? Or will i need to tweak it here and there?

If "keeping" it simple (using the "default") works for you, then why change it? If it doesn't, then "tweak" to your heart's content. Don't be afraid to experiment. PI can be used to tweak so many ways.

Just remember this other most important rule: If YOU don't like what you see on your monitor screen, printing it out won't make it any better.

[lakewud]

One question only then. How do i ensure that im getting the best possible quality from photos (taken with 8millionmegapixals..also from 3.2million as well though and printed out on a canon ip4300.

If YOU like your final result, then YOU have done "things" correctly. If YOU don't believe that it's the best possible, then YOU can/should change "things."

Remember this most important rule: YOU are the final arbitrator (judge) of your own work. Anyone else can criticize, but YOU can tell that the critic doesn't have a clue because.....

Whats the order of settings i need to ensure i get that, I really dont get all the zip files talk..just wanting to keep it simple. By default will i get the best possible result if i bring in an image from my camera / or videostudio, and mess around with it then print it? Or will i need to tweak it here and there?

If "keeping" it simple (using the "default") works for you, then why change it? If it doesn't, then "tweak" to your heart's content. Don't be afraid to experiment. PI can be used to tweak so many ways.

Just remember this other most important rule: If YOU don't like what you see on your monitor screen, printing it out won't make it any better.

Hummm a tad patronising post there Bob wink wink and more importantly failed to answer my question albeit put in a slightly exaggerated way by myself.

Pretty obvious stuff you were coming out with, but we're not talking about the image or titles here more the actual output in quality of what is created onscreen...afterall, who wants to spend hours on trimming the finest detail only print it out and the outline is fuzzed due to the camera lens not able to create the image without noise getting in the way.

To re-phrase then for those of a simple mind.

My eyesight doesnt want to detect 'noise' or pixaliation or slightly fuzzy or blurry pictures. My camera and printer although not the best in town, I would like to think can handle a decent output that to the naked eye looks great! two thumbs up.

So far, my printing success with PI has been ok..but upon larger imaging or for example creating a b/w and colour picture the results are ..well...mixed... SO, is there anything I can do to ensure that i have my settings with PI ( and VS when i catch images from there and import them into PI and visa versa ) that i wont be wasting my time and can print a decent image...talking more A4 size at most.

Thanks BOB for your input. No need to reply to this one though.

[heinz-oz]

The difference between your 3.2 Mp and 8 MP image is the size it will print out at a given printing resolution.

In PI (BTW, which version do you use?) in the "Adjust" menu (PI 12), go to resize. Your image is listed there at a pixel by pixel size as well as a cm/inch by cm/inch size and a resolution which is normally set to screen resolution of 72 or 96 ppi (pixels per inch) or the equivalent in ppcm (pixel per cm).

This resolution setting has absolutely no influence on the display or the quality of your image at that point in time, only when you print the image.

Standard rule of thumb is this: above 180 ppi, when printed, the human eye is unlikely to see any major difference, below that, the human eye may see some pixelation. Hence, I never go below 180 ppi when I want to print my image on my Canon iP5000 bubble jet. Your printer can reproduce a certain resolution, usually stated in dpi (dots per inch) which stipulates the max ppi you should use. Lets say it's 1200 dpi and your printer uses 4 colors, CMYK, which means: per pixel of your image, your printer can place 4 dots of ink to produce any color shade within it's range. Since the printer can place 1200 dots per inch, devided by 4 = 300, the max. ppi you should set for your image to print is 300 ppi. Anything above that your printer won't be able to produce.

I usually set my images, depending on the print size I want, between 200 and 300 ppi. The results are superb.

Coming back to the "Adjust" step in PI, when you change the resolution for your image, what happens? The size in cm/inch x cm/inch changes, right?

The correlation is quite simple, the more pixels you squeeze into an inch/cm, the smaller your image gets.

A 600 x 400 px image, at 200 ppi, is 3 inch wide and 2 inch high. If you want to print it bigger you will have to deduce resolution. At 100 ppi you image will print 6 x 4 inch.

This whole subject can be very confusing. Google for resolution and you find ample reading.

[sjj1805]

.....afterall, who wants to spend hours on trimming the finest detail only print it out and the outline is fuzzed due to the camera lens not able to create the image without noise getting in the way.
..........
My eyesight doesnt want to detect 'noise' or pixaliation or slightly fuzzy or blurry pictures. My camera and printer although not the best in town, I would like to think can handle a decent output that to the naked eye looks great! two thumbs up.........

Think of your computer screen as a magnifying glass.
Take a standard size photo 6" x 4" and view it on a computer screen.
Immediately it is enlarged and you see things in the picture that you may not notice on the printed copy. With your computer you can now zoom in and see things in very great detail. You can get rid of blemishes and faults.

This is what digital photography is all about. Generally the printed copy will be better than what you see on screen.
Take a look at the entries in our current PhotoImpact competition and see what others are doing.
My Make-UP with PhotoImpact: Voting now open! (till June.30,2007)