Digital BW, The Print

My guess is that the scanner's maximum optical resolution is not 
causing the grey border around the traffic sign's text. But because 
the text was photographed, I also think my suggestion that a higher 
resolution might help was not apt.

This one might not be either: selective sharpening via a layer mask 
as illustrated (p. 381) and briefly described (p. 382), although in a 
very different context (eyes in a portrait), in "Real World Photoshop 
6". If Marco masks out everything but the sign, then he might see 
some benefit from sharpening it as RWP6 suggests (p. 435) 
greyscale-scanned line art be scanned: twice with the settings at 
500/1/5. If that doesn't help, the next paragraph in RWP6 suggests, 
to me anyway, that other Threshold settings might.

That next paragraph is about the Threshold command itself (from the 
Adjust submenu under the Image menu). It helped me once with text 
which had been handwritten on the back of an old photo. But Marco's 
image has the reverse problem - light text on a dark background - and 
I think that always makes it harder to work with.

Sam McCandless          samcc@...


>I try to resize my file keeping the same number of pixel (no interpolation).
>The new resolution was 480 dpi.
>
>The print now is small but I can always see that from the dark background to
>the white text there is a little grey area, not just a line (like I can see
>in a traditional print).
>
>Is a scanner problem? (my scanner has 2900 dpi resolution).
>
>Thanks
>
>Marco
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Sam A. McCandless" <samcc@...>
>To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
>Cc: "Marco Fogarolo" <fogmarco@...>
>Sent: Tuesday, May 21, 2002 7:15 PM
>Subject: Re: [Digital BW] MIS VM and Epson 1160
>
>
> > The best number of scanner samples per printed inch is sometimes
> > discussed in a way which suggests that a scanner "dpi" of more than
> > 240 or 300 or 360 per printed inch is overkill except possibly for
> > small prints. But when text, especially reversed text, is included in
> > the image, I think 480 scanner samples for each printed inch might
> > show an improvement, even over 360, at least on EAM in an 1160. I
> > hope it's convenient for Marco to try it and let us know.
> >
> > Sam McCandless            samcc@...
> >
> >
> > >I start to print with MIS VM and Epson 1160 with MIS CFS, using Paul
> > >Roark's workflow, about 2 month ago.
> > >In this time I printed about 70 of my photos on EAM (35 mm Tri X or
> > >TMax shoot scanned with Nikon coolscan IV).
> > >I'm very happy for the results: the prints are good even by
> > >comparison with traditional print of the same negative on Ilford
> > >Multigrade FB. The blacks are not very deep but always admissible.
> > >
> > >I have 2 little problems:
> > >1) One of the printed photos had a traffic sign in one corner, so I
> > >can notice that the edges of the lettering under the sign are not
> > >very sharp but they looks very soft (on monitor I can see a sharp
> > >edge). This print have a good contrast and the problem is visible
> > >only in the sign, where I have a white lettering on dark background.
> > >[snip]
> > >Thanks
> > >
> > >Marco
> > >Padova (Italy)