Printing to A0

[Tommo224]

Hey guys, I'm putting photos up at the companies charity thing. I have two canvas stands and want to get photos printed MASSIVELY. (A0 so +/- 100cm x 80cm)

However, my concern is whether or not they'll come out decent.


Now the printer I'm going with provided me with a photoshop template, I opened it up, and the template file is 14114px x 9992px.

The photographs from the 5D are 50% that size.


Being a graphics designer, I'm based on web only. So that says to me "holy crap your photo will look like ass".

I've never had to deal with a situation like this involving print, because, well, I'm web based.


Can somebody please shed some insight? Thank you!!

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Oh and the size thing I got from the Aquabumps display in Bondi Junction Westfields. He has some A0 style prints of his photos there, and they look incredible! So I figured I could do it.


Reading online, best sources say I could be able to do is around 76cm x 50cm

[ricktas]

Have a look into this : http://www.ononesoftware.com/products/perfect-resize/

Brilliant for upsizing and keeping detail/sharpness

[ameerat42]

50%, presumably linear. So, double the output size of your file WITHOUT resampling - assuming you can do that in/with Photoshop.

Your camera's images should stand a mere doubling of size, especially - this I'm not sure about - if they're going onto canvas. To test, try printing some critical portions of the result.

(Hmm! A thought: Surely they do not want it sent on-line!!!??? Nah! Can't be.)

Am.

[Tommo224]

Have a look into this : http://www.ononesoftware.com/products/perfect-resize/

Brilliant for upsizing and keeping detail/sharpness

Oh my, that is incredible!

It's expensive, understandably expensive. But looks like it's exactly what I'd need for this :) I'll have to work out my budget.. It's costing $100 for the two prints already :( plus I need to construct a frame/support hrmm..

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50%, presumably linear. So, double the output size of your file WITHOUT resampling - assuming you can do that in/with Photoshop.

Your camera's images should stand a mere doubling of size, especially - this I'm not sure about - if they're going onto canvas. To test, try printing some critical portions of the result.

(Hmm! A thought: Surely they do not want it sent on-line!!!??? Nah! Can't be.)

Am.

Their cheapness is due to the fact that you have to do the leg work and preparation, they merely print it. =/ I asked them a bunch of questions and got back a "you need to do this, we don't do this" kind of reply. Wouldn't even inform me whether or not that my photo will come out OK or not! *sigh*

[mikec]

Tommo don't forget though most people won't view an A0 that close. If your 5D image is 50% the size of the printer template and it's at 300dpi you could happily print at 150dpi since you'll be viewing the image probably 1m away or more.

You can easily do a test print at the final dpi anyway and see what it's like first when standing back, but honestly you'll be fine. I deal with this junk at work and uni all the time.

[Tommo224]

Tommo don't forget though most people won't view an A0 that close. If your 5D image is 50% the size of the printer template and it's at 300dpi you could happily print at 150dpi since you'll be viewing the image probably 1m away or more.

You can easily do a test print at the final dpi anyway and see what it's like first when standing back, but honestly you'll be fine. I deal with this junk at work and uni all the time.

Mike, thank you for that :) :)

So, the template they gave me, I'm going to dump the photo in that, scale it up and send it to them. Hopefully all will be OK!

If not, then, well, sucks for me but whatever lol.

[JM Tran]

A0 is nothing really in terms of size, I regularly print at 45x30 inch for clients, which translates to 114.3cm x 76.2cm.

Mike is right about the viewing distance, nobody views it a few inches away, so a 5D file - exposed and sharpened properly during PP - will be fine for A0 format. As long as the TIFF or JPEG file is saved at its highest setting, and DPI from 300 to 150 its a piece of cake.

[arthurking83]

I also noted the word canvas in there somewhere too!

What Mike says is relevant.
Who is going to stand in close to such a print to inspect vital details and sharpness?
(if they do they really need to get a life! :p)

A print is about the print .. a larger(than life?) print is about the overall impact of the size and scale ... not so much the fiddly detail bits.

IF the image is printed on canvas .. well then, the texture of the canvas material itself is going to kill any fine details you're fussing about. 150dpi is probably overkill in that case!
From memory .... canvas prints are fine down to 75dpi.

My sis printed one of my images from a 1024 wide image I emailed her. The print size is about A3 or larger I think. Everyone that's seen it(family love it) and even I liked seeing it in print .. It's of my father and all his grandchildren. Again, no has ever commented that the details are crisp and clear, and even I missed inspecting it in that manner. It's about the image, or the scene, or overall impact of the print .. not always about the fine details and such.

Sometimes we photographers fuss over the insignificant details when(if) it matters not!

[Tommo224]

Thanks JM! Gave me more confidence with it :)

Arthur, A0 photo paper/poster print, not canvas! It'll be on a canvas painting easel thingy! :)

[Rattus79]

Their cheapness is due to the fact that you have to do the leg work and preparation, they merely print it. =/ I asked them a bunch of questions and got back a "you need to do this, we don't do this" kind of reply. Wouldn't even inform me whether or not that my photo will come out OK or not! *sigh*

See, now that's where I'd be saying Screw you guys, I'm going somewhere that has customer service. Regardless of how cheap they are. If you want to be treated like that, go to Office Works. I'm sure there's a 14yo kid there just waiting to give you greif.

[Tommo224]

I went with the original printing company I found, the ones who wanted me to set it up myself.

I sent them the JPG set to the size their A0 downloadable template was set up for, they sent me a proof to approve and then 3 days later I had the prints :) they look GREAT!

I used the resizer software Ricktas suggested:

http://www.omgtom.net/pics/printed270912/O92A1876.jpg

http://www.omgtom.net/pics/printed270912/O92A1878.jpg

http://www.omgtom.net/pics/printed270912/O92A1879.jpg

http://www.omgtom.net/pics/printed270912/O92A1881.jpg

http://www.omgtom.net/pics/printed270912/O92A1883.jpg

http://www.omgtom.net/pics/printed270912/O92A1885.jpg