Mike Chaney's Tech Corner

Problem so far is that I can not get QI to see the .tif file

Hi

Using a PC as a print server  is probably the best way to use QI on a Mac network, there are many using it in this way. There is normally no problem integrating PCs and Macs, but  I'm not a Mac or network person so others will help you out on this.
Tiffs should be saved without compression using 'Interleaved' Pixel Order to ensure compatibility, perhaps that is the problem. You can also save time and disc space by using maximum quality Jpegs - you won't see any difference in the finished print (try it  :)).

Brian

Ok, it was set to interleaved but the byte order was set to Mac, when I changed that it showed up - I just dragged it in and it shows up on the right but not the left, is that correct? The other big question is since I am on Epson's do I leave the res alone and will it automatically be at 360 or a division of for output? I found the jobs where I could choose a template for say printing targets as long as I leave it at original size, otherwise do I  play with the resolution at all or will OI leave it alone as the original. I  makes sense. Thanks for your help

I just dragged it in and it shows up on the right but not the left, is that correct?

The other big question is since I am on Epson's do I leave the res alone and will it automatically be at 360 or a division of for output?

I found the jobs where I could choose a template for say printing targets as long as I leave it at original size,

Yes, that is correct. When you drag in like that it goes directly into the Queue and shows on the Page preview.
Click the folder bar on the LHS to browse a to a folder and select. The thumbs in that folder will then build, once only, instant next time, and show on the LHS.
Images in the thumbnail browser can be added to the Queue by double clicking, or dragging. Select the image print size first, or select on the page preview when in the queue and then select the size.
YES - leave the res alone, Qimage does all that for you and interpolates to the printer native resolution as reported to Q by the driver. For Epson this is normally 720ppi for the best quality but may be 360ppi for other driver settings especially on the large format printers like yours. This feature is the what makes Qimage unique and provides the best possible print quality because the interpolation algorithms are superior to others.
The reported resolution can be seen just above the  page preview together with the printable area size.

That is specifically for printing a target for making a printer profile, nothing else.
You can use "original size" if an image has an embedded one - from Custom sizes.
However, the easiest & best way to use Qimage is to forget that and use the image at it's original resolution and let Qimage deal with all the pixel re-sizing. You just have to think about the linear dimensions of the prints and specify your requirement. There are standard sizes available in the lists but custom sizes can be set. You must have the crop (scissors) button on to get the size, otherwise the image is fitted into the "envelope" with the image aspect ratio.
Keep asking your questions, we'll get you up and running to make the best prints you've ever seen  ;D
Terry.
 

Thank you for your replies. And yes, I would be printing profile targets. I'll be in the studio later today and will give things a whirl. Thanks again, and I'm sure I'll be back with questions. The only other thing I'm not sure about and I'll have to play around with is sharpening. I do all of my sharpening which is usually thru Photoshop and by contrast masking so I'll have to see about that, I see I can turn it off completely if I need to. I just need to get these guys networked to share files. I'll work on that later too.  Thanks again.

The only other thing I'm not sure about and I'll have to play around with is sharpening. I do all of my sharpening which is usually thru Photoshop and by contrast masking so I'll have to see about that, I see I can turn it off completely if I need to.

Maybe I'll try saving as a jpeg but I really don't want to do that as they degrade the more you open and save.

This is only true if the file is opened and re-closed in an editing program such as Photoshop. You can print a Jpeg as many times as you like and the file will remain exactly the same with NO degradation. I save my edited file twice - once as a Photoshop .psd file and once as a Jpeg for printing. Any re-editing is done on the Psd file.
As Terry  said, do not change the resolution before sending to QI. If you want to crop in Photoshop, leave the 'Resolution' box blank.

HTH

Brian

Ok. I'm having a hard time finding ICM in the driver to turn off color management because I am using printer profiles.

Thank you, I'll look again. Hopefully I just missed it.

For Epson, typically:
Main tab, Colour management, ICM, No Colour Adjustment.
or
main tab, Dot in Custom then NCA from drop down list.
Terry.

what confused me is I cannot chose ICM and not color management so I just turned it off and ignored ICM is that correct.

I think so, Epson drivers vary as to the interface but they all seem to use the term "No Colour Adjustment", that is the setting for driver colour management off.
Terry.
PS I've attached screen shot for the 4880 driver which is probably similar to yours.
T

I think so, Epson drivers vary as to the interface but they all seem to use the term "No Colour Adjustment", that is the setting for driver colour management off.
Terry.
PS I've attached screen shot for the 4880 driver which is probably similar to yours.
T

Any thoughts - it says it is printing but it is not. Just sitting in the printer que saying it is.

what confused me is I cannot chose ICM and not color management so I just turned it off and ignored ICM is that correct.

Na Goodman,
This is correct.
You activate the No Color Adjustment adjustment setting by selecting ICM first.
Then ICM shuts off when you select NO Color Adjustment.

Maybe Brian can help with the Mac interface?
Fred

Does the memory thing make sense to you?

But comparing it to a print straight thru the driver, the print thru the driver is smoother and looks more continuous tone looking thru a loop.

If you have any suggestions about the "graininess" I'm seeing, I'm all ears.

If you have any suggestions about the "graininess" I'm seeing, I'm all ears.

Would it be possible to email the image you are trying to print from to me (and to Terry)

You need to give us some numbers. What is the  spec of the PC? You still did not make it clear whether Qimage finished processing with the larger print? I still suspect the network stalled on the large amount of data; can you monitor data flow on your network?
What was the print size?

What about at normal viewing distances? A print direct from a driver will look soft, how does the prints look compared to the screen view of the image?
Tell us some numbers, image size in pixels print size, driver quality settings?
If Qimage is downsizing to send to the printer, the anti-alias setting may be affecting the appearance. In the Interpolation preferences, what is set there. I prefer the "low" setting, higher anti-alias means softer too.
The other thought is that if printed directly via the driver, there was no colour management therefore the printer profile was not active. The gradation of tone will be affected by the printer profile, so is that what happened?

Is this image noise or just the ink jet dots? If the latter, perhaps the printer quality setting is too low.
Terry

Here are the specs of the laptop: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T7100 @ 1.80GHZ 982MB of Ram(can upgrade to 4G). Looks like it is an 80G harddrive with 57.8 free. It is an Lenova ThinkPad  T61 running Vista Business. The print I was trying to do that said it was printing but was not was 24x28 to be printed on Innova Cold Press at 240. I was able to send an 8x10 and everything printed fine. The one I saw "graininess" on actually got sized down to 4x6 because I didn't notice original size wasn't checked. Don't you think if I max out the ram at 4G this machine should run QI just fine. Comparison's were both made with the profile in tack. Color was fine. I think I can figure it out it's just throwing me when I see a different res number than what I am sending to the printer but from everything I have read I shouldn't worry about it because QI is handling it all in the background. I really just need to always get the best print possible for professional use. Please let me know if you think this machine will work as a print server before I go any further with it and upgrade the memory. I could also always put a bigger hard drive in it if I needed to.

Don't you think if I max out the ram at 4G this machine should run QI just fine