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Author Topic: Problems printing images original size  (Read 26747 times)
rayw
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« Reply #15 on: July 08, 2010, 01:37:29 PM »

Hi Mike,

If Qimage ignored the ppi settings, would that avoid the message wrt printing over multiple pages? In other words, it would just print to whatever size the user set? At the moment, it seems you set it to 300, if no value given. Also, what happens if x and y resolution are set to different values?

Personally, I see no need for ppi, other than to cause confusion Grin (at least if square pixels). I mean, we have the number of pixels, we have the final image size, what more is needed?

Best wishes,

Ray
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admin
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« Reply #16 on: July 08, 2010, 01:46:20 PM »

v2010.209 can now read embedded size/resolution "hidden" in the EXIF header from CS5 saved JPEG's:

http://ddisoftware.com/tech/qimage/v2010-209-issuescomments/

Mike
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Terry-M
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« Reply #17 on: July 08, 2010, 08:14:56 PM »

Brian, you said it:
Quote
This definitely seems to be a weakness in QI which Mike may not have come across before, but he is very good at sorting these things out quickly.
All put right within 7 hours of your post, hows that for response time?  Cool
Terry
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Ken
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« Reply #18 on: July 08, 2010, 10:20:20 PM »

Amazing customer service!

I check all of the new posts almost every day and I am continually impressed how well this knowledgable group serves those needing ANY type of photographic help.... and Mike's responsiveness to enhancing his software is also unequaled.

In addition to using many of his products I have learned so much from the input of many. Thank you!
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bossanova808
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« Reply #19 on: July 09, 2010, 07:03:16 AM »

Yes that is truly above and beyond.  I am very fond of single person software and this is exactly why - real attention and real support, and it is VERY gratefully received.

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Fred A
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« Reply #20 on: July 09, 2010, 09:51:04 AM »

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I am very fond of single person software

Mike is married with two wonderful children; not a single person.   Roll Eyes
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bossanova808
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« Reply #21 on: July 09, 2010, 10:34:08 AM »

 Grin I should have said 'single person, small team, family, etc'
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ignatz
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« Reply #22 on: August 24, 2010, 09:38:11 AM »

I think I have some interesting information to add to this thread.

I recently purchased the Adobe CS5 Creative Suite and was (unpleasantly) surprised to find that the Photoshop no longer writes the JFIF resolution information to the header of the .jpg files it outputs.

Now although I agree with Mike that there is nothing in the "standards" that forbids dropping that little block of information in order to be more compatible with the EXIF standard, it is nevertheless a reality that there are hundreds or even thousands of old software programs and devices which rely upon that bit of information being in place in order to work properly.

For Adobe to simply have 'dropped' this bit of header information without even giving the user the option to write it or not is, to say the least, a little bit irresponsible.  But, OK, all is not lost.

So, what does that old header look like?  I refer you to my attachment (  Capture_00025.text  )  which is a text file of the header information of a .jpg file written from Adobe Photoshop version 7.

If you don't feel like looking at that file, I've extracted the important JFIF data, which precedes the EXIF data and which looks like this sample below:


---- JFIF ----
JFIF Version                    : 1.02
Resolution Unit                 : inches
X Resolution                    : 180
Y Resolution                    : 180



Now, if that little bit of information isn't in the header information of the .jpg file, and if the software or device in question isn't programmed to search further for appropriate resolution information, than in all likelihood the file will be relegated to the default printing resolution of the program or device (usually 72 dpi).

So what happens if you DO have an older bit of software (or device) which isn't able to properly read these newer files?

You have three options.

The first option is to get your old device or software updated.  This would be the best of all worlds, but is in many cases simply a pipe dream.  Many fine older programs and devices are essentially 'orphaned' by reason of age, companies which are no longer in business, or simply a lack of administrative or programmer interest (read: "not financially interesting").

The second option is to send the .jpg file through some other image retouch program which will write a correct and usable file header which will be compatible with the older programs.  For example, if you push the file through an older version of the Photoshop (or the freeware alternative The Gimp) you will end up with a correctly-written header.  Unfortunately, .jpg format files do not like to be recompressed, and one sometimes gains unwanted degradation of artifacts in so doing.

The third and most elegant solution is to rewrite the header portion of the .jpg file without altering the photo data.  I can suggest two solutions (there are doubtless others to be found) if you are up for this.

The first is a very fine program called Exiftool (currently at version 8.28) which allows all sorts of clever reading and manipulations of the .jpg file header information.  This program is the be-all, do-all where file header manipulations are concerned.  The downside to this program is that it does not have a graphical user interface.  This means using it on command lines.  I admit that this is something of a problem for the casual user.

The second option is our old friend, IrfanView.  There is good news, bad news, and then more good news in respect to this piece of software.  The good news is that IrfanView is able to rewrite that important file header information without messing with the image data.  The bad news is that IrfanView (version 4.27) is also one of the programs which cannot correctly read the resolution data of a .jpg if the JFIF header is missing.  And the further good news is that this will soon be corrected (more on that below).

