Poster printing help

[adakshi]

Hello,

I need some urgent help here. One of my coworkers wishes to print one of my picture at 24"x36". My pic resolution is 4240x2794. If I am correct, 100DPI would require 3600x2400 pixels, right? What is the best DPI setting that I should look for? 150/200? Printer prints at 250DPI, checked with mpix. If I set DPI at 150, then my pic should be of 3600x5400 size?

Should I enlarge in PS? What is the best method to enlarge? Should I mention DPI while enlarging in PS? I have 0 experience in poster printing, please help.

Also, what kind of paper is good for such a print? Glossy, Metallic?

Thanks
Ayan

[David Kilpatrick]

Do nothing. If the pic has not been sharpened, apply 100% radius 1.0 and threshold zero - if it is noisy, reduce that to 50% radius 0.8. Send the full size pic to be printed, do not interpolate up, do not reset the dpi.

Only if the pic is very poor and simple in detail should you use something like Genuine Fractals (aka paint-by-numbers) to scale up for this size - it makes nice sharp edges, but only by simplifying detail.

Your original image should print well to this size. 100dpi is more than enough for 24 x36 and similar oversize prints.

David

[adakshi]

Do nothing. If the pic has not been sharpened, apply 100% radius 1.0 and threshold zero - if it is noisy, reduce that to 50% radius 0.8. Send the full size pic to be printed, do not interpolate up, do not reset the dpi.

Only if the pic is very poor and simple in detail should you use something like Genuine Fractals (aka paint-by-numbers) to scale up for this size - it makes nice sharp edges, but only by simplifying detail.

Your original image should print well to this size. 100dpi is more than enough for 24 x36 and similar oversize prints.

David

Thanks David,

I have the original RAW version, so I'll reprocess in DXO with USM 100(default), radius 1.0 and threshold 0 and re-create jpeg. Or do you suggest re-create with 0 sharpening applied and then apply USM in PS?

Picture is not noisy. it is this one


Thanks
Ayan

[pakodominguez]

printing size @ 150 DPI will be good enough for poster sizes.
Be aware that Metallic paper can blow up the high lights, but if you take care of that, your photograph will look wonderful on Metallic paper. In other hand, I think your image is a little Green/Cyan...

Regards

[David Kilpatrick]

The picture looks great to me. It will print well on any material even matt, but gloss or metallic/pearl gloss will look incredible.

I suggest keeping a totally non-sharpened master file, and using Photoshop to do the sharpening, not DxO.

David

[adakshi]

Thanks David.

I'll first do a test print at 12x18 size from the same lab .. that'll give me a fair idea how it would look on glossy paper.

Ayan

[adakshi]

The picture looks great to me. It will print well on any material even matt, but gloss or metallic/pearl gloss will look incredible.

I suggest keeping a totally non-sharpened master file, and using Photoshop to do the sharpening, not DxO.

David

Thanks a lot David for your suggestion. I just received 24x36 print and it looks awesome. Color wise it is a bit warmer than my screen, I think screen LEDs are bit bluish.

My next target is to print 30x45. I guess I need to upscale for that size, am I correct? Any tips for up-scaling and sharpening would be helpful.

Thanks
Ayan

[David Kilpatrick]

You can just use Bicubic Interpolation, Smoother, if you want to. There is actually no need to upscale unless you can already detect a hint of visible pixels on the 24 x 36. The 30 inch size is not a massive increase, if it looks good at 24 x 36 it will probably look goo at 30 x 45. But you could upscale it just in case the lab's output system introduces pixellation.

People underestimate how large a good modern DSLR image of 10 or 12 megapixels can be taken for normal viewing.

David

[adakshi]

You can just use Bicubic Interpolation, Smoother, if you want to. There is actually no need to upscale unless you can already detect a hint of visible pixels on the 24 x 36. The 30 inch size is not a massive increase, if it looks good at 24 x 36 it will probably look goo at 30 x 45. But you could upscale it just in case the lab's output system introduces pixellation.

People underestimate how large a good modern DSLR image of 10 or 12 megapixels can be taken for normal viewing.

David

Thanks David. The pic in 24x36 looks incredible. No hint of pixellation. I'll probably upscale to minimum resolution requirement.

Really I didn't know I can print this big.