Making a Poster Size Canvas

Dogdots

If this is in the wrong spot..please move me to the right thread

What I'm trying to do is make a pano canvas and then add my own photos onto it. When creating a new canvas to add the photos to in photoshop I never can seem to get the dimensions correct.

Then when trying to figure it out this came up -- This document has a different depth then the source document -- Now I'm really lost. If anyone could help me with this I'd greatly appreciate it.

In a perfect world I'd like to create a poster type pano with different size photos on it...like 5x5's or 5x7's photos so I can have a series of photos on one print. I know it can be done...it's just my brain can't figure it out :rofl

I have one I tried to do on my site, but it wasn't set up right to print out in a pano type print. You can see my mistake here.

Thanks

BinaryFx

Dogdots wrote:

What I'm trying to do is make a pano canvas and then add my own photos onto it. When creating a new canvas to add the photos to in photoshop I never can seem to get the dimensions correct.

If you are not using automated pano stitching software or the Photoshop automate/photomerge command - then you will need to decide on a suitable sized canvas when you make a new document. You will also need to consider bit depth, colour space and resolution in addition to the physcial canvas size. If manually creating a "montage" of smaller photos on a larger canvas, I would place each smaller image as a "smart object" into the larger canvas, which will give you more creative freedom for changing your mind on the scale of the various images.

In a perfect world I'd like to create a poster type pano with different size photos on it...like 5x5's or 5x7's photos so I can have a series of photos on one print. I know it can be done...it's just my brain can't figure it out

Somehow I don't think that you are after a panoramic canvas, which is what I think of when I hear the term "pano". Pano is usually for multiple overlapping images of the same scene, which are aligned/stitched into a single large image, usually very wide. Panos are often landscapes. I think that you are after a "picture package" when you mention multiple standard size photos on the same canvas. This can also be found under the file/automate menu in Photoshop.

I have one I tried to do on my site, but it wasn't set up right to print out in a pano type print. You can see my mistake here.

The gallery takes too long to load, so I can't see a sample as I write this reply.

EDIT: OK, the gallery preview finally loaded. This is not a "pano[ramic] image" in the standard sense of the term. For something this "simple", I would use InDesign or Illustrator to layout the images, as they are more efficient than Photoshop when it comes to large canvas sizes and resolutions. Using Photoshop, I would do what I mentioned in the first paragraph of my reply, set-up a suitable canvas and use smart objects.

I think that we may need to take things step by step...


Stephen Marsh

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/
http://prepression.blogspot.com/

Dogdots

Hi Stephen --

I had to chuckle when you said at the end "we may need to take this step by step"

Your right -- pano is the wrong term. My mistake. You do have my thoughts correctly tho. I do want to take a couple photos and put them onto a canvas for printing. The photos on the canvas I would like to do in the 4x4, 5x5 or 5x7 size.

I have gotten close in my measurements, but still have problems getting it correct. Then I get that dang "depth" statement and that throws me way off. So I stopped.

My mistake was thinking I could just create a canvas and add photos to it. Sounds so simple -- but sounding simple and doing it are obviously two different things.

I'll work on it again today (using the photos as a smart object) and see what I can come up with. I'll post my problem photo later.

Thanks for helping me out -- it is so greatly apprecitated.

After I master this...onto how to crop a real stitched pano so it can be ordered and printed out.

Oh....if I create a canvas with photos on it and then I want to print it in pano crop on smug...how do I do that. Maybe this is the best way to set up my canvas. Yes..No???

BinaryFx

Dogdots wrote:

Hi Stephen --
I have gotten close in my measurements, but still have problems getting it correct. Then I get that dang "depth" statement and that throws me way off. So I stopped.

Mary, the canvas was probably 8bpc, while your individual images were 16bpc (or vice versa). If you can work on a large 16bpc file (memory, performance), then great, otherwise I would not worry too much about the large canvas being 8bpc. So, for example, you may wish to make the canvas 10x60cm in size, at 240ppi, 16bpc, Adobe RGB (adjust these variables to suit your images and output). When making a new document, there are "basic" and "advanced" options. Don't fill the canvas backgroud with white, make it transparent and use a white vector fill adjustment layer. Then place the files onto the canvas as smart objects and setup guides and scale and align the images etc.