Now, if you want to 'fix' your .jpg file information header with IrfanView, do the following:


Open your .jpg file[/li][/list]

Then go to 'Options / JPG Lossless Rotation' (you did remember to install those plugins, yes?)[/li][/list]

Obviously, you will not rotate the file, but also to be found in the JPG Lossless Rotation plugin is an option to change the resolution of the file.[/li][/list]

Just enter in the proper X and Y resolutions in the boxes and (re)write your file.  Eazy-Peazy!  Grin[/li][/list]


Now I did mention that IrfanView (version 4.27) does not correctly read the file header of .jpg files which do not currently have the JFIF resolution information in the file header.  This means that the above method works a treat if you already know the resolution you want to plug into the file, but what if the .jpg comes from somewhere else and you have no idea of the correct resolution?  Currently this means that you will have to find another program which allows you to 'read' the correct resolution.  In practice, if you open the file with the Photoshop (or similar) you will be able to see the correct X and Y resolution).

The good news for the future is that I have already informed Mr. Irfan Skiljan of the problem with jpg format files written by the new version in Photoshop CS5 and he is rewriting portions of his fine program, IrfanView, to not only be correctly resolution aware when reading .jpg files without the JFIF header, but to also more easily 'repair' .jpg files which have to go to older devices.  I cannot tell you exactly when the updated version will appear, but I feel it will be soon, as I am already engaged in assisting him by testing updated code.

I do hope that this is of some use to all of you.  Wink

Cheers,

- Ignatz


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Owen Glendower
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« Reply #23 on: August 25, 2010, 02:58:59 AM »

Amazing customer service!

Best customer service on the planet.  Ever land on any of the HP support forums?  Discussions of printer problems can go on for days without anyone from HP ever chiming in.  Here, we get support and a software fix in hours.

I check all of the new posts almost every day and I am continually impressed how well this knowledgable group serves those needing ANY type of photographic help.... and Mike's responsiveness to enhancing his software is also unequaled.

In addition to using many of his products I have learned so much from the input of many. Thank you!

Same here.  Can you believe these forums are free?

For me, the Christmas-card thread from a year ago (see below) opened the door to the "other half" of Qimage, so to speak.  Now I'm printing my own greeting cards and photo note cards, motivational posters for gag gifts, return-address labels incorporating a photo, you name it...all thanks to a guy who already had it worked out and shared his knowledge.  And of course, the photo is optimized in everything I print.  I'm too embarrassed to admit how I once printed some photo greeting cards using a M-------- program starting with W.

http://ddisoftware.com/tech/qimage/qimage-challenges/msg1648/#msg1648



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ignatz
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« Reply #24 on: August 28, 2010, 02:56:51 PM »

Just a little update on my previous post.

I have finished testing the a new version of the JPG Lossless Rotation plug-in for IrfanView and it is working properly.

Mr. Irfan Skiljan informs me that he will post this updated version of the plug-in to the IrfanView plug-ins page within the next day or so.


- Ignatz
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rayw
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« Reply #25 on: August 28, 2010, 03:27:50 PM »

Thanks for posting, Ignatz. I use and recommend Irfan view - have done so for years.

Best wishes,

Ray
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Jules
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« Reply #26 on: August 30, 2010, 09:58:54 AM »

I use CS4 and save as Tif usually. I have never been able to make the Qimage recognise the size that I saved at and always have to choose it again and have found this annoying but never thought to complain about it, i just got used to doing it. but it sure would be nice if Original Size actually worked.
Jules
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Terry-M
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« Reply #27 on: August 30, 2010, 10:16:57 AM »

Hi Jules,
Quote
but it sure would be nice if Original Size actually worked
Operator error I suspect  Roll Eyes
Select the Custom size option and Original Size in the list there. make sure Override Embedded size is not ticked. That is the usual problem.
Why mess about with embedded image sizes whan Qimage is designed primarily to work with linear dimensions (ins or mm) for print sizes? Leave the original image alone, certainly do not re-size (interpolate) in any other program and set the print size & crop in Qimage.
Qimage remembers the crop for that image & size, you can save the job, etc, etc ... it is so much easier and a more efficient work flow.  Wink
Terry
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Fred A
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« Reply #28 on: August 30, 2010, 10:20:17 AM »

Quote
I use CS4 and save as Tif usually. I have never been able to make the Qimage recognise the size that I saved at and always have to choose it again and have found this annoying but never thought to complain about it, i just got used to doing it. but it sure would be nice if Original Size actually worked.

Jules,
Original size works perfectly in my computer.
I have some tifs saved in CS5, and and some from CS4.
There are some items that need to be set correctly in Qimage Custom, Original size.
Make sure the checkmark is NOT in Override.
Say yes, if Qimage advises that your image is larger than the page, do you want to use multiple pages.

Works perfectly.
Both of the attached images were 240 ppi from Photo Shop.

Fred
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Owen Glendower
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« Reply #29 on: August 30, 2010, 01:27:50 PM »

The first is a very fine program called Exiftool (currently at version 8.28) which allows all sorts of clever reading and manipulations of the .jpg file header information.  This program is the be-all, do-all where file header manipulations are concerned.  The downside to this program is that it does not have a graphical user interface.  This means using it on command lines.  I admit that this is something of a problem for the casual user.
ExifToolGUI (http://freeweb.siol.net/hrastni3/foto/exif/exiftoolgui.htm) isn't a perfect solution, but so far, it's been sufficient for my needs.
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