#300 dpi Output – How?
21 messages in this thread
I need to render an image so that the resolution will be 300 dpi. I am
rendering a TIFF file. WHat do I need to do to set that up?
Judy
Judy:
You need to provide one more piece of the puzzle to determine what pixel
dimensions to render for a 300dpi image. For instance if the dimensions you
were after were 4"x5" you would render to (4×300) x (5×300) or 1200×1500. To
set the dpi of an image to exactly 300dpi you will need to bring the image into
a paint program and change it there. When you bring in a 3ds image into a
paint program you may get a default of 96dpi or 1dpi or something else equally
improbable. If you change it to 300dpi the image itself will remain unchanged
but when printed it will respect the new resolution. So, you can make any
image you wish 300dpi. Can I assume you are about to send an image out to
print?
Bob
A publisher bought one of my images for a book jacket. I have no idea what the
final size will be. I just have to submit it to them in CMYK at 300 dpi. What I
have done is brought the RGB TIF file into Photoshop and converted it to CMYK
and changed the resolution to 300 dpi.
From what you are telling me that should work just fine when I submit it to
them. APparently that is what is required by whoever does the conversion of the
TIF image for print.
Thanks for the info – that was very helpful.
Judy
Judy:
/_______________________From your message________________________\\
A publisher bought one of my images for a book jacket.
__________________________________________________________________
Way to go! Let us know the title so we can scope it out.
/_______________________From your message________________________\\
I have no idea what the final size will be. I just have to submit it to them
in CMYK at 300 dpi. What I have done is brought the RGB TIF file into Photoshop
and converted it to CMYK and changed the resolution to 300 dpi.
__________________________________________________________________
That should do it but the printer may end up resizing your image which will
play havoc with the dpi but they know that. The key is to give them enough
pixels to work with which usually means huge files. Are you sending them image
on a Syquest drive? Are the printers MAC based?
Bob
The book is going to be published by Addison Wesley – it is on programming
games. They used the Castle.Jpg image I uploaded sometime ago ( they saw
it on the GAME DEVELOPERS forum – GAMDEV) – I had to change quite a bit
of the lighting and sky since they found the original image too dark. I
believe it is due out in August.
I called and got the rough sizes of the jacket – 10"x8" – so I guess I
need to render an image of 3000×2400 and then "fix" it up in Photoshop.
Thanks to everyone who responded. It was a big help!
Judy
Judy:
Let me know when I should check the bookstore for your cover.
Bob
To determine the resolution that an image should be rendered at, use
the following formula:
(printed output width in inches * 300) by (printed output height in inches x
300)
Dennis Good
Imperatives, Inc.
10509 Vista Sorrento Parkway #106
San Diego, CA. 92121
619-552-9378 (p)
619-552-9377 (fax)
email goodbros@ix.netcom.com
Thanks for the info but I don't know what the finally size with be in print.
That is up to the publisher.
Judy
Judy,
>> I don't know what the finally size with be in print
You'd probably better at least get *some* kind of idea from him. For example,
you could give him an image rendered at 600×900, which would be 300 dpi at
2"x3", but if he blows it up to 6"x9", then he's only got 100 dpi.
John
>>Thanks for the info but I don't know what the finally size with be in print.
That is up to the publisher.
You said the magic words. Judy, when I get assignments like yours I beg off
trying to supply a file as anything you do won't be right. What I do is render
to a film recorder resolution like 4000×3000 and then dump it to a
transparency. 120 format is OK or even 4X5 if you have a service bureau that
can handle it. Then send them the transparency. This way they can scale it
all they want and not severly artifact the final output. As much as we all
like to deal in pure digital format the truth is most printers are more at ease
dealing with hardcopy anyway. This way you save all the agrivation of dealing
with the color separation process, line screen and angle settings etc. The
printer knows best how to handle it anyway.
Thanks for the info – I will be following your advice the next time. Alas I am
too far along this route to do other than trudge on to the end 🙁
Judy
Good luck! I don't envy anone that has to do it the way you are going about
it. Printing MAC heads can be so obtuse at times. I've found they are
happiest when they can do their own thing with the transparency.
Don:
/_______________________From your message________________________\\
Printing MAC heads can be so obtuse at times.
__________________________________________________________________
"OBtuse" or "OBnoxious" <G>
Bob
I really meant obtuse. ie Slow to catch on to the real world.
Don:
One of my last encounters with a MAC based printhouse included a phone
conversation with an obnoxious MAC-head. The guy demanded that my image be
re-rendered as he couldn't use an image which was 1 dpi. When I asked him why
he didn't just change it to what ever he wanted he just cursed PC's as being
worthless. So, not only was this guy's obstreperousness an indication of him
being obtuse but also an obnoxious example of his MAC obsession. <G>
Bob
I find there are two types of Mac users, and for that matter PC and
Amiga users too. Those that are dedicated to the artistic discipline
of their profession and those that are dedicated to their hardware.
Generally the latter are the ones that exhibit the obstreperous
actions we both disdane. Pulling resources for a final project
completion using the synergy of multiple platforms is just plain fun!
Don:
/_______________________From your message________________________\\
I find there are two types of Mac users, and for that matter PC and Amiga
users too.
Those that are dedicated to the artistic discipline of their profession and
those that are dedicated to their hardware.
__________________________________________________________________
I concur, this is quite a common yet unfortunate phenomenon.
/_______________________From your message________________________\\
Pulling resources for a final project completion using the synergy of multiple
platforms is just plain fun!
__________________________________________________________________
Gotta agree here too as I'm modelling like crazy on my VAX/Alpha
workstation and porting it all over to the PC to render in 3DS. Fun
it is!
>"OBtuse" or "OBnoxious" <G>
or both. 😉
Every day I do it!.
We have a Kodak Colorease Postcript Printer with a usable surface of 24×20 cm.
If we want to print a render of this dim. at 300 dpi, we make the following:
(24/2.54)x300 width and (20/2.54)x300 heigh (about 2834×2362 pixels)
Save it on TIF format, load it in Photoshop and print. Be patient if yor
Postscript printer doesn't have a SCSI interface.
By, Santi
Thanks Santi
Judy
Judy,
I was reading some suggestions you received on your 300 dpi requirements and
you mentioned that you do not know the book cover size. Why don't you assume
that the book cover is approx. 10 x 14 x 300 dpi = 3000 x 4200 and they can
resample the file down to what they need. If this is a 3DS file WE want to see
the best output as possible, right. Assuming you are rendering at 640 x 480,
this file size would create a postage stamp at 300 dpi. So keep the pixel size
up as high as you can.
-Mike