Output from Sigma DP cameras

[Tim]

I posted this in the post process forum and got no response, I thought perhaps it belongs in the printing forum, so here is the question --

If the final destination of a Foveon image is a Fuji mini lab 8 x 10 or other size, should the image be resampled for 300dpi for best output?

Sigma Photo Pro saves as 180dpi with no other option of output that I can see, and I can understand this from the viewpoint of large format inkjet printing. I know many of the RIPs employed on photo imagers would deal with the image so is it just best left at its "native" res as saved by SSP? I can import to other packages via tiff to resample with no loss of course.

On the subject of Fuji Minilabs should we send a tiff or will a HQ jpg be just as good?
My guess is there is no need for the extra colour space offered by the tiff.

Thoughts?

 

[vjr]

Hello Tim, did you ever got replay to your question regarding Sigma DP printing? I would be interested as I want to have prints made from my Sigma DP2M. Kind regards, vjr

 

[Tim]

Hello Tim, did you ever got replay to your question regarding Sigma DP printing? I would be interested as I want to have prints made from my Sigma DP2M. Kind regards, vjr

Hi vjr,

the only real response I got was in this thread - http://www.getdpi.com/forum/533336-post9.html

I was a nuisance and re-posted the question there. I can only guess that the native SPP output is 180dpi because most inkjets are 360dpi I think. So perhaps the output is tailored around inkjet printing.

How this relates to what a 300dpi Fuji Minilab will do is a bit unclear but the poster on the other page says its unimportant. One extra layer is these minilabs are run with a RIP software in front of the printing process. I suspect it does some kind of action on the file.

 

[Rand47]

I think what Jim was trying to tell you (and perhaps why you've not received much response) is that the output dpi from any software (at the image's native resolution) is completely meaningless. It is only how that software expresses an image size with the available pixel dimensions of the file.

Some printers "do better" IQ wise when fed a certain dpi. Epson, for instance, "likes" 360 dpi, or 720 dpi. If the native resolution of my desired print size falls below 360, I up sample to 360. If it exceeds 360 by a healthy amount, I'll up sample to 720. But this is done for me automatically, and on the fly, by Lightroom's print module.

Making an 8x10" print from any DPM file will have significant "overkill" in terms of information to send to he printer.

So, for your case, to keep it simple, I think it would be reasonably safe to say that if, at the desired print size, the native file size/resolution would allow "equal to or greater than" 180 dpi, you'll get decent to excellent IQ on the print.

It isn't necessary to up/down sample for each print size you wish to make, unless when making large prints you get below 180.

Rand