Large Prints - DPChallenge Forums

04/25/2007 03:48:43 PM · #1

The largest print I have made thus far was 16x24. I used a free Photoshop
plug called DOP Upsizing from Digital Outback. I have also used CS2's native resizer and then applied smart sharpen.

I had reasonable good results, but I have seen better.

Can anyone share their process for preparing a photo for large print (30x40 for example)?

Do you use upsizing software or PS?
What settings/passes do you use when appling USM or smart sharpen (I find that I am not nearly as good at sharpening once the image has gone large).

Will DxO's Optix Pro standard version ($150) best do the trick?

DrAchoo

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

04/25/2007 03:59:51 PM · #2

Do some searching through the hardware/software forum. There was just a thread on this. It looks like if you are using CS2 that upscaling in one simple shot (using Bicubic Smoother) is just as good as anything else. Plus it's free. :)

Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO M.Zuiko

04/25/2007 04:05:53 PM · #3

My own experiments with CS2's "Bicubic Smoother" vs. Fred Miranda's SI Pro for upscaling to 16 X 24 sized prints showed indistiguishable differences when looking at 3-400% magnification AFTER upscaling.

And "Bicubic Smoother" is much, much faster.

Brad

Olympus OM-D E-M1

04/25/2007 04:08:03 PM · #4

Odd as this may sound, using CS2 to upsize 2 increments up in Bicubic Smoother, then downsize one increment in Bicubic Sharper, repeating as necesary until getting to the desired size seems to work well. (Increments being 10% or less)

I've also used the crop tool set to 4500x3000 at 300DPI with good results for DPCPrints up to 24x36"

04/25/2007 04:13:17 PM · #5

Doc - yea I saw your recent post and thought that the outcome was bicubic smoother (no multi-pass required)

Steve - I saw your (and Bear's) comments on the above mentioned post - thanks for exploring.

Brad - interesting... I'll try that. You images always look so damn cripsy to me!

What about sharpening settings for that size? I have found that my sharpening comfort zone is gone once I have uprezed.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

04/25/2007 04:24:30 PM · #6

Originally posted by Brad:

This is a most interesting sounding iterative processes. You have an action for that you'd be willing to share? I'd like to try it but not enough to create the action. ;)

Neil

Fujifilm X-T30

04/25/2007 04:45:39 PM · #7

Originally posted by stdavidson:

Originally posted by Brad:
Odd as this may sound, using CS2 to upsize 2 increments up in Bicubic Smoother, then downsize one increment in Bicubic Sharper, repeating as necesary until getting to the desired size seems to work well. (Increments being 10% or less)

I've also used the crop tool set to 4500x3000 at 300DPI with good results for DPCPrints up to 24x36"

This is a most interesting sounding iterative processes. You have an action for that you'd be willing to share? I'd like to try it but not enough to create the action. ;)

Other than the downsizing, the incremental upsizing is exactly what SI Pro does, right? It would be interesting therefore to compare the output of those two processes.

04/25/2007 04:49:29 PM · #8

Other than the downsizing, the incremental upsizing is exactly what SI Pro does, right? It would be interesting therefore to compare the output of those two processes.

In another post Jay (

chimericvisions) said:
CS2, from the information I've been given, automatically does the 10% stairstep process internally when adjusting image sizes. So, while that may have been best practice with earlier versions, it's no longer necessary from CS2 forward.

... and still fishing for sharpening techniques specific to enlarging...

Message edited by author 2007-04-25 16:50:25.

Tamron 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD

04/25/2007 05:07:46 PM · #9

Originally posted by nshapiro:

Other than the downsizing, the incremental upsizing is exactly what SI Pro does, right? It would be interesting therefore to compare the output of those two processes.

Conceptually it might be a lot better. I already know that "Bicubic Smoother" does as good a job as SI Pro in just one upward iteration. Brad's process using multiple up and down iterations with better bicubic algorythms sounds very intriquing.

