Digital BW, The Print

Alan-

I think these discussions about print resolution get confused by 
interchangeably using the xxxdpi term to include the IMAGE resolution 
as well as the PRINTER resolution.

There is a lingering group that still believes you should save your 
print at some dpi setting that is divisible into the resolution at 
which you will print for optimum output (Austin or Paul might comment 
on this). An example would be to save the image at 180 or 360 dpi if 
you were printing at 720 or 1440. The PRINT dpi measures the actual 
number of dots that CAN be sprayed per inch by the printer (new 
variable dot printers might spray less if the color warrants it).

It is my belief (subject to correction by my betters) that the old 
theory of divisibility has been debunked. I generally save at 300 dpi 
for everything. I've tried larger numbers but can't see the 
difference and the image files start getting HUGE.

Tom O'Connell

TomOC@...
www.thomasoconnell.com



--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Paul Roark" 
<paul.roark@v...> wrote:
> 
> AZinn@n... wrote:
> 
> >>...
> 
> >>In the Piezography manual it says: "Although images print with
> >>clarity at 240dpi, there will be a remarkable increase in detail 
if
> >>you can obtain your images at 720 dpi and higher."  ...
> 
> C. David Tobie wrote:
> 
> >...
> >The dpi in the Cone Driver is significantly higher than that of the
> >Epson drivers ... allowing files of high resolution to produce even
> >finer results. ...
> 
> My resolution tests sure do not show an advantage to the Piezo 
driver with
> respect to the detail that can be printed.  See the scan of test 
prints that
> had high resolution line pairs.  The image file name is "Piezo-Epson
> Resolution Test.jpg."
> 
> Go to the Files section of this forum at
> 
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint/files/
> 
> Then follow the path to Message Related Files > 10_2001 uploads.
> 
> The bottom line is that in this test the Epson driver seems to have 
a bit of
> an advantage in rendering sharp fine detail.  I tried this same 
test with
> 50% gray bars instead of 100% black, and it produced the same 
results.
> 
> I think the Piezo image quality advantage is limited to smoothness 
on older
> quad printers.  Of course, there can be other factors at well.  The 
Piezo
> driver seems more susceptible to microbanding, but the Epson driver 
needs
> workflows and image adjustment curves that may be sensitive to 
differences
> in printers and platforms.
> 
> I have the Piezo driver but prefer to use the Epson driver for most 
prints.
> I don't see any significant image quality differences even on the 
3000 in my
> 16x20 display prints.  The Tmax 100 grain is the limiting factor, 
not the
> Epson driver dots (with a proper partitioning workflow).
> 
> Don't get me wrong, I think the Piezo driver has some real 
advantages for
> some things (paper profiles, for example) and some people 
(beginners who
> need plug & play).  But I've always had a problem with some of the
> "over-the-top" representations and implications that have been made 
for that
> system.
> 
> Paul
> http://www.PaulRoark.com