Mike Chaney's Tech Corner

I'm brand new to this forum and the program as of today. I've just begun my 14 day evaluation and have one major concern relative to purchasing. I would like to use Qimage Ultimate (QU) in conjunction with PS6 & LR4. Do I need to do the majority of my editing in PS6/LR4 first and then bring the image into QU for final work and printing, or can I start in QU, export to PS6/LR4, and then return to QU. I note the <CTRL> e option, but when I tried to go this route it seemed to me that I lost most of the QU edits as soon as I got into the graphics editor.

I would greatly appreciate any and all advice as to how to best implement the two programs QU & PS6 or QU & LR4 together as part of my purchase determination.

TIA

dave

Dave

I do all my adjustments in Lightroom and Photoshop first, then export from LR or save from PS, then print from QImage. You can also add QI to Lightroom as an external editor and either right-click and 'Edit In>QImage' or choose QI in the Post Processing>After Export option in the Export dialog box (its at the bottom).
To get the best out of QI its important to avoid any re-sizing or interpolation before printing - this way the file only undergoes a single interpolation from camera resolution to printer resolution followed by the correct amount of output sharpening, and the Mike's interpolation algorithms are the best by miles. It's also important not to apply output sharpening in LR.

The other option is to do all the editing in QI - many users do this very successfully but I don't think there's any advantage to go from QI to Photoshop and then back again, especially if you are currently using Lightroom for your raw files .

Please ask if you have any other questions, there are forum members who use QI in many different ways and are always ready to help.

HTH

Brian

Dave,
You can of course, like me, work the other way round!  :o
I use QU to process raw images and do editing in QU too, and then print  from the raw image.
There are some occasions when I need to use an external editor, which can be set up to link with QU. I then convert the raw to a tiff and send to the external editor, do the cloning or perspective correction required and save the modified tiff.
I will always to the final editing tweaks in QU, especially sharpening with its superior Tone Targeted USM. Not only that, all the main editing tools are there.
QU does not change the original image when it is edited. Edits are saved as a filter file (.flt) alongside the image. To apply those edits permanently to an image it must be saved to a new name. Either Save as from the editor or put in the queue, right click and select convert; auto renaming is an option there along with many others.
Keep asking during the trial, we are here to help - and you will not be disappointed with prints made with QU  8)
Terry

Welcome to the forum, Dave.

I have to agree wholeheartedly with Terry. (Sorry Brian)  :o

It has been shown many times that the results from using Q-Ultimate on Raw images especially, far outperforms the other programs.  Just take your time and roam through the web site.
Just the looking at one feature alone, the new Deep Focus Sharpening

 http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=AiVoXcB1uzk&vq=hd1080

Add to that, Tone Targeted Sharpening, and you will be doing all of your sharpening in Qimage Ultimate.
As Terry pointed out, no image is altered or changed so you can simply delete the filter and start over, or save that adjusted image and make a fresh one and compare the two.
Printing from Raw....  what could be better? The less often you change and save, making a Tif or a JPG, or changing the pixel resolution, the better the image and print.

... and just let Qimage Ultimate do the initial rendering of your raw images, and most often, you need not do any more to it to get the exposure right!

As Terry said again, we love to help people get as excited as we are about using QU.  So ask questions as often as you like....

Fred

I know it's not couth to reply to oneself, but just want to give you a sample of what Terry was saying, but graphically.

http://ddisoftware.com/tech/articles/july-2011-restless-natives/

What Mike is showing you is that Qimage Ultimate will take your image and make a print file setting it to your native input resolution, and do it automatically.



Fred

Gentlemen -

Thank you very much for your quick reply's to my first inquiry. Since you've invited me to ask more, here goes. I just finished watching the video about printing for a print service. The service that is handy for me where I live in the Northern part of the Kitsap Peninsula is COSTCO. They have professional grade Noritsu printers like the kind we used in a camera store where I used to work. All of them have custom ICC profiles available. Can I use the appropriate printer ICC profile from Dry Creek in conjunction with QU to optimize the prints I would get from that print service? If so I'm already sold!

