Digital BW, The Print

Hi All,

I was reviewing some of my scans and noticed that there seemed to be a big difference in dpi on a lot of my final photoshop outputs. There are lots of variables, but in a nutshell, I looked at two separate prints, both done on an epson 1400 with eboni inksets. One showed at 675 kb and 72 dpi, the other 135mb and 1200 dpi. I scan all my negs at 2400 dpi as part of my workflow.

Here is the part I don't get. the 675kb print is equal in quality to the 135mb print. I have even had it printed on 24 x 28 paper, with no loss of quality.I am scanning 6x6 negs

So the question is, does the dpi that is displayed in photoshop relate at all to print quality? What am I missing in my workflow?

Scott

On 10/07/11 10:08, Scott wrote:
>
>
>
> So the question is, does the dpi that is displayed in photoshop relate 
> at all to print quality? What am I missing in my workflow?
>
Scott,

I use an epson 1400. but gimp not photoshop. I set the dpi on the 
printer. at maximum. so that the printer controls its dpi not the 
graphics program, it may be that your printer is using the setting it 
feels works best

bob


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

see http://www.rideau-info.com/photos/mythdpi.html

On 10/07/2011 10:08, Scott wrote:
>
> ....
> So the question is, does the dpi that is displayed in photoshop relate 
> at all to print quality? What am I missing in my workflow?
>
>
>
> 

-- 
mike finley photography
http://www.mikefinley.co.uk
http://words.mikefinley.co.uk
http://www.roguegenegallery.com/Mike_Finley-gallery.html



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Scott,
Their are several things to look at.. Lets look at stuff backwards ..First at the printer level it prints using one of a few selections from your printer or RIP menu.. Typically Epson printers prefer to get fed 360 dpi at what ever the image size your printing for normal images.. That's not to say that you can't send 180 dpi and obtain an acceptable image. 
Ok now lets bounce to the scans.  If your workflow is to scan all your 6x6's at 2400 dpi.. assuming you have good transparencies  or negs that looks like that is your limitation. a 2400 dpi scan of a 6x6 @8 bit is only 30.6 MB If you scanned in 16 bit it's 61.3 MB .. Their is typically much more information in that 6x6 so you want to get at it and the way to do that is in the scan process.So your 135mb file I assume is interpolated up.. That does work to some degree but interpolation does not create more information it just tries to keep what you already have and none of that stuff works perfectly.  So the answer would be to do the original scan at a higher resolution say 5600 which will give you a 166MB file in 8 bit..  By the way if you know your going to be doing some serious file manipulation do your scans in 16 bit. 
We always scan our transparencies or negs at the largest size we feel we'll ever print @ 300 or 360 dpi. So we do get some large files. I looked at the web site Mike posted.. That is true what they are saying but lets look at it.. If you have a base file that is say 5 x 7 @ 100 DPI then you tell photoshop to turn it into 1000 dpi you have not changed any of the information you have merely taken the existing information and converted it to a smaller dot pattern so no change in the final output with images output at the same size. 
So if you want to see the difference so that you can get and see it ....do this.. Choose a tranny or neg that has some good line detail in it..maybe something that has some architecure in it.. or?? you choose.. something that has good detail and line work.. Scan the same image twice ..first your way at 2400 dpi then a second time at my suggested 5600 dpi.. ( make sure your scanner is capable of scanning optically at that dpi)  Do the same process on each working the images up.. including any croping you may do..  Size both images to 36" width when your done you should end up about 360 dpi for the 5600 scan .. and about 150 for the 2400 scan... Print both images ( make 36 inch prints or crop down to something that will work fo ryour equipment)  then compare them.. If their the same then go directly to Home Depot and buy a chain saw and cut your scanner in half...then start looking for another one. :-))..  Just kidding.. Anyway the scanner plays a big part in this equation. We use drum scanners here. Many of the flat beds that are out there have optical limits that just won't get you there. Hope this made sense..

jimbo

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Scott 
  To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Sunday, July 10, 2011 3:08 AM
  Subject: [Digital BW] dpi and printing quality


    
  Hi All,

  I was reviewing some of my scans and noticed that there seemed to be a big difference in dpi on a lot of my final photoshop outputs. There are lots of variables, but in a nutshell, I looked at two separate prints, both done on an epson 1400 with eboni inksets. One showed at 675 kb and 72 dpi, the other 135mb and 1200 dpi. I scan all my negs at 2400 dpi as part of my workflow.

  Here is the part I don't get. the 675kb print is equal in quality to the 135mb print. I have even had it printed on 24 x 28 paper, with no loss of quality.I am scanning 6x6 negs

  So the question is, does the dpi that is displayed in photoshop relate at all to print quality? What am I missing in my workflow?

  Scott



  

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

*Capture Resolution*: the resolution of the file produced by your digital
camera or scanner.  With a digital camera, it's often at a low dpi, such as
72, but at a large size.