Regards,

Stephen Marsh

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/
http://prepression.blogspot.com/

Dogdots

I tried this, but this is a large photo link I really did something wrong. What I did was use the 10x60cm size and added in 5x5 crops of my photos. Then I cropped it at 100% if I remember correctly because there was alittle too much space on the right end of the black background.

Added it to my site and then went to purchase it as a panoramic photo. It's a definite "no-go" on printing.

Any idea's what my problem is? I really want to be able to do this.

BinaryFx

Dogdots wrote:

I tried this, but this is a large photo link I really did something wrong.

Probably not, this is why I mentioned page layout or illustration software being better for this layout task than Photoshop.

The 10x60cm size I mentioned was just off the top of my head for an example, it could be any size!

Added it to my site and then went to purchase it as a panoramic photo. It's a definite "no-go" on printing.

Any idea's what my problem is? I really want to be able to do this.

My guess that SmugMug has a max. size/proportion available for printing and that you are exceeding this output size or proportion/ratio!

You may have to find a different service provider and work within their max. size output specifications if SM can't print pano size/proportion images. We need a SmugMug representative to chime in and or you need to find the output specifications page etc.

Cost/economy will probably mean that this will be an inkjet output and not photographic.


Stephen Marsh

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/
http://prepression.blogspot.com/

Dogdots

BinaryFx wrote:

Probably not, this is why I mentioned page layout or illustration software being better for this layout task than Photoshop.

The 10x60cm size I mentioned was just off the top of my head for an example, it could be any size!




My guess that SmugMug has a max. size/proportion available for printing and that you are exceeding this output size or proportion/ratio!

You may have to find a different service provider and work within their max. size output specifications if SM can't print pano size/proportion images. We need a SmugMug representative to chime in and or you need to find the output specifications page etc.

Cost/economy will probably mean that this will be an inkjet output and not photographic.


Stephen Marsh

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/
http://prepression.blogspot.com/

I'm really seeing what you mean about different software to do this. I've even used the crop size bayphoto/smug offers for pano prints to use as a template for the size of my canvas, but that doesn't work either.

I'll take a look at the 2 softwared programs you mentioned. Is one easier or better then the other?

Thank you Stephen for all your help

bmoreshooter

What your attempting to do is not really very difficult and it certainly can be done in photoshop. I do it frequently. In fact I recently did this to create custom wallpaper trim. In photoshop start with a new file. Set the canvas size to the overall size of your final print. That is the size of all of the pictures and the total black space. Fill with black. Under Image/mode select 8bits for all files. Crop and size your photos seperately and then insert them one at a time into your canvas as a seperate layer. line them up and your ready to print. The only issue you may have is the file size over the net. If this is the case there are two possible solutions, send the file on a disk to the printer or reduce the final size of your paste up by 50% and have the printer double the size when printing. If you can't find anyone to print this for you just send me an email vraspagraphix@comcast.net and i'll see if I can help. If you can't do the set up you can send me the files and I can paste it up for you.

Dogdots

bmoreshooter wrote:

What your attempting to do is not really very difficult and it certainly can be done in photoshop. I do it frequently. In fact I recently did this to create custom wallpaper trim. In photoshop start with a new file. Set the canvas size to the overall size of your final print. That is the size of all of the pictures and the total black space. Fill with black. Under Image/mode select 8bits for all files. Crop and size your photos seperately and then insert them one at a time into your canvas as a seperate layer. line them up and your ready to print. The only issue you may have is the file size over the net. If this is the case there are two possible solutions, send the file on a disk to the printer or reduce the final size of your paste up by 50% and have the printer double the size when printing. If you can't find anyone to print this for you just send me an email vraspagraphix@comcast.net and i'll see if I can help. If you can't do the set up you can send me the files and I can paste it up for you.

Gonna give it a try right now

Thank!!!!