TIA,

dave

Absolutely, YES!

Here's how easy.
Simply place the Dry Creek profile in the Job Properties box marked Prtr ICC.
Then click FILE and PRINT TO: Select FILE
Set the size and the ppi that the printer asks for, and just make sure you dot the one that says PRINTER USE.
That's it. Follow through and make a print.
You will have created a print file with the dry creek embedded ready for Costco.
If you need more screen snaps, just ask.
Of course, you would sharpen and any other enhancement before you make your file for Costco.
I can even make a video for you if needed.


Fred

Hi Fred -

Let me tell you I am VERY impressed with the response on this forum; reminds me of my DOS days in the early 80s. I'm assuming from what you wrote I click the blue dot next to Prt ICC: which jumps me into the Color Management dialog box and from there click the ... box, navigate to the printer profile and load it there. Yes?

I'm sold, and even more than that, I've shown it to two colleagues. One purchased it today and the other is in the process of so doing.

Thanks for the great support!!!!!  I know I'm going to love what this can do for my work.

dave
http://sonofjohan.smugmug.com/ (http://sonofjohan.smugmug.com/)

Ditto about the responses on the forum - and indeed about the products.

On the matter of Image Editing I was lucky, back in the early noughties to be introduced to Picture Window Pro and not PhotoShop.

PWP has a three things in common with Qimage. It is still run by the man who conceived the original code. There is a quick and friendly forum supported by some folk who really know the product, plus the originator. Thirdly, IMHO anyway, it is better than the competition.

On Thursday I had to work on an image I took of quite a large (ten foot by four foot) embroidery. In 1997 I photographed it on medium format neg before it was framed behind glass. I could have probably (a) found the neg but (b) would then have had the challenge of scanning it on my flatbed as my neg scanner is 35mm. So I took a chance of rephotographing it behind the glass and lit by picture lights at the top.

My resultant shot had no reflections but it was significantly brighter at the top when compared with the bottom.

I used Qimage Ultimate to Refine my Raw in terms of exposure and white balance (important to the embroiderers involved). I exported it as a TIFF and then used PWP to graduate the image so the brightness was constant. I had asked around here if I could do that in QU but it seemed not.

As I was in PWP I sorted the contrast and general tonality. I could have taken it back into QU to do that and to do the sharpening. QU has the new DFS sharpening and Tone Target Sharpening. PWP has a new Bilateral Sharpening. I am not going to suggest that the PWP is better but as (a) the image was never going to be shown very large and (b) as I was already in PWP I stayed there for the sharpening.

This is the shot.

http://www.tonygamble.org/Embroidery_Jan/embroidery.htm

(There is a bit of a halo under the table on the web image but I put that down to the web conversion by BreezeBrowser and not the fault of PWP)

An example of using the combined resources of QU and one's favourite image editor for, as they said in the Heineken advert, reaching the parts that others cannot reach.

Tony

Sorry for the delay Dave, but the ddi server was down until now.
Besides the setting up of the Print to file for making an image for outside printing, you can and should save that setup as a print setup by clicking FILE SAVE, clicking the "P" button and naming the setup appropriately.
For example: P2F RED RIVER 16 x 20, or whatever you set in that size ppi box.
Next time you need it, POW! RECALL!!
Loads of great stuff in Qimage. and great controls for FILL, Contrast, Gamma, Levels, Curves, etc.
PS I tried to email you at your web site. I don't know if it went through.
Enjoy!

Fred

Why use Breezbrowser to downsize for web? QU with  DFS (no sharpening halos)  does a much better job.
I find QU is a "one stop shop" for most image tasks.
Terry

That's a point Terry.

I could sharpen in QU and then use BB with no sharpening. Will give it a try.

Tony

Tony
Sorry but you've missed the point, do it all in QU with Make E-mail/Web copies.
Then you get QU world class interpolation and the ability to set anti-aliasing for the best results.
Terry

Afternoon Fred -

Yes, your email came through just fine; thanks.

