Size, resolution and art work
Stewart Schooley
Take a look at these two photos. I'm posting them this way so those who
don't see the binary page can see them.
These images are actually 10.6 x 14.3 at 200 resolution, but are reduced
to 7.5 x 10 inches at 72 resolution for this presentation.
The black and white image could be colored with oil paints and used that
way or the colored prints could be copied for color prints.
Second photo was put in PhotoDeluxe and some color was added. This could
be copied on a color copier and you would have a "toner ready" print.
I've been playing around with size, resolution, and pixels plus adding
art work to the images in order to find the best way to take an
inadequate image and turn it into an image suitable for photofinish
applications.
I'm hoping some of you will play around with these images and see if it
could be done better. If you want the full size image I can post that.
http://tinypic.com/view/?pic=2ldkjmv
http://tinypic.com/view/?pic=4drhqww
Stewart
Ken
Stewart Schooley
> Thanks, I'll stash it for later use. Ken
>
> Stewart Schooley wrote:
>
Ken,
Don't save these. They are tests and the art work is hurried and
minimal. This post is the same as I put on the Forum where there has
been a good bit of discussion about woodgrains for photofinish.
Basically, I'm on a fishing expedition trying to pluck the brains of
those who know more about all this digital stuff. I've been trying
suggestions that were made there, but haven't got the best method
figured out yet. Some say don't use jpeg, some say use tiff, but tiff
makes super size files. I'm trying them all.
Look at the travel path that occurs after a woodgrain image is selected
to start with. I have four ways to edit it on my computer, I can make a
print and do some art work on it, re-scan and edit some more, and then I
e-mail or post it and someone puts it on a CD and takes it to Kinkos for
a laser color print. What's the very best type of file and file size to
end up with the very best print?
It will be the same questions when I scan the front of a restored Philco
37-33.
I'm open to suggestions.
Stewart
Ken
Crosby" Philco, I can see a working process would be good to have. Ken
philsvintageradios
Stewart if you want a good quality print to work from you might look
into other processes other than a copier.
In the commercial printing industry, a contract proof is needed. it is
made in preparation to printing a job and is often presented to the
printing buyer of a print run. When the buyer signs off on the proof ,
the printer and the buyer have a contract not only for position and
layout, but for color.
For this reason there are proofers which operate under strict color
and registration control. ( SWOP standards- see
http://www.swop.org/about/) The quality is of a much higher standard
than you would see from a color copier. The image size is also usually
quite large.
here is an example of such an output device, There are other brands.
http://graphics.kodak.com/global/product/proofing/inkjet/veris_proofer/default.htm
The resolution and file size that you want to provide should be right
for the output device that you are sending the file to. It's best to
ask the shop that you intend to deal with. likely you can send them a
Jpeg or a PDF.
contact me off list if I can help.
Phil
philsvintageradiosatshawdotca
Stewart Schooley
Thank you for your reply. The link you provided was interesting and gave
me some insight into how the printing business is done today. If I were
going into business making prints I'd have to experience that process
first hand. But, I didn't retire in order to go into business, I'm
trying to spend as much time as I can enjoying my hobbies.
I figure that if I provide a woodgrain file here, anyone who uses it
will want a low cost, easy to get print with sufficient quality and
permanent ink. That means using a readily available color copier. That
restricts the size to 11" x 17".
I'll be at Staples this week getting prints made of a Zebrawood strip.
They will be in reduced color and then I will do art work to make at
least three variations of Zebrawood. Take a look of this first test I
did. The three versions were all made from the reduced color version on
the left.
http://tinypic.com/view/?pic=2dtxkt5
This statement of yours hit me right across the head. Thanks for
straightening me up and helping me to fly right {that's an oldie!]
> The resolution and file size that you want to provide should be right
> for the output device that you are sending the file to.
Of course! I've been so busy figuring out things at the computer that I
lost sight of the final part. When I'm at Staples this week I'll get
some prints made from different file types and see if there is any
difference. It may be that all my concerns are really not that
important. Still, it didn't hurt for me to learn some things about
digital images.
All this is preliminary to what I am really after. That is the scanning
of real cabinets that have photofinish so that an exact duplicate can be
made.
Thanks again,
Stewart
Buck Frobisher
news:1169356107....@a75g2000cwd.googlegroups.com...
Stewart:
Physical proofs have become less and less common: most proofing in our
business (CD mfgr along with print) is done online using PDFs. The client
sends us PDFs, and they get one back to verify that fonts are correct, all
text is there, positioning, complete image, and on and on. If both parties
do this regularly, the hardware is synchronized so that results are
repeatable and as close to "true" as is possible using the RGB (red green
blue) system of computers for work that is ultimately printed in the CMYK
(cyan, magenta, yellow, black) system.