Dogdots

bmoreshooter wrote:

What your attempting to do is not really very difficult and it certainly can be done in photoshop. I do it frequently. In fact I recently did this to create custom wallpaper trim. In photoshop start with a new file. Set the canvas size to the overall size of your final print. That is the size of all of the pictures and the total black space. Fill with black. Under Image/mode select 8bits for all files. Crop and size your photos seperately and then insert them one at a time into your canvas as a seperate layer. line them up and your ready to print. The only issue you may have is the file size over the net. If this is the case there are two possible solutions, send the file on a disk to the printer or reduce the final size of your paste up by 50% and have the printer double the size when printing. If you can't find anyone to print this for you just send me an email vraspagraphix@comcast.net and i'll see if I can help. If you can't do the set up you can send me the files and I can paste it up for you.

I did it

What I did was set up the size to a 12x30 pano size that smug prints out through bayphoto. I downloaded it to my sight and then went to purchase it at that size. Perfect

You can see it here. Granted it this is just a trial one, but it worked. I cropped my photos to the 8x8 with this one.

I do have some I want to do that will be 6-ft to 6-1/2 ft long. Not sure about the height yet. Any professional printer should be able to do that .. correct? If I can't find one in town -- I'll email you

So...was my effort correct?

bmoreshooter

That's great. I haven't found too many things that I can not do in Photoshop once I find the right buttons to push. Your sample looks great.

Dogdots

bmoreshooter wrote:

That's great. I haven't found too many things that I can not do in Photoshop once I find the right buttons to push. Your sample looks great.

Thanks

I'm so glad this worked out

BinaryFx

Dogdots wrote:

I'm really seeing what you mean about different software to do this.

Software may not matter. The reason that Adobe Illustrator or InDesign would be preferred is that they do not work at the pixel level, they are vector based. This means that you can create a large canvas and layout the images without suffering from large file sizes while you are working.

Blank InDesign file at canvas size of 10x60cm (vector) = 2.1mb
Blank Photoshop file at canvas size of 10x60cm (300ppi) = 23.9mb

Exporting the final job as PDF allows for printing with smaller file sizes, as one does not have to create the large canvas out of pixels. The pixels are created when printing.

One may still have to export out or rasterize a pixel based file from the layout for final printing (if PDF is not accepted at the service provider). One may then have to convert the vector layout to a format that is made out of pixels.

I'll take a look at the 2 softwared programs you mentioned. Is one easier or better then the other?

Thank you Stephen for all your help

It is probably overkill, unless your computer is bogging down with memory issues and poor performance when trying to layout this in Photoshop. These apps are intended for graphic artists, publishers, prepress etc. Used for creating illustrations/logos or page layouts etc.


Stephen Marsh

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/
http://prepression.blogspot.com/

Dogdots

BinaryFx wrote:

Software may not matter. The reason that Adobe Illustrator or InDesign would be preferred is that they do not work at the pixel level, they are vector based. This means that you can create a large canvas and layout the images without suffering from large file sizes while you are working.

Blank InDesign file at canvas size of 10x60cm (vector) = 2.1mb
Blank Photoshop file at canvas size of 10x60cm (300ppi) = 23.9mb

Exporting the final job as PDF allows for printing with smaller file sizes, as one does not have to create the large canvas out of pixels. The pixels are created when printing.

One may still have to export out or rasterize a pixel based file from the layout for final printing (if PDF is not accepted at the service provider). One may then have to convert the vector layout to a format that is made out of pixels.



It is probably overkill, unless your computer is bogging down with memory issues and poor performance when trying to layout this in Photoshop. These apps are intended for graphic artists, publishers, prepress etc. Used for creating illustrations/logos or page layouts etc.


Stephen Marsh

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/
http://prepression.blogspot.com/

I see what your saying. It would be much easier on my computer, etc. if I had one of those software programs if I were to do a 6ft. canvas to work on. Hmmmmm --- I can hear my machine is groaning thinking about the task

I found a printer in town that can print it out for me at that size. The charge was around $45.00. Does that sound like a good price or way over priced?

Tomorrow hopefully I'll have time to work on one and see what my computer can do.