EPSON PERFECTION 3200 PRO SCANNER SPECIAL (vs. the new 4870 model)
The Epson 3200 Perfection Photo and Pro Scanners have been discontinued, but we have good supplies of the "Pro" model still in stock. The 3200 scanners will be replaced in late March or early April with Epson's new 4870 model (Epson claims a launch date of 1/26/04, but we're hearing a much later "reality" delivery date). The model 4870 has a resolution of 4800 dpi (vs. 3200 dpi for the model 3200). However, we're not sure you'll benefit from the 4870 CCD chip's increase in resolution, because our tests showed that even the model 3200's lens can hardly resolve enough to match the capabilities it's 3200 dpi CCD chip, let alone 4800 dpi! We doubt a lens made to cover an 8.5" x 11" scanning area can resolve to 4800 dpi, so what's the benefit of going from 3200 dpi to 4800 dpi? Sounds like advertising hype to us. (If a scanner has a 2nd lens to cover just a 35mm image area, 4800 dpi resolution is technically feasible; but with a one-lens scanner, it's like a photographer printing both 8x10" and 35mm negatives with the same 8x10" enlarger and a 300mm enlarging lens, vs. using a 50mm lens for 35mm negatives and the 300mm when printing from large-format negatives.) The model 4870 (at a suggested price of $449) does have some other benefits (such as 3.8 DMax vs 3.4 DMax), but we'll discuss those when it becomes available.
However, right now we're offering the model 3200 PRO for $40 off the regular price of $599. (Most dealers, including InkjetART, are completely sold out of the PHOTO model.) For only $559 you get the same scanner as the 3200 PHOTO model ($399), but with our reduced price, the PRO comes with almost $600 worth of software for only $160 more than the PHOTO. Plus, if you purchase the 3200 PRO before Feb 1st, you're eligible for a $100 mail-in rebate from Epson --making your effective cost only $459. That's only $10 more than the model 4870, and with tons of additional software. Go here for further details on the 3200 PRO's benefits and the software package:
FIVE HOT NEW DESKTOP INKJET PRINTERS and
SIX NEW INKJET PAPERS FOR MAKING DIGITAL PHOTO ART PRINTS
Your editor recently wrote a review for Digital Imaging Magazine that might be published in time for the PMA 2004 annual convention and trade show in Las Vegas (Feb. 12 - 15). The editor wanted a review of the five newest and "hottest" desktop inkjet printers on the market or coming to market, and a half-dozen of the hottest new inkjet media that can be used in these printers. If you attend PMA, be sure to drop by the Cygnus booth (#R54) and submit a request for a free subscription to Digital Imaging Magazine.
EPSON STYLUS PHOTO R300 & R300M INK CARTRIDGES and PRINTABLE CD-Rs AVAILABLE
We don't have these printers available yet, but we do have the inks and the inkjet printable CD-Rs to use in these printers. These 6-color photo printers were introduced late in 2003. They have built-in memory card slots for just about every digital camera memory card imaginable. Another key feature is their ability to print directly on ink jet printable CDs/DVDs. Epson appears to be the only brand offering this capability. The R300 and R300M (with an LCD monitor) replaces the Epson SP900 and the SP960, which were the only inkjet printers that could print directly onto CDs and DVDs.
Although these printers were introduced by Epson late last year, few people know about it, because neither the R300 or R300M were ever made available through distribution to dealers. The big wigs at Epson thought it would be a good idea to only allow two national retailers (CompUSA & Office Depot) to have these printers, which by the way, are out of inventory. Very few dealers will be able to get the monitor-less R300, and no other Epson dealers (except CompUSA and Office Depot) will be able to carry the R300M until this summer. If you already have an R300 or R300M, you can purchase ink cartridges and inkjet printable CD-Rs from us, at:
As a whole, fine art cotton rag papers tend to be pretty pricey. Illuminata breaks that tradition with an economical, dual-sided, fine art paper that has a smooth, satin-matte finish similar to the defunct BrightCube Eclipse, and somewhat similar to the Hahnemuhle Photo Rag. Illuminata comes in two weights, 190gsm and 300gsm. The lighter weight is much easier to use in desktop printers, but the 300gsm can be used by hand feeding one sheet at a time. This acid-free, totally cotton-based paper is available in both a bright white and a natural color (without optical brighteners), for added warmth and greater potential longevity. Illuminata's inkjet receptive coating is water resistant, so small water spills rarely cause even dye inks to bleed. Soon to be available in all popular sizes from letter to 24" x 30" and in 13" to 44" rolls.
In last month's extensive article on handling inkjet canvas, we said that "Artwork of value should not be glued down." HOWEVER, one of our subscribers, Scott Peck, has discovered an archival method of mounting canvas to Artcare foamcore with a low temperature strippable archival adhesive! We'll reveal this technique and the materials you'll need in an upcoming newsletter.
SHARPER, LESS DISTRACTING CANVAS PRINTS
Many of our customers have mentioned to us that they have previously been turned off by printing on canvas because the canvas texture destroyed the sharpness of their image, or the specular reflections on glossy or semigloss canvases were too distracting. Others, who were using wide-format UltraChrome printers like the 7600 and 9600, didn't want to have to change over their Matte Black ink (they typically printed on fine art papers) to the Photo Black ink (and waste $100 or more in ink with each change). Our new InkjetART Fast Dry Matte Canvas, that we introduced a few months ago, solves all these concerns. It actually has a BETTER DMax with the Matte Black ink, and is quite scuff resistant. Give it a try:
We constantly get asked, "what is the best resolution to scan" or "what is the best file resolution to send to my printer?" Here's a short tutorial:
First of all, let's make some definitions for this discussion. For image resolution, it's more proper to use the term "ppi" or "pixels per inch" for the INPUT (to the printer) image resolution. Each pixel (an acronym for each square picture element) in a standard 24-bit color image has one of 16.7 million possible colors. Those square pixels are "out-putted" or interpolated by the printer into ink color droplets, that are measured in round shaped "dots per inch." or "dpi." Printer OUTPUT resolution is usually defined in dpi. The printer driver software converts the pixels into a diffusion dither pattern of dots. (This random dot pattern is different from the "ruled" or line screen pattern of dots used in the offset printing industry, and therefore, that output resolution is properly referred to or measured in "lpi" or "lines per inch," such as a 133 line screen or 133 lpi.)
To better understand how inkjet printer software works, take any bitmapped image (Photoshop, TIFF or JPEG) and convert it to an 8-bit grayscale image within Photoshop (Image > Mode > Grayscale). Then convert the image into a 1-bit bitmap image (Image > Mode > Bitmap). Be sure to chose the "Diffusion Dither" Method. Now view the image on the screen at 100%. What you are seeing is how your printer driver converts a grayscale (or color image) when you tell it to print with only the black ink. The only difference is that the ink dots (when printed) will be round and not square pixels (try viewing the image at 400% or above to see the square pixels). Now imagine your printer software taking your color RGB image and converting it into four diffusion dither patterns, one for each ink color (cyan, magenta, yellow and black or seven ink colors, in the case of the UltraChrome inkset)! Additionally, your newer Epson printer's software will use three different dot sizes (variable ink droplet technology). It will typically use large dots in the shadow areas, mid-size dots in the mid-range tones, and the smallest dots in the lighter or highlight tones of your image. (This greater number smaller dots in the highlights of your image produces the same density as a fewer number of larger dots, but the effect is a much smoother, finer detailed and "dot-less" appearing image. This is why all newer Epson printers with Variable Droplet Technology have much smoother looking prints than the older ESC3000 printer with it's non-variable droplets, even at the same 1440 dpi see: http://www.inkjetart.com/news/dot_comp.html.)
Whether you provide your inkjet printer with a bitmapped image file or a vector file, the printer's software must RIP ("Raster Image Process") or convert the file to it's own bitmap proprietary file and temporarily write ("spool") that file to your computer's hard drive. This spooled file disappears from your hard drive as soon as your printer finishes printing, unless you tell it to save this file (more on this later). NOTE: Epson printers come with their own software to RIP any bitmapped file. However, if you use vector files i.e. CAD and EPS files, you'll need additional "RIP" software to convert or RIP those vector files into a bitmap form the printer can use. (Vector files are resolution independent, so our discussions on "resolution" do not apply to vector files.)
INPUT IMAGE FILE SIZE: Epson printers print in output resolutions that are in multiples or halves of 360: 180 dpi x 180 dpi, 360 x 360, 360 x 720, 720 x 720, 720 x 1440, 1440 x 1440, and 1440 x 2880. Therefore, Epson printers do their best when they are given image input files that have a resolution of 360 ppi (this is especially true if your image has type in it), or one-half that (180 ppi) when making larger prints. (Because of the viewing distances, prints larger than 16" x 20" can often get by with an input resolution of only 180 ppi. Some people will split the difference and use 240 ppi for mid-size prints.) NOTE: If you send an image that has less resolution than 360 ppi to your printer, you risk losing some sharpness or detail in your printed output (however, as we said this has lower risks on huge prints, because of the viewing distances). And if you send an image that has more resolution than 360 ppi to your Epson printer, you'll just be wasting your time (RIP and spooling time) and hard drive space, as your image will be no sharper, or more detailed or smoother (less pixilated "jaggies").
You can prove this to yourself by starting with an 8" x 10" input image file that has a resolution of 360 ppi (29.7 MB). Interpolate that file down to 180 ppi, but keep the same 8" x 10" dimensions (this file is now only 7.4 MB). And finally, interpolate the original file to 1440 ppi, but keep the same 8" x 10" dimensions (this file is huge, at 474.6 MB). Now use the Epson print driver software to RIP and save each spooled file with the ouput settings for a "Superfine" or 1440 dpi printing resolution. (See our 17 July 03 newsletter article on "Repeatable Printer Files (Using the "Print To File Feature")".) Each spooled and save file will be virtually the same 64 MB size! (The three spooled files would be the EXACT same size if you used Photoshop's "nearest neighbor" interpolation just like your printer software does.)
SCANNING & IMAGE PREP TIPS: So how do you scan and prepare your images for the right resolution? Follow these steps for best results:
Always scan, if you can, to the highest resolution you think you'll ever need and save that image file as your master file, from which you prepare all your other smaller files for printing. If you have the time, make all your image enhancements, corrections and adjustments to this master file. And if you're smart, you'll make these enhancements and corrections through Photoshop adjustment layers (which allows you to change your mind and make adjustment CHANGES at a latter date). See the follow tutorials:
When you resize the master file to a smaller sizes for printing, always use Photoshop's default interpolation: "Bicubic" (Image > File Size > check "Resample Image" and choose "Bicubic"). Photoshop CS now gives the option of "bicubic sharper", which is recommended for downsampling files. If you must resize to a larger file size (with a resolution of either 360 or 180 ppi), you can use Photoshop's bicubic interpolation for images sizes that are less than twice the dimensions of the master file. For instance, if your master file was 6" x 9" @ 360 ppi (2160 by 3240 pixels, or 20 MB in RGB color), you shouldn't interpolate with Photoshop any larger than 12" x 18" @ 360 ppi (4320 by 6480 pixels, or 80 MB in RGB color). Note that doubling your image dimensions or resolution quadruples file sizes! If you want to enlarge to a size that is two or more time the dimensions of your master file, you should use a program like Genuine Fractals for your interpolation, instead of Photoshop. NOTE: If you don't resize your images with Photoshop's bicubic or Genuine Fractal's interpolation, you'll be letting your printer driver (or RIP) software do the interpolation for you, and this will be in the inferior "nearest neighbor" interpolation.
Whether you interpolate up or down from your master file, always sharpen ("unsharp mask" filter in Photoshop) your image as the LAST step before sending the image to the printer. All image files need some sharpening after interpolation. Some software programs are easier to understand and use for sharpening than Photoshop's "unsharp mask" filer. We don't have the space today to explain how to make the best unsharp masks in Photoshop, but keep these rules in mind:
The "radius" of your sharpening should be greater for larger images than for smaller images. For instance, if a radius of "0.8 pixels" looked great on an 8" x 10" print, you should be using a 1.6 pixels radius (twice the radius) in a 16" x 20" print to achieve the same results (because the new dimensions are twice the size of the original). Another trick that will help you achieve the proper radius and "Amount" of sharpening is to sharpen at smaller screen percentages (the image viewing percentages shown in the image title bar), rather than at 100% (72 ppi). Try sharpening at 50% or 25% screen percentages. This will give you a better "preview" of what your sharpening will actually look like when printed. Avoid using other percentages like 67% and 33%, because they are not as accurate or as sharp (they do not mathematically match the 72 ppi screen resolution of your monitor).
Use the "Threshold" levels to keep areas you want to remain smooth (skies or large flesh tone areas) from becoming "gritty" due to over-sharpening. Or, you can do selective sharpening by manually selecting areas in the image you want to sharpen (like a person's eyes, nostrils and mouth), and de-select those areas you want to remain softer and smoother.
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"Inkjet NEWS & Tips" is published by
Royce Bair, Editor royce@inkjetart.com
Inkjet Solutions for Photo-realistic & Archival Fine Art Printing
http://www.inkjetART.com/
Inkjet Art Solutions
8100 s. 1300 w., Suite A
West Jordan, UT 84088
Phone: 801-256-0360 Fax: 801-256-0369
(c) Copyright 2005 The Stock Solution, All Rights Reserved
No portion of this publication may be reproduced or re-published
without written permission from Royce Bair or his stock photography agency, The Stock Solution.
Send your comments to Royce Bair royce@inkjetart.com.
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All longevity estimates should be treated as such, Inkjet Art Solutions is not liable for pre-mature fading of prints or damage to printers through use of our products. Be sure to properly research your purchase and follow the directions given. If you need help, please contact us.
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