Genuine Fractals Print Pro?

ginger_55

It was suggested to me, strongly, smile, that I use that to upsize my photos for my July exhibit.

I am starting to think of when I will do what. I have a question, I do plan to use the trial period on this. It is 299.00 to buy.
I seldom sell photos, but I do sell them.
If this is so helpful, wouldn't I need it for anything I sold above a 5 x 7 or so. Certainly an 11 X 14 or above.

My exhibit is to be 18 X 12 or bigger (one or more BIG prints), then matted, framed and all.

My question is for all you who sell prints on a regular basis. Do you own this and us it on all prints?

How do you all handle this upsizing resolution whatever problem?

In other words, should I think about spending the money to buy this?

ginger (of course I would use the trial first, but I have to "plan", I can't just "buy" things.)

Stustaff

Hi Ginger I have now printed a few(2 or 3) Large images the biggest being a 20 x 30 and quite a few 16 x 20. the shots were alll taken on my 350d and uncropped and were fine at this size with no upsizing needed!

Genuine fractals pro is good from what I have heard but I believe with some work the same is possible in photoshop.

what size are your images currently what are you working with?

Art Scott

Ginger,
Do you have any friends or acquaintances that work in a school system...I mean any school employee..teacher, cook, librarian...any one....and this could be grade school, to college level....if so then you can get it at Academic Superstore for real cheap.....$154.95 + s/h

I have used the trial version of GF Print Pro 4.1 and for me it works FANTASTIC ....I took an 8mp P/S camera image and in PSCS resized the dpi (only) from 72 to 300..this gave me approx. and 8 x 10....I did all PSCS work except for sharpening (as outlined in the instructions from GF (OnOne software) and then uprezed the file to 30 x 40 inches did my sharpening and ordered the pic for my client...my client is an interior decorator and she was amazed that I could get 8x 10 quality in a 30 x 40 inch print....even my local pro printer said he wanted to print from that file rather than the original file and have his rip software do the uprezing and that he would be recommending tht other pros that regularly get super prints use it....

I have been using GF since it was 3.0 and now that was a relatively long process...as I had to do my work in PS6 &7, convrt to a GF proprietary format (.stng) go my uprezing a little at a time and then reconvert back to jpeg and sharpen and save for printing...it was time consuming BUT IT WAS 1000 TIMES BETTER THAN UPREZING IN PHOTOSHOP......Now it is a simple one step conversion either by percentages or by inch size and I do all mine by inche sizing rather than percentages.....

The one drawback to using GF to uprez to very large prints (in the 30 x 40 range) is the file size is too big to upload to SmugMug....so I only use it for prints that clients want signed...which has been all of the prints...they come to SM to see what I have and then email me for prices on the very large signed prints...so I have not yet sold anything thru SM/EZPrints...all my sales have all been custom printed.

BTW: no you shouldn't need to use GF on prints of 16X20 or smaller....any pro printing house will be able to uprez with their RIP software......I use it on the large prints due to the fact that most people do not understand the concept of viewing distance when it comes to art.....the general public thinks that one should be able to stand 6 inches from a print
and have it look fantastic..ie with out any grain or pixels showing (depending on whether it is film or digital)...so rather than trying to educate them all I just uprez at 300 dpi at the least..( paintings aren't supposed to show brush strokes either)......amazing the comments that can come educated people also on this subject:D

I hope this helps.....

ginger_55

Thanks so much, Art! I am going to search out a school employee. I have gone back over that old thread, and I do know that this was your recommendation in the first place.

Cool, I am anxious to use it. Thanks for the fast response.

ginger

Art Scott

glad i could be of help...Good luck with the show.

mercphoto

Ginger, will you be printing at home? Or will you be using a service like Smugmug, EZ Prints, etc.?

If using a service I never uprez. I just send the file off, select my print size, and I am seldom disappointed. SMUGMUG/EZPRINTS WILL UPREZ FOR YOU.

Printing at home is a more complicated question. Since you are talking about big prints I have a feeling you will not be doing this at home. From what limited experience I have with a friend's Epson 4000 printer you definitely want to up-rez at home. But I have also been told by many is that Photoshop now does such a good job up-rezzing on its own that speciality software to do this is seldom worth the expense anymore. I've even heard the old 10% stair-step method is not required anymore.

My opinion, save the $$$.

Art Scott

Down Load Trial Version First

Ginger,
Download the trial version first from HERE.......IT IS GOOD FOR 20 uprezes and you have full control as well as being able to SAVE and use them....this is another plus for this company as most software companies do not all the saving of files or they disable certain actions of trial software and to me that really sucks...to be blunt.

Be sure to preview before saving cause if you need to make changes just cancel the operation and you still have not lost any saves it allows....

Sam

Ginger,

My recommendation for you is simple, and straightforward. First determine who you think will do all your printing. Next, “call them”, talk to them about ICC profiles, image sizes, file formats, color space, color correction, no color correction, etc.

Typically the printers can do a better job of interpolation than we can.

Now, and I do mean now, as in this week, after determining the image criteria required by your chosen printer, send off a few test images, and have them printed.

I would at first try a smaller size to keep the test print costs down. After reviewing the test prints see if any adjustments are needed, not unusual, or if the results are what you wanted. If you still have concerns about the larger prints, have at least one printed up now.

The reason I stress now is because if you wait until the last minute, you could run into some unanticipated difficulties, and without time to solve the issues in a logical manner, end in panic mode. Panic mode doesn’t work real well.

I have Genuine Fractals, and have done my own testing / evaluation against CS2, and have concluded that GF does do a better job of interpolating than CS2, but, and I have stated this before, CS2 does a very good job, and for the most part you will need to have the prints side by side to see the difference. My printer can take advantage of 16 bit files, and likes files at 600 ppi. At this size I feel the benefit of using GF is worth it, but I haven't herad anything that would lead me to think you really need GF at this point.

Sam

ginger_55

I planned on having at least ten 18 X 12 inch photos matted and framed and probably 3 larger ones, too, that is a minimum all together. Maybe one larger one.
I have at least 20 photos picked out, and I do expect problems. Gotta be problems. Figure I will trash the problems.

I plan on having smugmug or someone else, depending on size, I guess, do the printing. I don't print anything here except instructions, smile.

I can't do anything now. My financial backers, who are also supposed to be coworkers and planners, are busy with their own lives at this point. I may try something on my own when my tax return comes back, I am concerned about waiting til the last minute also.

But that is what I am thinking of doing. The only time I visited that gallery I did not measure the walls, but I am sure that the number of photos I mentioned will work.

thanks for the suggestions. Yes, since 20 are free, I might as well use that program for them.

http://upacreekphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/1927964/1

That is the gallery I have put my choices in. I have the "almosts" in another gallery so nothing much is set in stone. Also, I am still shooting, spring is coming, and need I say more. Smile. But since I am telling you all what my plans are as to size, I thought I would share this link. There are about 18 photos in there.

ginger

mercphoto

ginger_55 wrote:

I plan on having smugmug or someone else, depending on size, I guess, do the printing. I don't print anything here except instructions, smile.

As I stated above, Ginger, save your money then. There is zero reason for you to buy GF or to spend time using it. Don't take my word for it:

http://www.smugmug.com/help/print-quality
In particular scan to the bottom where it says "Recommended Settings".