how to print highest quality

[NM PDI]

Hello everybody.

I have make a nice picture i would like to print. I have set my settings the way i see it recommended here the most. (Sheet size the same of paper size, 300 ppi).

But the image is very high defenition on my pc, but when printed, it turns to blurry.

Now my main document is 36 by 24 inch but when i print on a smaller scale i make a copy and adjust those to the same size as the paper i print on.

But my a3 is blurry on the same places as my a4.

Does anyone have an idea? 

P.S. only strange thing i see here is when printing it says : "documentprofile: GIMP built-in sRGB". Wich i have no idea what it means or if it could be a cause.

THanks already!

-NM

[Per Berntsen]

What are the pixel dimensions of the image?

To print A4 at 300 ppi, you need 3508 x 2480 pixels.

PPI stands fpr Pixels Per Inch – the number of pixels used to print one inch on paper.

21 x 29.7 cm equals 11.693 x 8.267 inches. Multiply these numbers with 300, and you get 3508 x 2480.

To print A3 at 300 ppi, you'll need 4961 x 3508 pixels.

[NM PDI]

Those are exactly the amount of pixels i have indeed, 3508 x 2480 and 4961 x 3508.

Any other idea's where the problem may lay?

[Per Berntsen]

Is this the original image (or part of it) as it came from the camera? 

Or have you resized it with Resample checked in the Image size dialog?

If you enlarged the image because you didn't have enough pixels to begin with, image quality will suffer, because Photoshop has to invent the missing pixels.

[NM PDI]

Its actually a collage of multiple pictures (3) downsized to fit on one page. All 3 of those pictures are rendered within a film-program in 4K resolution, and got downsized to fit in here.

But the pictures are sharp and looking good on my PC, But on paper they look terrible.

Am i wanting something impossible? Or am i making a mistake in the steps from the program to the printer?

[NM PDI]

Maybe there is a problem with the picture's itself? I use the function "Place Embedded" to insert the pictures in.

My apologies if i sound foolish, but this is only my second day of owning Photoshop.

[Per Berntsen]

I have never used Place embedded, so I can't really comment on that. I just drag images into the the master file, which creates a new layer for each image.

Would you mind posting one of the images here so we could examine it?

Do not attach the image, use the Insert Photos button in the toolbar to embed in your post.

(if it's a tiff or PSD, you'll probably have to attach it)

[NM PDI]

Hi, i hope it works...

It told me that the psd, tiff and PDF where too large and my pgn also was to large to fit in the "insert photo" box.

I also had to scrap a bit off the written information because of the privacy policy.

But i still hope this could be usefull.

[NB, colourmanagement]

@NM PDI That looks like line work, essentially/ Sharp lines can get really messed up in resampling. If, its an Epson, then, in Photoshop, maybe try set the document size to *360, 240 or 180 PPI (with resampling OFF) and print same size, if you send 300ppi to most Epsons it gets resampled and that can break the detail in sharp straight lines. 

If resampling is OFF then changing the PPI just tells programs how to use the pixels, it does not alter image content. That means you can use 360PPI to get a smaller print and 180PPI to get a larger print. 

(* those values are based on actual head resolution in most Epson machines, using a factor of a native printer resolution helps detail)

Be sure to view at 100% on-screen to assess image appearance. 

I hope this helps
neil barstow, colourmanagement net - adobe forum volunteer - co-author: 'getting colour right'
google me "neil barstow colourmanagement" for lots of free articles on colour management
Help others by clicking "Correct Answer" if the question is answered.
Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts.

[NM PDI]

Hi! I have learned a lot these past few days. So ill catch you up with what i have learned.

I have an document of 297x210 mm so 3508x2480 px at 300 ppi.

My document is 16 bits and a CMYK doc.

Sadly, i dont have an Epson but an Utax.

So thats how far i have come, and my resolution is OK now, but still not very crisp. Im now fighting with the printer settings and especially the printer profile.

It is now set on sRGB wich i read is generally acceptable, but my printer provides a lot more options so i dont know if that might be a problem.

Maybe you see something off in the pictures down below, wich flies over my head.

My apologies for it not being in english, but i could not find a way to quickly switch online.

Thanks already!

-Nick

[NB, colourmanagement]

@NM PDI  Utax, viewing their website, it looks like that’s a laser (toner) type printer.

Try choose the printer ICC profile name that most closely matches the ink/paper you're using. You'd be looking for profiles with the name Utax in there.

As to sharpness, try find out what actual resolution the printer works at. Ask Utax? https://www.utax.com/en-de/partners-service/contact

Whilst you have them also ask about ICC profiles, laser printers may have been optimised to take data with an sRGB colourspace, or, in some cases, a press ICC profile.

The manufacturer can advise, surely? 

Epsons claim 1440dpi so, if we divide by 2, that means it prefers 720ppi, or 360ppi when divided by 4 - or by 6 = 240 which works also as does 180. 1440 decided by 300 is not a whole number, so sharpness is lost 

Do the same calculation based on the ACTUAL resolution of your printer. Some new Epsons are 2400, so 1200, 600, 300, 150 all work. Utax I don't know. 

I hope this helps
neil barstow, colourmanagement net - adobe forum volunteer - co-author: 'getting colour right'
google me "neil barstow colourmanagement" for lots of free articles on colour management
Help others by clicking "Correct Answer" if the question is answered.
Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts.

[NM PDI]

I am trying to contact them, yet the phone number on their site has a lovely lady, but she only knows about export. She gave me a mail for the questions but those guys tell me to go contact a reseller in Norway because i am not in germany. 

So its an ongoing process, ill reply when i have the information.

-Nick

[NM PDI]

Hi, the reseller also is not very helpfull, but this is the information i gathered.

I have honestly no idea what this all means, but i hope you do!

Thanks.

[NB, colourmanagement]

@NM PDI well theres one clue I could see, it's the resolution of 1200.

In this case then a 300ppi should print sharp as there will be no part pixel interpolation..

Because 1200/4 = 300

Nothing I can see about colourspace or ICC profiles.

The printer MAY prefer to receive CMYK data, of course they have to be converted to the right CMYK colourspace to get good results. You could do some tests starting by printing an sRGB image and saving the point for s comparison. next, convert that to CMYK and save a copy.

As it's a European market product you may get a good result using ISO-coated V2 FOGRA 39L ICC profile .

Photoshop installs the CoatedFOGRA39.icc profile 

it's quite similar to: 

 "ISOcoated_v2_eci.icc" (available from eci.org)

both profiles made from FOGRA 39L press data 

maybe try testing with this test image, it comes in Adobe RGB (you'd want to convert it to sRGB) or CMYK

please go  here and download the testimages:

I hope this helps
neil barstow, colourmanagement net - adobe forum volunteer - co-author: 'getting colour right'
google me "neil barstow colourmanagement" for lots of free articles on colour management
Help others by clicking "Correct Answer" if the question is answered.
Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts.