Can you print HDR photos?

[wesawit1st]

Just sitting in photo class discussing HDR photos with my instructor... wondering if HDR photos can be printed, and if they are printed, do they appear as they do on our monitors?

Thanks!

[ccc_javier]

i just sent my first one to be printed at walgreens, have to pick it up at 7pm... we will see

[Michael_Lambert]

They Do,

I have had no issues printing my HDR shots,actually liked the printed copy better than my monitor display.

[Maddog12]

I printed some 5x7 HDR pics and they looked pretty good. Not sure how they would look on a 16x20 or larger.

[lowmagnet]

Of course you can, you just have to tonemap them to 8 or 16 bits first.

[neumanns]

Printers are typically capable of 256 levels. Monitors are typically capable of 256levels.

When you create an HDR you need to make it fit into 256 levels to be able to see it all on a monitor.

Starting to see where this is going...

A true HDR...Cannot be seen nor printed, But we need to compress them to 256 levels then we can see & print them.

[S.E.V.]

I had a 24x16 HDR image printed by MPIX on the metallic paper and WOW was it nice. I printed the same one out on my r1800 on epson paper and it looks very good.

[Mark1]

HDR is really faking the large range. When making an HDR you take images and combine the parts that are in range that is seen as correct ---You under expose to get the shadows correct, or in range, Over expose for the bright spots to get them in range. So again, when they are combined you throw out what is out of range ( blown out highs from one, and black lowlights from the other) so the entire image is in rance....... So when you print....since everything is now in range it will print fine.

[Tixeon]

A true HDR...Cannot be seen nor printed, But we need to compress them to 256 levels then we can see & print them.

I don't follow the "Cannot be seen nor printed" part. Care to explain.:confused:

[neumanns]

Take three images with 256 levels of color. The middle one has blown highlights and smashed shadows Lets say this one covers a range from 257-513 (256 levels), The one contaning the shadow's covers from 1-256 (256 levels), and the one contaning the highlight's 514-768 (256 levels)

When you combine them you have an image that contains 768 level's but your monitor can only display 256.....

Your image needs to be "remapped" to 256 levels to be displayed. There are several diffrent conversions but for simplicity sake let's combine level 1,2,3 into level 1. Level's 4,5,6 become level 2...Etc, Etc, etc

And when you are done the remapped image contains 256 level's and can be displayed.

Yes, you have to throw out 2/3rd's of the data to gain the shadows and highlight detail in the final rendering that can be displayed on current generation monitors.

Thet detail is all in one file when combined...But a lot of good that does when there is no way to display it, hence the remapping.

[René Damkot]

Monitors are typically capable of 256levels.
... per channel ;)
I don't follow the "Cannot be seen nor printed" part. Care to explain.:confused:

HDR is 32bit / channel.

[Tixeon]

... per channel ;)


HDR is 32bit / channel.
OK, I think I understand. So the "cannot be seen" part only applies to the part that is outside the 256 levels per channel.

[canonloader]

A HDRi image can not be shown on any monitor, cause the monitor can not show all the dynamic range. Once you convert it to a JPG, of couse you can print it. If you can see it on the monitor in sRGB colorspace, you can print it.

And I have printed several in the last few weeks and on Metallic paper, you ain't seen nothin yet. Beautiful. It jumps off the paper at you. Looks like one of those lazer images, 3D almost. Try it, you can get 4 8x10's printed and delivered from WHCC for $12.

[wallybud]

Hey mitch as soon as I saw the HDR forum I had to go looking for you! I think they have listened to you:) when mitch puts his foot down things get done ;):):)

Congrats man

[black_z]

Just sitting in photo class discussing HDR photos with my instructor... wondering if HDR photos can be printed, and if they are printed, do they appear as they do on our monitors?

Thanks!


I am questioning his knowledge!

[canonloader]

Walt, I think they already had this planned out by the time I asked for it. Nice timing though. :)