MadMan2k

Sony Alpha a6400

04/25/2007 05:29:41 PM · #10

If the information isn't there, it won't be magically created by upsampling it to a higher DPI for your print size...

I really doubt you can do any better than resizing once, to one of your printer's native DPI settings (for instance 260 dpi), and just printing it. Big prints aren't meant to be pixel-peeped (dot-peeped?), and if that's your goal, you aren't going to get there with a 35mm format DSLR. Can't beat large format film for ultimate resolution... The enlargement factor to make a 36x24" print from a full frame 35mm camera is about 25, and from 4x5 sheet film that would give you a 125x100" print. And 8x10 or even bigger...?

Using the best lens possible will make a big difference in your prints. Any sharpening you do throws away pixels, so the less you have to do, the better.

Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM

04/25/2007 05:34:36 PM · #11

Originally posted by santaspores:

... and still fishing for sharpening techniques specific to enlarging...

Oh... so you actually want answers to your original questions. LOL!!!

A sharpening suggestion would be to save that step to last after upscaling the image. Generally speaking the "Radius:" of sharpening is the value that gets changed most depending on how much upscaling is done. Typical of a web graphic it is about .3, an 8X10 print is about 1.2, 12X18 is around 1.8 and a little over 2.5 or so for 16X24 but that varies and depends on the image. But it will get bigger.

It is recommended that you judge your sharpness looking at 50% of the full size for prints.

Bud

Canon EOS-550D Rebel T2i

04/25/2007 06:00:08 PM · #12

Hey, can I upsize in PS Elements 5.0? Just curious. If not, is Fred Mirandas upsizer the best plug-in or something else?

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

04/25/2007 06:03:52 PM · #13

Originally posted by aguapreta:

Hey, can I upsize in PS Elements 5.0? Just curious. If not, is Fred Mirandas upsizer the best plug-in or something else?

AFAIK, PSE 5.0 uses the same algorithms as Photoshop CS -- go ahead.

Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO M.Zuiko

04/25/2007 06:06:03 PM · #14

Generally speaking the "Radius:" of sharpening is the value that gets changed most depending on how much upscaling is done. Typical of a web graphic it is about .3, an 8X10 print is about 1.2, 12X18 is around 1.8 and a little over 2.5 or so for 16X24 but that varies and depends on the image. But it will get bigger.

Oh thanks Steve, I needed a push in the right direction! Sharpening is still a soft point for me - I have never taken the time to truly understand the tools.

Brad

Olympus OM-D E-M1

04/25/2007 06:29:40 PM · #15

Originally posted by santaspores:

What about sharpening settings for that size? I have found that my sharpening comfort zone is gone once I have upsized.

With a clean image to begin with, I may run a light USM on the full-size image before or after the upsize, but generally the 1/2 step down at Bicubic Sharper is enough. Once at final print size, zoom in to 200-300% and scan over all the edges of details, such as sharp lines in architecture, ropes, lines, tree branches, etc. where there is a big difference in contrast & light, and look for the nasty white halos. Easiest way to remove them is to use the clone tool, soft-edged brush, set in darker mode at 75-100%, sample the area right beside the halo and clone over the white parts of the halo. The darker mode will only deposit pixels from the darker sampled area onto areas that are lighter such as the white halo. yet won't deposit any pixels over something that is darker than the sampled point.

diablo2097

Apple iPhone 5s

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II

04/26/2007 02:32:53 AM · #16

Anyone here use genuine fractals?

//www.ononesoftware.com/detail.php?prodLine_id=2

reccomended by alamy i believe...

Bud

Canon EOS-550D Rebel T2i

Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM

04/26/2007 02:50:11 AM · #17

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Originally posted by aguapreta:
Hey, can I upsize in PS Elements 5.0? Just curious. If not, is Fred Mirandas upsizer the best plug-in or something else?

AFAIK, PSE 5.0 uses the same algorithms as Photoshop CS -- go ahead.

I spent several minutes looking for the "AFAIK" tool in my PS Elements. Then, in a flash of insight I realized the true meaning. Thanks GeneralE:)

DrAchoo

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5