Mike Chaney's Tech Corner

I can't seem to get my digital paintings to show the same detail (brush strokes) when I print them to canvas.  I use Epson satin canvas and BC Lyve canvas. The images on screen look great with all the brush strokes showing, but they all but disappear on the canvas prints.  Any suggestions on settings I may be missing? I'm confused on where to adjust the sharpening - in the editor or the final sharpening options. Interpolation settings also unclear.  I would think hybrid, but not sure.

I used to could do this, but have not done anything for a few years and have forgotten it all I guess.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!

Here's what I do when I lose detail (mostly happens to me on cheap matte paper)

Please note that you will be just wasting paper if you are reluctant to really move the settings. The default is 5. If you move to 6,7,8, you wont see hardly any change.
Please go to at least 15 and tweak it to your taste from there.
This feature was designed to handle exactly the problem you describe.

Fred

Thanks so much, just the kind of info I was hoping for!.  Do you recommend Fusion for interpolation?

Can't wait to try it this afternoon, if I can figure out where to find those settings. Lol.

That's why I sent two screen snaps. Some controls are not as obvious as other
After you are satisfied that it worked, Save the printer setup so next time you have made that setting a preset.

Yes, Fusion is the best. You must use that interpolator for max detail.

Fred

OK, thought I would show you my last settings for the Epson canvas. I don't see 600 PPI so I used the highest available at 720.   It appears the only thing different was the interpolate method.  Do I need to bump up the sharpening in Editor as well?

I hope the image displays as I meant for it to, has been a while since I have posted to these forums.

Thanks again!

Oddly enough, the settings for a canvas done several years ago that showed more detail is attached. Go figure?(http://)

The increase I asked you to try from a default 5 to a 15 or better can only be seen in a print; not on screen. It is designed to compensate between image sharpness and loss from paper printing.
Make a print
Fred

Sorry, I must be missing something.  The print I ran last night has the settings bumped up to 20.(as shown in the first attachment).   Is that where I am supposed to be bumping it up?. Or is there another location you are referring to.?

It sounded as if you were judging the increased number on the screen.
I certainly would use FUSION as my interpolator.
Open the image in the Image Editor, and make sure you are using the DFS sharpener. Obviously, I cannot offer the accurate setting needed without having the image, but for a trial test, try setting the Radius to 4 and the strength to 45.
If you could/would send me the image, then I could actually see what it might need. email  wathree.ssz@verizon.net

Just to clarify, the Editor sharpens the image, The Print sharpener is designed to replace any sharpness lost between the image and the paper by adding some sharpening back to the print. Various paper types, produce varying degrees of sharpness. But it's the paper that is causing you to see a softness.
Hope some of this helps.
Fred

Fred

That's good information - l never understood  the two different sharpening options.  I will be happy to send you the image.  Canvas is the most challenging, as the Somerset velvet watercolor papers do better. 
Thanks so much!!

Also remember that the texture of canvas by it's nature will obscure fine detail.  Large radius sharpening (as Fred suggests) can help bring out what is lost.  Another thing to consider is resolution of the original image versus print resolution.  For glossy prints that are meant to be hand held and inspected at close range, it is often best to choose max resolution in Qimage's main window (720 for Epsons and 600 for most Canons) because the printer is able to render detail at that level on glossy paper.  For large prints or prints on matte or canvas paper that are intended to be viewed from a distance, you can try the high setting (usually 360 or 300 PPI).  Choosing the lower resolution will cause QU to concentrate sharpening and other detail at that level rather than trying to create sharpening at 600 or 720 PPI which really can't even be rendered/seen on a canvas print.

Another way to look at it... QU will render the same amount of visual sharpness (based on your sharpening settings) whether you choose 300, 360, 600, 720, etc. but it can't know how much detail the paper can hold.  So if you choose 720 PPI and your paper (such as canvas) can only render detail up to about 360 PPI, some of the edge sharpening that is rendered at 720 PPI will get lost and not appear in the aggregate amount of sharpening that is perceived in the final print.

Mike

Mike,

As shown a few posts up - the prints I used to make that turned out well had my settings quite low and they worked, so I will keep all of your suggestions in mind.  Meanwhile, I will send the image to Fred as he suggested to see if he can see what it needs.

 I have checked my job logs from long ago, and unfortunately, after an upgrade (not sure if QU or Windows 10) the images no longer appear when I select Job - only the settings.  So I can't be sure what I am looking at as I don't recall exactly what I named each image. 

Thanks so much for all of your help!

Rhonda, there's no easy way...
Whatever you did to this image in Photo Shop, it is destroyed. I hope you have the original.
Sharpening is a process whereby you add contrast to the edges of the image content.  Feathers, shirts, necklaces, even skin pores.
All the edges have been wiped out. I send the images to Mike who is the absolute best there is, and we both agree.
Whatever tool you used, you managed to coat the image with a plaster, she looks like a mannequin and cannot be sharpened because there are no edges to sharpen. (look at her teeth)
Only the eye lashes and eyes still retain some edges will accept sharpening.
Thank you for the good withes on the storm.
Sorry about the bad news on the image.
Mike said I should tell you because it feels like I was telling you  that your dog died.
He wanted to be the good guy.

Fred

try a 6 and a 75 just to get the eyes to come alive