Resizing for large print. What's your workflow?

T

tfboy

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I've searched, but there doesn't seem to be a clear preference of "best practices" approach.

Say I have a slightly cropped photo off my camera at 2600x3900 px.

I now want to have that printed on a large 39" x 26" canvas. That means my resulting file would be 100dpi.

However, the printers are printing at 300dpi.

So:

  • Do I rely on them to resize and just give them the 2600x3900 px photo?
  • Do I resize the photo beforehand, making it 7800x11700 px so it's still 300dpi?
  • If the latter, what / how would you do it to ensure the best possible output (I'm using LR and PS).

I guess the answer lies in "what's likely to give the better final result. The interpolation of the printer at print time, or interpolating in software up front".

Thoughts?

Thanks :)
 
I use photoshop to 'upscale' mine. Maybe not as good as Genuine Fractals but never had a complaint.

I always resize for print.
 
Leave it as it is and let the printers rip do all the work. If its only a 100 dpi it will be fine as the image is full size.
 
Danny_Two said:
Leave it as it is and let the printers rip do all the work. If its only a 100 dpi it will be fine as the image is full size.
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:plusone:

D
 
tiler65 said:
I use photoshop to 'upscale' mine. Maybe not as good as Genuine Fractals but never had a complaint.

I always resize for print.
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While this used to be the case I'm not convinced theres really any " real world" difference now.
Wayne
 
Hmm, score currently is 2 - 2 :D

Sounds like it's not a big issue.

I'll ask EG what he does. Someone as anally meticulous as him must be getting it right LOL
 
tfboy said:
Hmm, score currently is 2 - 2 :D

Sounds like it's not a big issue.

I'll ask EG what he does. Someone as anally meticulous as him must be getting it right LOL
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But if you resize for print, you know there won't be any or at least very little, cropping by the printer. WYSIWYG.
 
tiler65 said:
But if you resize for print, you know there won't be any or at least very little, cropping by the printer. WYSIWYG.
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True, but if I don't resize for print, I'd make sure my aspect ratio matches perfectly that of the final print output :)
 
Well, resizing in that the aspect ratio is correct, not resizing as in interpolating to get a higher res :)
 
My workflow is the tried and trusted P.S.120% method:

1) Do all the editing as per for a final print at the NATIVE res
2) upres to 120% of the finished size via Bicubic Smother
3) Edge sharpen if require
4) Down size to the the finished size via Bicubic sharper.

I use this method for uprezing up to 200% and it works for me.
 
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Roy C said:
My workflow is the tried and trusted P.S.120% method:

1) Do all the editing as per for a final print at the NATIVE res
2) upres to 120% of the finished size via Bicubic Smother
3) Edge sharpen if require
4) Down size to the the finished size via Bicubic sharper.

I use this method for uprezing up to 200% and it works for me.
Click to expand...

I have always used Genuine Fractals tbh Roy, but i`m now intrigued. Where does one find this devillish Bicubic smother and sharper...........:shrug:

Ignore me, I have found it and shall have a play with it.
 
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simonkit said:
I use the 10% method that I saw in an "official" photoshop tutorial...
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"...we will be increasing the size of the image at small increments at a time..." (from depiction.net).
Click to expand...

I tried this technique for upsizing and found that my images had degraded very slightly.

This tallies with an article I read in Professional Photographer Magazine, March 2004 by a bloke called Steve Hynes. He looked at the process from a mathematical viewpoint and discovered it was inevitable that incremental upsizing will damage an image.
 
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