NX Studio 1.2.1 ? What is the best settings for export to print?

[Mark Garfinkel]

What setting is the best for export or is the a diminishing return when using the maximum setting?
Max Resolution is 3000
Image Size Long Edge maximum is , 3000 and
Short Edge is 1999.
Produces a JPG file that is approx. 101mb
Original RAW file 42.2 mb.

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[bleirer]

I'm not familiar with your software but it looks like you are upsampling like crazy. This will not give a good result to go from 5392 to 20000. The software has to invent all those extra pixels. So I would unclick the change image size checkbox. You can get an 18x12 inch print from your original size and still have 300 pixels per inch, not that you must have 300 ppi, it depends on the viewing distance. Even at a respectable 200 ppi you still have enough using the original dimensions for a nice 27x18 print. If sending out to print, printers have their own methods for maximizing their output, we don't have to resize it for them.

There is no need to change the resolution from the original but it doesn't really do anything as far as printing as long as you keep the original pixel dimensions.

 

[Palouse]

A resolution of 300 should be enough. I'd go with the native dimensions of the sensor output of you camera.

 

[aolander]

So how large of a print are you trying to make? Looks like the original image is 5392 x 3592. The usual dpi to use is 300. At 300 dpi a 6000 x 4000 pixel image would give you a 20 x 13.3 inch print. If you need a larger print, you would need to up-rez the image to larger pixel dimensions but still use 300 dpi to print at. You can use a lower dpi like 200 to get a larger print from the existing pixels which will still look good.

 

[bleirer]

Here is a nice print resolution calculator that takes into account the viewing distance. The usual rule of thumb is to assume the viewer is at least the diagonal of the print away, or the 40 degree field of view is also reasonable since that is assumed to be the angle at which the eye can take in the whole image, so we would get closer to a small print but back away from a large one to "take it all in."

Print Resolution Calculator • Points in Focus Photography

Calculate the minimum resolution required for a print at a given print size and viewing distance.

www.pointsinfocus.com

 

[aolander]

To put it simply, change resolution to 300 and uncheck "Change Image Size". You'll get about an 18 x 12 print with that.

 

[bleirer]

To put it simply, change resolution to 300 and uncheck "Change Image Size". You'll get about an 18 x 12 print with that.

Though once the image size is left at original the resolution has no bearing on the print. It could be any number since there is no resampling anyway.

 

[Calson]

For a print a 240dpi is all that is needed. Any additional bits are removed by the printer's driver to match the capabilities of the printer. Planning on printing 11x14 size print I would resize the file to 2640 x 3360 and then save as a JPG. Easy to verify this by printing out 8x10's with a resolution of 180dpi, 240dpi, 300dpi, and then comparing the prints. The normal viewing distance is also a factor as I have printed posters for trade shows at 140dpi that looked great at a distance of 15 feet. Billboards use prints made at 100dpi or less.

Important to start with a 12-bit source file and then resize for the print to be made and then save as a JPG file one time. If creating output files for 8x10 and 16x20 prints it is best to start with the source file and do two separate processing with resizing and sharpening and have two output JPG files. There is not supposed to be a problem with opening and then resaving a JPG file but I have noticed a considerable amount of "noise" introduced when I have done this with Photoshop.

 

[bleirer]

These are the guidelines from Bay Photo but I think they are good advice in general. One point they make is there is no need to resize for different print sizes as long as the file has at least enough resolution. Too much resolution their software can handle.

Bay Photo Support Center

support.bayphoto.com