How to make quarter size test prints?
I'd like to develop my processing by doing test prints at ¼ size and two approaches suggest themselves:
Make print templates called top-left; top-right; bottom left... which have very broad margins to push the image to one corner or another and use them for each successive print. This doesn't work as currently there's something wrong with margin setting in CO10
Make three white pictures; drag them around the image I'm printing so it appears in the correct quarter of a page. This is a fuiter!
Is there a less awkward method, chaps?
d.
Make print templates called top-left; top-right; bottom left... which have very broad margins to push the image to one corner or another and use them for each successive print. This doesn't work as currently there's something wrong with margin setting in CO10
Make three white pictures; drag them around the image I'm printing so it appears in the correct quarter of a page. This is a fuiter!
Is there a less awkward method, chaps?
d.
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I love your second work around David! 0 -
David,
Just to clarify - do you mean print at 1/4 size or print 1/4 of the image at full size?
I assume the latter is more likely in the context of test printing.
In which case why not define a crop that suits your requirements and move that around the image or, if you want to print all 4 quarters as the same time, clone some variants, apply the crop to a different corner of each of them and print all for as a batch run?
The success of some of these ideas may depend on the way the printer driver works and any constraints it applies related to media type selection. Certain paper types, for example, may have built in limits for margins or disallow edge to edge printing.
HTH.
Grant0 -
Thanks Grant
I'm still a beginner at printing and so am doing prints at quarter size first. You're quite right that when nearer to the goal a print of a crop makes more sense to evaluate important tonality and sharpness; so your plan works well for several variants with tunes played on sharpening.
I'm using an Epson 3880 so it's pretty versatile.
I am beginning to get to grips with the margins and layout sliders and the way they interact which seems more than a little peculiar, so currently pursuing the TL, TR option again.
Nobody talks about this problem - is everybody so brilliant at fixing images on screen?
Ah well, learning fast. Amazing what a deadline can do for you.
cheers
d.0 -
Hi David,
I've never used an Epson printer but my Canon device has always had some interesting interaction with editing programs when trying to print directly so I assume others are likely to be the same with some driver versions being better presented than others.
With one application I could only get the printing to work anything like correctly immediately after printer driver installation or, subsequently, entirely by chance. UNLESS I made sure the selected pixel dimension exactly matched the print area and resolution (ppi) for the output. That would work most of the time although it would still tend to get confused about paper orientation.
Anything to do with stretching or compressing the print to fit an area of the paper (for instance by adjusting margins) would mess things up.
The C1 interface with the printer driver does not seem to have those problems with passing the parameters to the device.
My work around was to export the files at the size required as ready for printing jpegs. That then provided an 8-bit file in the correct dimensions that I could print using the Printer's Utility any time I wanted to print it. Also a print ready file should someone ask for it. File delivered via email (or whatever) and they could view, print or send to a print service with no further messing around.
The other thing to watch out for is printer driver compatibility with operating system versions.
Historically this has been an area of some "interesting" anomalies over the years.
HTH.
Grant0 -
Hi David,
There is no problem setting up and printing 1/4 page or 1/9 page images with user templates for top-left, top-right, etc. A tip for getting the margins right: don't try to move the 1/4 size image! Set the cell size to the max, then type in the margins. The sliders are sometimes tricky.
Regards,
Hans0 -
Thanks Hans
You are a master of understatement when you say "sometimes trick"! However your solution works a treat and my early draft printing costs are now reduced by 75%.
Many thanks again!
d.0 -
David Edge wrote:
...
You are a master of understatement when you say "sometimes trick"!
...
I don't understand the system behind cell resizing, cell moving and margin changing when moving the sliders.
But sometimes the sliders do what I expect. Usually this happens unexpectedly.
😂
Regards,
Hans0 -
Hi
QImage is the answer. Trust me.
Peter0 -
Peter wrote:
Hi
QImage is the answer. Trust me.
Peter
QImage can print using C1 edits directly from the RAW file?0 -
Hi Grant
Well, my interjection seems to have gone down like a lead balloon. But perhaps one or two readers will give QImage a try. I have used it for many years because, for me, it is the best print software.
It will handle RAW files, albeit slowly, but it is more suited to tifs and jpegs. It will not, of course, recognise C1 settings. But it does enable customised templates in which it is easy to add and remove images.
Peter0 -
Ah, well, in my case, Hans gave me enough info to solve my immediate problem without diverting my creative efforts into learning a new piece of software. So your advice on Qimage is noted for the future when I need something fancier. Am I right in thinking it's a less expensive version of ImagePrint?
The word "Qimage" has moderately amusing connotations in British English!
:D
d.0
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