Digital Images-Start to Finish

[pyterps]

I'm looking at how everyone starts and gets to the final product. I'm not sure of the process and need all the help I can get.

I have the Digital Rebel (does anyone set paramaters) so I take the picture.

I then have the choice to take the CF to lets say "CVS Pharmacy" and print the images.

or

I can take the CF data and load it on my computer and use photoshop to enhance the image prior to printing.

Here is where I get confused.

What are the steps you all take from here to where you have a finished product?

Do I take the image and resize it to the size file I want to print and then make any corrections?

Lets say I want to make a 8 X 10. What steps would you take in PS to arrive at this.

If I take the image and do adjustments other than size and print the picture it looks better than one I do adjustments and size. Any reason for this?

Please help me understand this process so I can get the results I know is possible.

[Steven M. Anthony]

When you size the image for PRINTING, be sure your resolution is above 180 ppi. If you edit in PS at 72 ppi and then re-size to make an 8X10 at 72ppi, the resulting print will look like cr@p. If you are using a DReb, you should be able to make an 8X10 with resolution set at or near 300ppi--depending on whether you crop the shot or not.

[pyterps]

When you size the image for PRINTING, be sure your resolution is above 180 ppi. If you edit in PS at 72 ppi and then re-size to make an 8X10 at 72ppi, the resulting print will look like cr@p. If you are using a DReb, you should be able to make an 8X10 with resolution set at or near 300ppi--depending on whether you crop the shot or not.

So what you are saying is I take the photo into PS and do all my edits at 72 ppi and when I am all done re-size the photo to what ever size I choose and set the ppi around 300, save the photo and take it in for printing?

Thanks for the help.

Dave

[Steven M. Anthony]

Well, you can resize before or after you edit. I don't know if it makes a difference when you do it. I shoot in RAW on my 10D, and have Camera Raw set to convert the images to 300ppi. That seems to be a good pixel density for printing an 8X10ish print.

[snibbetsj]

I'm not sure how much difference it makes, but I always crop first, then do my editing (color, saturation, contrast, curves etc) before I resize. I do this because I'm working on the basic image and not on the interpolated image you get after resizing (if you're resizing upwards) or on the discarded part (if downward). From my engineering point of view, I prefer to work on the basic image and then resize and interpolate as necessary.

JMHO ;)


Merry Christmas :)

[Steven M. Anthony]

Certainly, cropping first lets you edit a smaller file--so performance is enhanced.

Do you shoot RAW or jpeg?

Even though RAWs take up more space I shoot RAW--unless I'm shooting like my in-laws' anniversary party... :)

[pyterps]

I shoot both RAW and JPEG.


Did a couple of test last night with good results but a little of the top and bottom of the picture (as printed) cut off things I wanted printed.

Need to experiment more on how to get on print what I see on the screen.

[Scottes]

pyterps, one thing I did was take an image and then add 1-pixel wide lines every 5 pixels at the edges of the image. So I had a small line 5 pixels from the edge of the image, and another 10 pixels, and so on. I did this on all edges. So when I printed I could see how much was cutting cropped by the printer. With images that have elements close to the edge I now add a 15-pixel border around the image, since I know my printer chops 17 pixels on a 4x6. The end result is pretty close to perfect.

[Steven M. Anthony]

If you print "with preview" in Photoshop, you will see the dimensions of the printed image. If your file size--based on the crop you did and the resolution you specified--is too big to fit the page some parts of your image will be cut off in printing. There are at least 2 ways to deal with this--one is to pay more attention when re-sizing the image (Image--Image Size will let you specify specific printed dimensions in inches or centimeters); the other is to check the "fit to media (or something like that) box on the print with preview dialog box. I'm not sure how the resizing is done when you use the latter approach, though, so I usually use the former.