Digital BW, The Print

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jerry Olson" <jerryolson@...>
To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2002 6:40 PM
Subject: Re: [Digital BW] Canon D60 Question


> Bob, I know this is very weird, but if I have a 40 or so MG file, my
> larger prints are always sharper than my small ones. A 13 or 15 inch
> print is always sharper and more detailed than an 8x10. This assumes a
> 300 or 360 DPI file resolution at the output size.
>
> In fact, a 4x5 print is nowhere near as detailed and sharp as a 12 inch
> print. Is this normal?

If your printer has to print a smaller image the chance that the ink bleeds
increases compared to the maximum size that the printer can print. This can
be a very small difference in ink bleed but a huge difference in sharpness.
For a similar reason I print my targets for profiling at the left side of
the 9000, the target is much smaller than the usual print size done on the
printer and by printing at the left side the head has to travel over a
longer distance per stroke so more drying time in between. That resembles
the normal drying time better.

In Photoshop you place a smaller copy of the image on the normal size and
print that total to the largest size possible on the printer. Check the
differences in sharpness with a loupe. Detail is another matter, a larger
print will always show more detail if the file is too big for both printed
sizes. Foggy scenes not counting.

Ernst