PrintingHistory
The WhysThe Options
A Very Brief History of Printing
Who Prints Photographs
Why Do We Print Photographs
Types of Printers
Types of Paper
Some suggested PS settings
Printing Alternatives
What Will Be Covered
Images that will be used for discussion
Images that will be used for discussion
First – What is printing?
A Very Brief History of Printing
Printing is defined as the transfer and reproduction
of information to a substrate such as paper, cloth,
canvas and other permanent objects.
It can be reproduced, copied and digitized.
For our discussion printing will also mean that the
substrate can be touched and or held in the hand.
What is Printing?
The worlds first known printing technology was invented and developed in China by Bi Sheng between the years of 1041 and 1048
In 1377 the Koreans developed a movable metal type technique, and
In 1450 Gutenberg a German developed the mechanical printing technology in Europe which changed the world as we know it.
The Very Brief History
The Gutenberg system is credited with creating an environment which resulted in literacy. It started with the bible.
Literacy is good but we do not get pictures
Movable type Early
Printing Press
Growing up we all were aware of the Dynasty of Kodak followed by an intrusion by Fuji film and others.
We took our film to the ‘store’ and left it for several days and then got an envelope with some nice photos and some awful photos.
Then there were some other interesting substrates such as slides and Polaroid prints.
In the 80’s the first printers connected to a computer were dot matrix. These were not able to produce good quality prints.
By the 90’s inkjet printers were common but the technology was not up to commercial printing of photographs.
The Computer Revolution
After the new millennium as digital photography
became popular so did good quality printers that
rivaled professional quality printers.
These printers became known as photo printers
and though not inexpensive they became
affordable. The basic change that created the
improvement in quality was the replacement of
one cartridge for all of the colors with 4 or more
cartridges representing different colors.
Who does their own Printing?
Who process their images via an outside printer service?
Who does not print at all?
Fast Forward to the Present
Who does what?
Why We Print? We print for:
1. Memories
a. Vacations
b. Events
c. An occurrence we want to recall
We Print for: 2. Art
a. To Hang on a wall
b. Photo Contest (Livingston
Camera Club)
c. Gift
We take photos and we make images!
◦ Sometimes straight out of the camera
◦ Sometimes we enhance the image using software
Livingston Camera Club members are
different than those who just take
photos
Printing Opportunities
When you print your images you have total control of the final print
Vincent VersaceA world famous photographer said
“The Lens is the BrushThe Camera is the Canvas
The File is the Sheet MusicThe Print is the Symphony”
Digital images are great, why bother printing?◦ They are great and getting better all the time
How many museums have you seen photo prints vs digital images?
To Print or Not to PrintThat Is The Question
There are more choices with cameras now than ever before
Pocket CamerasGoPro Cameras mounted on helmets and who knows where elseRemote camerasVideo camerasAnd yes SLR Cameras
Besides cameras, every cell phone takes photosEvery tablet takes photos
In 2000 it was estimated that 86 billion photos were taken that year
In 2013 it was estimated that 360 billion photos were taken
Now we have Facebook, which as of May 2013 indicated they get 208,300 photos uploaded each minute!
We have Instagram which last year indicated that they had 27,800 photos each minute.
Flicker estimates 1.42 million per day
There are others each day.
The point is that there are a mind boggling number of digital photos taken and sent every single second.
THIS MAKES A PRINT MORE SPECIAL
THIS MAKES A PRINT MORE SPECIAL
THE PRINT STANDS OUT AS SPECIAL
THE MORE DIGITAL IMAGES THAT ARE OUT THERE
THE MORE SPECIAL, THE PRINT BECOMES
When was the last time you saw a digital photo exhibition?
At Livingston Camera Club we take pictures but we make images that are special
Making prints which you can feel and touch, display, hang on your wall,
give as a gift, this makes it special.
It provides lasting pleasure
What are the negatives about printing?
Cost – you need a printer, paper and ink.
Time – It does take more time to prepare your print since we start the print process with a digital image.
You will become a better photographer
You will be able to enjoy the work you
display in your home
You will be able to ‘feel’ the image
Your friends will not be bored looking
at your digital images
What are the positives about printing?
How can I be a better photographer if I print?
You control everything; and are not relying on the projector or an uncalibrated monitor or a crazy color space that someone picks for you.
You pick the paper, the finish, and every aspect of the finished product
even the location for viewing.
We can fine tune the image to get the correct light, saturation, and sharpness
We can choose the type of paper used which will provide a unique appearance and “feel”
Control
Types of Paper
Paper thickness is measured using a micro meter. It measures paper according to caliper. The measurement is extremely small, and is stated as .0032-.0175
Paper weight is measured by using the grams per square meter calculations. Common paper measurements are 90, 110 and 150 G/M2. And Bonded paper measurements are all 90=24lb bond, 110=29lb and 150-48lb bond
How do we describe paper
Types of Paper For Photos
Matt or Luster
Gloss
Metallic
Rag
Fine Art
Canvas
Resin Coated Papers
Better Blacks, and a wider color gamut quicker dry time
Also called Photo Papers
Cotton Based Papers
Often considered “Fine Art”They add texture, and a ‘feel” to the image
Size of the sheet
Thickness/Weight of the sheet
Finish (Plain, Luster, Gloss, Semi Gloss, High
Gloss, Satin, Museum Quality, Exhibition
Fiber, Velvet Fine Art, and more……….)