So as to your question, PDFs have become the de facto standard for almost
all print work that we do. Another great thing about PDFs is that they are
device-independent. In other words, something that prints 2" by 3" on your
printer will print 2" by 3" on completely different hardware and/or OS, if
you sent it in a PDF.
Of course, the file size can vary wildly with regards to your image's
printed size (are you doing a piece a foot wide by three feet long?) as well
as the resolution you deem necessary. I really wonder if you need anywhere
near the typical 300 dpi resolution that we usually work with: you are,
after all, doing imitation wood. From a foot away I'm willing to bet that
anything over 100 dpi is not needed, nor would it make any difference.
This site http://www.scantips.com/ has a section on printing and resolution
that gives a great explanation of the basics to know for image printing,
plus it's a reference for anything worth knowing about scanning.
Stewart Schooley
Buck,
My first look tells me that is a good site and I've bookmarked it to
study later.
I think you are right about the resolution for woodgrains. I think I
started into this with the uneducated notion that bigger, brighter,
sharper, and more "pazassy" was better. You and Phil have led me into a
better understanding of todays printing business.
For me, working on the woodgrains for photofinish restoration
constitutes my total radio hobby. At my age, There isn't much sense in
trying to build a collection and finding blocks of time in hours to do
chassis and cabinet work is nearly impossible. I can fit the woodgrain
stuff into my schedule much easier, and to tell the truth, it is much
more fun.
Still, I don't think it will go anywhere unless we can duplicate the
actual photofinish on some radios. So far, I only know of three people
that have made the photofinish paper and used it on a radio.
My goal for this week is to have all the file and resolution stuff
settled and also get the Zebrawood images finished. Then I can get
started on the Philco 37-33. The Philco will be a make or break case. If
people like it and want to use it, that will be great and I'll look for
another radio to do.
Thanks for the info you gave me,
Stewart
Tim Mullen
>Basically, I'm on a fishing expedition trying to pluck the brains of
>those who know more about all this digital stuff. I've been trying
>suggestions that were made there, but haven't got the best method
>figured out yet. Some say don't use jpeg, some say use tiff, but tiff
>makes super size files. I'm trying them all.
JPEG's are compressed, hence the smaller file size. I'd use
TIFF if I were you. Note that TIFF has compression options, but
they're lossless compression, unlike JPEG. Nobody seems to use
the compressed TIFF variants, anyway.
JPEG compression can be benign for simple viewing, but can cause
problems with production when you're manipulating an image and saving
it over and over. Everytime you create a new file you lose a little
bit, and eventually this will bite you.
--
Tim Mullen
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Tim Mullen
>Look at the travel path that occurs after a woodgrain image is selected
>to start with. I have four ways to edit it on my computer, I can make a
>print and do some art work on it, re-scan and edit some more, and then I
>e-mail or post it and someone puts it on a CD and takes it to Kinkos for
>a laser color print. What's the very best type of file and file size to
>end up with the very best print?
I have a Tektronix Phaser 750DP color laser:
http://www.office.xerox.com/color-printers/phaser-750/spec-enus.html
I'd be happy to print a bunch of copies and throw them in the mail to
you if you want to e-mail me some TIFF's. I can't do tabloid (11x17),
however. The largest I can print is legal (8-1/2x14). I don't know
if it can do full-bleed (printing to the very edge of the paper).
I've never tried, but I don't think it can do it, so you'd wind up
with a fraction of an inch of blank border. Nevertheless, if you
want to try it send me some files & your mailing address.
Stewart Schooley
> I have a Tektronix Phaser 750DP color laser:
>
> http://www.office.xerox.com/color-printers/phaser-750/spec-enus.html
>
> I'd be happy to print a bunch of copies and throw them in the mail to
> you if you want to e-mail me some TIFF's. I can't do tabloid (11x17),
> however. The largest I can print is legal (8-1/2x14). I don't know
> if it can do full-bleed (printing to the very edge of the paper).
> I've never tried, but I don't think it can do it, so you'd wind up
> with a fraction of an inch of blank border. Nevertheless, if you
> want to try it send me some files & your mailing address.
Tim,
That is very generous of you, but I will pass on it for now. I am well
on the way to having what I need for my trip to Staples. Besides getting
the Zebrawood copied so I can do the art work I am putting some photos
on CDs of the granchldren in different files. That will please the wife.
I'll be sure and do one in TIFF.
Thanks a million!,
Stewart
Tim Mullen
>Tim,
>That is very generous of you, but I will pass on it for now. I am well
>on the way to having what I need for my trip to Staples. Besides getting
>the Zebrawood copied so I can do the art work I am putting some photos
>on CDs of the granchldren in different files. That will please the wife.
>I'll be sure and do one in TIFF.
>Thanks a million!,
Anytime. I'm sure it'll be quicker, and no doubt better quality,
for you to go the Staples route, but the offer stands if you ever
need it.