Sharpening for Print
droane
Registered Users Posts: 2 Beginner grinner
Hi, I'm new to the Dgrin forum. I'm a semi-pro photographer just getting started (I just had my first Art&Craft show display, and prints are on display in a local gallery). I typically use EZ prints for my printing. This is a subject that has really been bugging me, and I hope I'm posting in the right place. I would like some feedback from pros/semi-pros that sell 'Fine Art Photography' prints.
I read all the time that sharpening for print and sharpening for monitor display is different, and that, when sharpening for print, you often have to sharpen in a way that it looks a bit oversharpened on the monitor. Also, I understand that optimal sharpening depends on the print output size. I do a number of prints in the 16x24 to 24 x 36 inch range, and I want my prints sharp. EZ-Prints does do a little bit of extra-'auto' sharpening, but Bay Photo, even with checking the color correct option, does not. When we upload to SmugMug, the full res file is used to produce the full range of print sizes - so what do you all do to maximize print sharpness? The added sharpening is the reason I use EZ-Prints rather than Bay Photo, and the result are good, but should I expect better? I would hate to have to resharpen all of my 543 gallery photos and reupload! What do other pros/semi-pros do?
I read all the time that sharpening for print and sharpening for monitor display is different, and that, when sharpening for print, you often have to sharpen in a way that it looks a bit oversharpened on the monitor. Also, I understand that optimal sharpening depends on the print output size. I do a number of prints in the 16x24 to 24 x 36 inch range, and I want my prints sharp. EZ-Prints does do a little bit of extra-'auto' sharpening, but Bay Photo, even with checking the color correct option, does not. When we upload to SmugMug, the full res file is used to produce the full range of print sizes - so what do you all do to maximize print sharpness? The added sharpening is the reason I use EZ-Prints rather than Bay Photo, and the result are good, but should I expect better? I would hate to have to resharpen all of my 543 gallery photos and reupload! What do other pros/semi-pros do?
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Here's a couple:
http://www.dougroanephotography.com/gallery/6784425_hhSJT#499711913_4Pkqt-A-LB
http://www.dougroanephotography.com/gallery/6784425_hhSJT#501674559_dJRy5-A-LB
Don't get me wrong, I'm not dissatisfied with the results I've had in terms of sharpness, but just wonder if folks deal with this issue, and how? I have noticed some inconsistency in the brightness of some prints from EZ-Prints, but the lack of added sharpening has kept me from switching to Bay Photo for the personal color correction they provide.
Doug
Remember, you can adjust the display copy sharpening we use, if you like:
http://www.smugmug.com/help/display-quality
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And being a good little newbie, I watched the video Posting and You..., so I located an existing thread of the same topic to post in, instead of starting a new thread. :ivar
Other things I'm new at: (1) having my photos printed and (2) shooting in RAW format. I'm not uploading RAW files, just JPEGs. But I do what needs to be done in DPP, then convert to JPEG with the least amount of compression. (Is that the recommended approach so far?)
Sometimes I do additional post-processing in Paint Shop Photo Pro X3. Before I started shooting RAW, I did my sharpening in PSP. Is it better to sharpen (if it needs it) the RAW file in DPP?
If I use EZ Prints to print my photos, how much sharpening should I do to them before uploading to SM? Someone above mentioned that for print you should oversharpen... is that true? (And if the original is oversharpened for printing, what will that do to the resized images that SM generates?
Sorry for all the questions.
Bev
http://desertaura.smugmug.com/
http://desertaura.smugmug.com/