Just sent off my first batch of (test) prints to COSTCO to see if I understand how to do all this stuff correctly.  :)
The COSTCO page said that I should resend at a different resolution because the prints might be muddy but I sent full sized files (2-4 MB) for 4x6 prints a 300 DPI. That doesn't seem like a too small file in my experience with sending them files not created with Qimage.  Any thoughts on this?

It all seems rather easy once you understand what you need to do, but then, I guess that's true of most things. I know there is a quick way to empty the print queue but I can't locate it at the moment. Once I do it will then seem obvious. For now I believe I need to watch the videos some more while I have Qimage open, follow along with my own files, and just give it time to become as familiar for me as PS ver x.

Thanks for your help!!

dave

Hi Dave

To clear the queue, simply right click on the large preview panel upper right area, and select Clear Queue (of all things)  ;D


300 ppi is some number that these places want so just set that Print TO: dialogue box to 300 ppi. It's as simple as that.

I just tried it. Obviously, 6" x 300 = 1800, and 4" x 300 = 1200 pixels
The file size with embedded profile is 1.3 megabytes. with a JPG quality of 90.



Just curious Dave, but why not make your own prints if that's the size that you like to make?
Have a good night.

Fred

Just poking around in Costco's site for their requirements for printing.
Looks very reasonable to me.
I also notice they have two prices. A cheaper one for just a print with no tweaking, and another price for color correction...

I was specifically looking at 11 x 14 size because I just bought a 50 sheet pack of Epson Premium 5 star Luster. I bought the A3 size which is larger than 11 x 14, but less money.
60 dollars in my hand including shopping, which makes it 1.20 a sheet.
I get to preview and sample before banging out 4 or 5 prints of 11 x 14 size... and most important, I enjoy printing my own.
5 prints would cost me 5 x 4.20 plus 7.00 shipping at Costco, and it's a turkey shoot if they were as good as they could be.

Of course, each person chooses his own path.  For different reasons...
I like to make larger than 4 x 6. I make those for my neighbors.
Most of mine are 8 x 10, 11 x 14, full A3, and 13 x 19.

On ink, well that's a sensitive topic. I began to have severe clogging with Epson ink.   (Depends where it was manufactured. Mine was made in China) This all came about after Epson was sued for having a low ink warning when there was plenty left. As a result, they changed to allowing sucking silt before the warning would show. (Terry uses the same ink as I and has no trouble. His ink in manufactured in Europe I believe)
So I tried some 3rd party inks here and there and threw out some ink.... and I finally found ink for my R 1800 that is consistent, great color, no clogging, pigment type, and about 5 dollars instead of $17.51 each.
Been using it for 1 year, have reordered many times, and made prints of the same image to check the color when I get a new shipment.
So my ink cost is no longer a deal breaker.
Love to hear some opinions....

Fred

I've just checked a few used cartridges; recent ones say Mexico, others were USA. I have has European made in the past.
My R800 is getting on now, at least 8 years old, I'll have to check my records. Edit - correction, it's 6.5 years old
I've very  few clogging problems but I always do a simple nozzle check before printing something critical if the printer has not been used for 24 hours.
Terry

Hi Fred -

An unrelated question first; how does one use the quote function? I don't seem to get what I want, i.e., just a blue section with the quote.

O.K. print stuff.  I basically don't print anything for myself. In fact, I have just one print of my work in the entire house. I do have prints made at COSTCO in the 4x6 size for use in making greeting cards. Folks can pick the images they want and I have them printed, "tack" them onto the front of high quality blank cards that let the sender write what they want on the inside with the recipient being able to safely remove the photo for any use they want. The card goes with a matching envelope and both are enclosed in a translucent envelope.

I have four printers: HP LJ4, Panasonic Workio CL500 (color laser), Epson Stylus Photo 1270, and an HP Designjet 130 nr which I just recently purchased for $600 from the camera store where I worked for several years. The last two can be used for photo printing I know, but for the most part the cost of printing on the Epson has far exceeded the cost & convenience of having COSTCO do it. If the consumables weren't so expensive, I might consider giving them both a go. Would you consider sharing your ink source offline if this isn't the place to do it. (dcjohan@centurylink.net)

The purchase of the Designjet was with the idea that I might do some large prints, but at the moment cost is one of the two main reasons I'm not doing my own stuff. QU and cheaper ink/paper might just change my mind.