*File-to-print Resolution*:  The resolution of your file when it's sent to
the printer. Supposedly it's best that this matches the native resolution of
the printer, such as 300 dpi for Canon and HP, and 360 or 720 dpi for Epson,
depending on the print mode. If this is not at the native size that the
printer uses, the printer will interpolate the file to that native size.

*Printer Resolution*: The number of dot's the a printer can lay on the
paper.  This is not the same as the File-to-print resolution. The printer
may use many squirts of ink to represent one dot in the file.  That's how a
printer with only 8 inks, for example, can make a print with thousands of
colors.

I don't know of any consumer flat beds that give more than 3000 spi of real
information.  Some pro flat beds and high end drum scanners can go higher
than 6000 spi.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Not sure but it looks like the black ink in my 2200 refillable cartridge is getting empty very fast. 
Is that possible  that the cartridge is leaking when the printer is off or am I just dreaming?
Thanks.
Pierre


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Un Globe Trotteur" <unglobetrotteur@...> wrote:
>
> Not sure but it looks like the black ink in my 2200 refillable cartridge is getting empty very fast. 
> Is that possible  that the cartridge is leaking when the printer is off or am I just dreaming?
> Thanks.
> Pierre
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
Rarely, but yes it can - it usually means that the damper mechanism in the cart has failed - or that the seal around the "spike" has been damaged - you can check this by starting a nozzle check and pulling the plug on the printer when it starts - move the print head aside put a narrow strip of paper towel in the printing area - move the print head over the paper towel- and go do something else for a few hours - check for a leak by moving the print head off the paper towel- 

Berel Lutsky

Berel,
I'm not familiar with the 2200 but the paper towel thing might surprise you on a few printer ...those that are gravity fed.Once the paper towel gets wet a siphon action can happen.. So one might get a big surprise..

jimbo----- Original Message ----- 

  From: Berel 
  To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Thursday, September 15, 2011 7:07 AM
  Subject: [Digital BW] Re: Can a refillable cartridge leak?


    


  --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Un Globe Trotteur" <unglobetrotteur@...> wrote:
  >
  > Not sure but it looks like the black ink in my 2200 refillable cartridge is getting empty very fast. 
  > Is that possible that the cartridge is leaking when the printer is off or am I just dreaming?
  > Thanks.
  > Pierre
  > 
  > 
  > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
  >
  Rarely, but yes it can - it usually means that the damper mechanism in the cart has failed - or that the seal around the "spike" has been damaged - you can check this by starting a nozzle check and pulling the plug on the printer when it starts - move the print head aside put a narrow strip of paper towel in the printing area - move the print head over the paper towel- and go do something else for a few hours - check for a leak by moving the print head off the paper towel- 

  Berel Lutsky 



  

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Thanks I will try that. The seal around the spike is on the cartridge I assume? So it should not be a printer problem but a cartridge problem. Am i correct?Sincerely,Pierre
 To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com

From: berel.lutsky@...
Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:07:07 +0000
Subject: [Digital BW] Re: Can a refillable cartridge leak?


















 



  


    
      
      
      



--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Un Globe Trotteur" <unglobetrotteur@...> wrote:

>

> Not sure but it looks like the black ink in my 2200 refillable cartridge is getting empty very fast. 

> Is that possible  that the cartridge is leaking when the printer is off or am I just dreaming?

> Thanks.

> Pierre

> 

> 

> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

>

Rarely, but yes it can - it usually means that the damper mechanism in the cart has failed - or that the seal around the "spike" has been damaged - you can check this by starting a nozzle check and pulling the plug on the printer when it starts - move the print head aside put a narrow strip of paper towel in the printing area - move the print head over the paper towel- and go do something else for a few hours - check for a leak by moving the print head off the paper towel- 



Berel Lutsky 





    
     

    
    






   		 	   		  

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Very possible for it to leak like any other cart.

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Un Globe Trotteur" <unglobetrotteur@...> wrote:

>
> Not sure but it looks like the black ink in my 2200 refillable cartridge is getting empty very fast. 
> Is that possible  that the cartridge is leaking when the printer is off or am I just dreaming?
> Thanks.
> Pierre
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Good ideas...

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Berel" <berel.lutsky@...> wrote:

>
> 
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Un Globe Trotteur" <unglobetrotteur@> wrote:
> >
> > Not sure but it looks like the black ink in my 2200 refillable cartridge is getting empty very fast. 
> > Is that possible  that the cartridge is leaking when the printer is off or am I just dreaming?
> > Thanks.
> > Pierre
> > 
> > 
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> Rarely, but yes it can - it usually means that the damper mechanism in the cart has failed - or that the seal around the "spike" has been damaged - you can check this by starting a nozzle check and pulling the plug on the printer when it starts - move the print head aside put a narrow strip of paper towel in the printing area - move the print head over the paper towel- and go do something else for a few hours - check for a leak by moving the print head off the paper towel- 
> 
> Berel Lutsky
>