Which version would print better?

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6D ED

11/15/2006 11:29:28 PM · #1

Link to side by side images.
Left is: 180 dpi, processed with desaturation & burn
Right is: 72 dpi, processed with desaturation, burn, & focus magic
Both images are 1800x2800 pixels
I am not looking to print these very large; we're talking 4x6 or maybe 5x7 but nothing larger.
Please help me decide (give alternate ideas etc) as I have been working on this for months. I know there's some sharp white outlines in the dress, and some jaggy pixels in the head area. I wish I had a printer and could do a test print.

liltritter

Nikon D70s

11/15/2006 11:31:12 PM · #2

I really don't know which would be better in print, but i like the second one best... But they are both AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW...

General

Kodak Z7590

11/15/2006 11:33:04 PM · #3

How will they be printed?
Incase of say a minilab, than minilab's software itself interpolate's image size to default PPI, in some 200 in some 300 no matter what is the Images PPI is.

Message edited by author 2006-11-15 23:34:00.

General

Kodak Z7590

11/15/2006 11:38:51 PM · #4

I just calculated both will be much more than 300 PPI.

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8

11/15/2006 11:40:54 PM · #5

General:
Initially I will have to get them printed fast and dirty at a walmart or drugstore type place just to physically have them in my hand and see how they would look and so they can be pawed over by all the people in the b&g's families. SO the first prints will have a rough life. But when they choose the "which ones" and the "how many"-s, I will get them done up proper.

trnqlty

Nikon D90

11/16/2006 12:06:58 AM · #6

What editing software are you using? If they are to be printed in straight black and white they should both be put into grayscale. You risk getting an unwanted tone if still in rgb while trying to get black and white. I notice that there is those jagged edges, as you mentioned, all the way around both images and I'm just curious why. I know they could be gotten rid of if you are using photoshop. My only other suggestion is to have a white point. As is, the white dress seems a little bit flat and would like to see a little more pop to it. If using photoshop, you may also consider dodging the brides hair to give it some more pop. I would also spend some time removing some of the wrinkles but that is really getting to the nitty gritty.

edit: Oh yeah, I like the sharper one to the right better :)

Message edited by author 2006-11-16 00:08:20.

dwterry

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

11/16/2006 12:11:21 AM · #7

Originally posted by Twyla:

Left is: 180 dpi, processed with desaturation & burn
Right is: 72 dpi, processed with desaturation, burn, & focus magic
Both images are 1800x2800 pixels

Assuming your last statement to be correct, I just wanted to point out that DPI doesn't matter. It's like saying you want to drive 30 miles an hour for 2 hours or 60 miles an hour for one hour. Either way you still drive 60 miles and end up at the exact same spot. So if both images are 1800x2800 then the two different DPI you mentioned is merely two different ways of measuring the same set of pixels.

Having said that, I prefer the sharper one on the right.

Message edited by author 2006-11-16 00:11:50.

jemison

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

11/16/2006 12:17:29 AM · #8

I prefer the image on the right, and they will both print just fine at up to 9"x14" or even larger.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

11/16/2006 06:58:36 AM · #9

Originally posted by dwterry:

I come from a scrapbooking forum that has it drilled into everyone that 'DPI IS EVERYTHING' and the resolution means nothing. It gets very confusing who to believe for which project.

Message edited by author 2006-11-16 06:59:17.

DanSig

11/16/2006 07:10:05 AM · #10

the calculation is very easy.. just divide the pixel sise of the image by the size you want to print.

2880/7 will give you 411 DPI
1880/5 will give you 376 DPI

you have a 5Mpixel image, and you should set the printing resolution to at least 300DPI

in Photoshop you can go to Image/image size and there you can set print size, just remember to uncheck "resample image" then you can set the size in inches end you will see the actual DPI.

dwterry

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

11/16/2006 06:56:39 PM · #11

Originally posted by Twyla:

I come from a scrapbooking forum that has it drilled into everyone that 'DPI IS EVERYTHING' and the resolution means nothing. It gets very confusing who to believe for which project.

Hmmm... I can see the frustration. Not knowing what exactly they are saying here's another thought which I hope doesn't make it any more confusing:

All that DPI should be doing is defining a "scale" at which to render the image (DPI means "dots per inch" which is a scaling factor).

So let's test our understanding on it. Let's say you have a square image that is 300x300 pixels, and you want to print it at 300 dpi (dots-per-inch), then what size will the printed image be? Answer: 1 inch by 1 inch (i.e. 300x300 divided by 300 dpi = 1x1)

Now, if you were to render that same image at 72 dpi, then it would come out to be approximately 4.2x4.2" in size. So changing the DPI changes the output size.

Think of it this way, using a formula: Resolution / DPI = Print Size

In a formula like this, if you know two of values, then you can figure out the third. Right?

Now you said your image resolution was 1800x2800 with an output size of 4x6 to 5x7. You've now given two "FIXED PARTS" to the equation. The resolution and the print size. That means that the DPI that you mentioned isn't relevant, but it can be calculated to be approximately 450 for a 4x6" print and about 360 for a 5x7" print.

If you instead gave the resolution of 1800x2800 and said that the DPI had to be set to 180, and you wanted to know what the output size would be, then we could calculate it out to be 10x15.5". Or if you fix the DPI at 72, then the output size becomes 25x39" (that's huge, and also extremely pixelated).

So if you care about DPI at all... it should be that you want photographs to be printed at about 300dpi for best quality. And maybe as low as about 200dpi for acceptable quality.

Does that help it make more sense or have I confused things more?

Message edited by author 2006-11-16 18:59:16.

General

Kodak Z7590

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

11/17/2006 03:56:11 PM · #12

Doesn't DPI means dots per inch, which is related with how many dots per inch a Inkjet printer prints. More dpi the sharper the image, When you write say 600 dpi, it means, printer prints 600 dots per inch.While PPI, i.e. Pixel Per Inch determines size of a print.

DPI have no place in minilab printing where as i guess DPS i have place in Inkjet printing.

Message edited by author 2006-11-17 15:57:08.

dwterry

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

11/17/2006 05:19:47 PM · #13

I use DPI and PPI to mean the same thing. However a quote from luminous-landscape.com may help clarify:

PPI (Pixels per Inch) and DPI (Dots per Inch) are frequently used interchangeably in this industry, by pros and amateurs alike. While wrong, this isn't a huge problem since we usually know what we're talking about. To be absolutely correct it's worth noting that scanners, digital cameras and screens are all measured in PPI while printers are measured in DPI. Just so you know the difference.

The rest of the article may prove beneficial in understanding the relationship to DPI (or more accurately, PPI) to output size:

Understanding Resolution Tutorial