The other reason for not doing my own printing is the time involved. For the past 8 years I've been sending out a daily photo with a story that accompanies it to a large mailing list called The Daily Image, and 2 years ago I added a Smugmug site (that's what you looked at). Shooting the raw material and then editing the final product for these daily mailings takes up a fair amount of time. Learning to use the software to do it all also adds to the time load and mastering QU will just add to it. On top of that, I am strongly looking at moving away from the Adobe products due to Adobe corporate attitudes, which means that I now need to invest even more time learning to better incorporate the other graphics editing programs I have. Taking the time to master all the nuances of printing will be just one more demand on my time which is getting pretty scarce right about now. I'm sure I will get to that point later in the year, but for the immediate I have to concentrate my time in areas with the biggest payoff.

So for now I will continue to use COSTCO, work to master QU, and hope that my investment in QU will pay off in a much shorter learning curve when I do tackle home printing.

dave

Dave,
I looked up your ISP. The location.
Do the attached images strike a familiar chord?

Unless I am way off base, you should recognize these two pix.

Fred

PS You said Kitsap area, but maybe you were joking?

Hi Dave,
I'm laughing because it wasn't that long ago, I was asking the same question.

First you do a normal windows select text and COPY
Then you create your Reply, and click the second icon button from the right. Hover the mouse and it should say, Insert Quote.
Click that, and then Ctrl V to paste it.
Then I find that I have to move the cursor manually to get it out of the Quote area,

Hi Fred -


No, the images aren't all that familiar, but I did say the Kitsap area, more specifically the North Kitsap Peninsula in WA state. Here is the address, you can Google map it.  34299 Pilot Point Road NE, Eglon, WA 98346. Google will want the city provided as Kingston, but they are separate communities. Google should point to a 10A parcel situated between Pilot Point Road and Bodine Road. The blue area to the right is Puget Sound. On the other side of the blue about 15 miles to the south sits Seattle......I just read your email so I guess you are quite familiar with the area. ;D

dave

Nope.
I'm all fouled up as usual.
I looked at Centurylink, and Google shows it in Punta Gorda Florida.
I had a friend help me track you down, and Kitsap it is...
I found that on the map.
But it seems that Centurylink is a part of Centurytel which is huge!
They have offices all over.
Forgive my intrusion.
For a moment, I thought, hey you must be 20 miles away from me.

I Apologize.

Fred

Hi Fred -

Yup, they are everywhere, and I've never had poorer service. Talking to Centurylink is like talking to a wall. Only the wall is more responsive!

I don't think you intruded in any way!!  In fact, I was thinking how good it would be if we were co-located and I'm delighted you made the inquiry.  :)

Now I'm rather certain you are on the right coast and likely somewhere in FL. I had two tours in P-Cola and I can't say I enjoyed the weather, or the bugs!

dave

Pensacola is 350 miles away from me...  I am on the Gulf of Mexico, 60 miles south of Tampa; no bugs at all.
The Gulf keeps us breezy and cool in summer, and comfy in winter. We are actually cooer than Tampa in summer, and warmer in winter.
Right now it's only 78 degrees. It was 53 at dawn.
You can tell by that swing, it's dry as can be this time of year. No Humditty-ditty

Fred

That's very close to what we experienced in the winter in P-Cola; however, the summers were VERY hot and VERY humid with lots of nasty bugs, especially love bugs, fire ants, and mole crickets.  The winters were nice, but more of what I considered summers should be!

Here the winters are as bad as the summers there, and the humidity is in the form of rain, rain, and more rain. Equally ugly, but the summers, when they arrive, are really nice plus there is just so much to shoot that it is truly a photographer's paradise, and what you can't find close by is just a drive down I-5 or along the coast.

dave

Thanks Terry, I was going nuts trying to find a way to save a test image before I remembered that there had been a comment about how it is done.  Much appreciated. I don't think that has been covered in any of the videos or I simply missed it somehow.

dave