Lots and Lots of words but you can usually
figure out what you are looking for
Within Each Type of Paper
Paper can come on sheets as well as rolls which are usually used on
large format printers.
The full secret That I will share with you……………..
How Do We Get Really Good Prints?
Take Really Good Photos
◦ Use a tripod – If the camera is not steady your image;
be it a projected or printed image won’t be good.
◦ If you do not have a tripod never use a shutter speed
lower than the reciprocal of the lens size.
◦ Use the lowest ISO that will allow you to meet the
reciprocal test. This will reduce noise and provide for
better natural color depth.
How Do We Get Really Good Prints
Take Really Good Photos page 2
◦ Shoot in RAW – you get more information in RAW which allows for better blacks, better gradations of color and better shadow information.
◦ Process in ProPhoto RGB 16 bit – the newer printers can actually print a larger gamut than Adobe RGB. You can always resize down to a lower color profile but not up – Lightroom uses ProPhoto by default.
How Do We Get Really Good Prints 2
Calibrate your monitor
Make and save a test print so that if you ever have a question as to why something does not look ‘quite right’ you can reprint the test print and trouble shoot the problem
Write the printer settings on the back of the print for reference purposes.
Make sure you have the correct icc profiles for your printer and the paper you are using
How Do We Get Really Good Prints 3
My test print
This image can be found on our website under the Education tab
Sharpening
◦ Prints will look better when sharpened for the anticipated viewing distance
◦ The further the viewer the more sharpening that should be applied.
◦ The larger the print the more sharpening that should be applied
◦ Nik Sharpener has a wonderful slider for distance adjustments.
How Do We Get Really Good Prints 4
There is a separate ICC profile for each paper for each printer.
◦ Go to the paper manufacture's web site for the appropriate profile
New to printers – it is a good idea to stick to the printer manufacture’s paper to start out, then experiment with other papers
ICC Profiles
Other sharpening considerations◦ Photo subject
People should have less sharpening
Buildings should have more sharpening
The mood you are looking for.
How Do We Get Really Good Prints 5
Type of paper usedResin coated and metallic papers should
have more sharpening than rag or fiber paper
Printer Set Up
Soft proof- This is designed to show you how the image will look on your paper with your printer.
◦ The ICC profile should appear in the box when you choose View/ProofSetup
◦ Go back to View and select Gamut Warning (this shows you if there are colors your printer can not handle)
How Do We Get Really Good Prints 6
In Photoshop for Color prints / Page 1 of Print module in Photoshop
◦ Choose the correct printer
◦ Color Handling Photoshop Manages Color
◦ Printer Profile (your printer and paper)
◦ Normal
◦ Rendering Intent (Either Relative Colormetric or Perceptual)
Relative for lots of strong color saturation
Perceptual for greater detail/punch/contrastCheck the Black Point Compensation box
How Do We Get Really Good Prints 7
Page 2(printer settings) for color prints
◦ Make sure under mode it is set to custom and off
(No Color Adjustments)
How Do We Get Really Good Prints 8
For Black and White prints
◦ Substitute
Color Handling – Printer Manages Colors
Use Advanced BW mode on page 2
How Do We Get Really Good Prints 9
Always check Print Preview
◦ This will add a step so that you see an image
layout prior to printing. The colors will be well off
on this step but it just shows how the print will be
laid out on your paper not how the image will look
How Do We Get Really Good Prints 10
This is a money saver!
ALWAYS PRINT A SMALL (4X6) IMAGE BEFORE DOING A LARGE PRINT!!!!!!!!!!
If there is a problem; correct it, and save a large print.
If it is ok toss the 4x6
How Do We Get Really Good Prints 11
The popular manufacturers of Photo printers are
EpsonCanonHP
◦ All are good and yet all are a bit different.
◦ Go to a large store eg Unique or B&H and look at the output of each on similar types of paper
What kind of printer should I purchase?
Size, generally 13X19 is good.
Multiple color cartridges with at least 2 different shades of black
Price of the printer
Price of the ink◦ Check the cost per ounce or ml not the cost per
cartridge.Does the printer come with a full set of ink or a “starter set”?
What to look for in a printer
Talk to your friends see what they like or don’t
Read reviews – B&H has a review section for all of the hardware they sell. It is good and it is honest on all hardware products
Talk to members of the club especially those who’s prints you admire
What to look for in a printer
You can send your work to a commercial printer.
OK , I see where printing is great but I still wont do it
I can’t bear to have control of my work – what should I do
Costco and Unique do a reasonably good job
Some OnLine PrintersMPIXZoo PrintingBayPhoto4over
Stubborn Livingston Camera Club member
with blinders on
PRINT!
The Lens is the Brush You have the Lens
The Camera is the Canvas You have the Camera
The File is the Sheet Music You have the File
The Print is the Symphony Now enjoy the Symphony
Whatever you do
