Low Resolution? Help please.

[Maccas]

Hi all,im a bit confused.I was going to send some pics away to be printed by DSCL but it came up that the resolution was too low.I save my pics at 72 resolutin for the web and they are saying they need to be at least 300.I spoke to a friend yesterday who said i need to re-edit the original raw image and save as 300.Ok i can understand this but i thought i would try and just re-size the 72 image in photoshop to 300 resolution and size 8x6 and print. I have a Canon mp550 and the print came out fine to what i can see anyway.What i would like to know is will the print be that much better re-edited and sent to DSCL? I will probably send some away just to satisfy my own curiousty.Sorry it all abit long winded but would like to know where im going wrong,any advice much appreciated.

Thankyou Ian

 

[petehb]

Don't want to hijack the thread but as a complete novice in the world of digital imaging and absolute numpty in the IT world.

I want to print out using an online 3rd party such as DSCL at 20 * 16 inches an image from my D90 which was taken at the max file size available in RAW. I have elements 8 but am at a total loss as to how to get the image at the resolution required, can anyone point me to an absolute idiots guide or a thread that covers this. Thanks if you can help.

 

[diggerz]

Don't want to hijack the thread but as a complete novice in the world of digital imaging and absolute numpty in the IT world.

I want to print out using an online 3rd party such as DSCL at 20 * 16 inches an image from my D90 which was taken at the max file size available in RAW. I have elements 8 but am at a total loss as to how to get the image at the resolution required, can anyone point me to an absolute idiots guide or a thread that covers this. Thanks if you can help.

Just to use your camera as an example D90 = 4288 x 2848 pixels divided by 300 = 14.29" x 9.49". This 300 dpi is only an advised approximate ratio and over a certain print size this drops to 200dpi (can't remember the size but it will tell you on the DSCL website) If your pixel sizes fall well short of the print size you require by simply resizing in photoshop or whatever software you are using.

 

[Maccas]

Thanks digger,so you are saying i can just resize my original edit in photoshop and the print will be ok?

 

[scottthehat]

Don't want to hijack the thread but as a complete novice in the world of digital imaging and absolute numpty in the IT world.

I want to print out using an online 3rd party such as DSCL at 20 * 16 inches an image from my D90 which was taken at the max file size available in RAW. I have elements 8 but am at a total loss as to how to get the image at the resolution required, can anyone point me to an absolute idiots guide or a thread that covers this. Thanks if you can help.

use the crop tool and in the top left its ask sizes type which hight you need (depending on portrai or landscape) 16 or 20inch and enter 300dpi in the other box

 

[diggerz]

Thanks digger,so you are saying i can just resize my original edit in photoshop and the print will be ok?

Yes, within reason, if you were to try too increase it by say 4 or 5 times you'ld probably need to use something like genuine fractals or similar, but remember 300 dpi is a recommended size not a set in stone rule and printers will be making you aware of this so that they not being held responsible for lower print quality as a result.

 

[simonkit]

Hi Ian,

Re-edit the original image to get the best quality possible, don't upsize the lowres version.

In Photoshop go to the "Image" menu at the top and then select the "image size" sub menu.

When you open this change the resolution in setting in "document size" to 300, making sure you have the "resample image" box unticked. This will then show you your native image size as produced by the camera - depending on the print size this may well be large enough, you just need to apply some sharpening then so its ready for print.

If you want a larger print (30x20inch for eg.) than native tick the "resample image" box and keeping resolution @ 300 change the document size setting to suit - select the best interpolation (bicubic smoother for enlargement). Once resized apply some sharpening.

Hope this helps

Simon