Mike Chaney's Tech Corner

I've had Qimage Ultimate for a couple of years now but it's only in the last two or three months that I've started using it as part of my daily workflow.

Now that I'm familiar with the software, there are a few things that frustrate me:

1) Qimage won't pick up size information from PSD files in the same way it will from TIFFs or JPEGs. If I have a tiff file sized 50cm x 40cm at (say) 267ppi, it will print to the correct size, but the same image as a PSD wouldn't: it would assume the image was 300ppi (or whatever value I have set as default) and consequently print to the wrong size. Is this fixable?

2) The ability to add uneven borders round an image is great. I do loads of prints every day and the ability to enable 'Info' and print useful data next to the image is very useful. But I have to turn that option off when using photo mats because it prints next to the image rather than just outside the mat area (see image). Thankfully I can keep 'Edges' enabled because they print where they should. Up until the latest update I was also getting - I think - 'Preview' printed outside the mat with Info enabled, but that seems to have stopped.

3) PSD and TIFF files that contain Alpha channels seem to confuse the hell out of Qimage sometimes, making the image garbled, at least in the Queue preview pane; I've never let one go to print as I assume it's a WYSIWYG preview.

As far as I can recall, the PSD file doesn't carry any embedded size in it.
So Qimage will use whatever you tell it to use... when you request original size.
Your best way with any print, is to just tell Qimage what size you want to print. It does all the rest for you.


This was done intentionally. The info is on a mat because many users want a specific size image, and info would increase the size after the fact.


Alpha channels were always a unique to PS issue. You should flatten and change to a Tif.

Fred

Fred

I'm not so sure about this, surely prints with uneven borders should act the same way as prints with even ones?

Brian

Yes it does, but I understood the question to be why can't the info come out below the mat (s) as it does when the print has no mat.
The info goes below the edge of the image. If you add a mat, the info rides on the mat about where it was without a mat.
Makes sense to me.

Fred

I understand that workarounds exist to all these points, but I'm trying to avoid extra work and multiple versions of images.

PSD files do contain sizing info though I understand that not all apps can make sense of it. To me this is an annoying glitch in a utility like Qimage: it can read fairly complex multi-layered Photoshop documents, but not pick up the sizing info?

Fred, you seem to be saying that printing file info inside the Photo Mat just below the image is desirable... it's the last place I'd want it and I can't think of any circumstance where it would be useful. If I use the normal Borders tool in the Print Properties dialog, that puts the file info just outside the border area, not inside it; I don't understand why Photo Mats work differently.

Fred
The PSD cstandard was closed by Adobe some time ago, and as I understand it QI and other programs don't flatten the file, they use the flattened image embedded by Adobe. It's best to avoid PSDs and stick to tifs or jpgs.


This is my point exactly. I think that info should be below the Mat, in the same way it's put below the border when there is one.

Perhaps this should go to the referee - Mike?  :)

Brian

Well put.  Adobe closed PSD support with PhotoShop 5 roughly a decade ago so it's best to use a standard like TIFF or JPEG instead of the closed proprietary PSD.  That's the reason that not even Adobe's own software (like Lightroom) can even read a PSD file unless you save it with "maximize reverse compatibility" enabled.


The referee would call a FOUL if the info printed out of bounds.  ;)  Remember, mats are not borders.  They are a special object that is typically used to frame a photo so in most cases, the mat defines the area that will be visible when mounted or displayed.  Simply put, info is designed to print so that it is visible when/if that print along with the mat is mounted or displayed.  If you want the info displayed outside that area: simple... just use floating text and put it anywhere you like.  If you use that setup often, 5 minutes to create a layout that has all the info outside the mat, on the mat, angled over the corner, wherever you like.

Obviously both inside and outside the mat have their uses, so you can do it either way.  The info is simply designed so that it always prints directly under the photo.  So floating text is the proper way to put it outside the mat (and it has a lot more flexibility such as ability to display EXIF info, etc.).

Mike

Floating text is one of those facilities I never knew existed until 10 minutes ago - hard to find, but looks incredibly useful. Thanks Mike.