Re: Mega Pixel Myth

dennis@home wrote:
"acl" <achilleaslazarides@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:1179961767.603687.181640@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I've seen prints from a 80 euro epson printer (not so expensive), and,
besides it using dyes instead of pigments like the R800 (which doesn't
seem to affect image quality either way), I could not see much
difference (none whatsoever with the naked eye). So it's not the
price.

Ah well there is a difference.. try overlaying the dots on them.
Leave them in the sun for a week.

And if you know it, why did you keep insisting that 100ppi is all you
need?

Because it is for most people.
Its one hundreth of an inch on the print.. most people can't see much better.
If you like to argue about print quality then maybe it isn't.
But if you need that much quality inkjets are not what you want.

<snip>

This is really too funny.
I use an Epson R1800, an A3 printer but very similar to the Epson R800.
You should read this first:
http://www.crystalcanyons.net/pages/TechNotes/R800Printer.shtm
Then also consider that the people using the R800 for high resolution card printing of "stereo cards" don't know (or didn't know at the time) that resampling of the image prior to printing to a divisor of the native resolution does have a noticeable impact on the printed resolution that can be achieved. "Normally" that will be 360ppi for Epson, and 300 ppi for Canon / HP. The benefit of resampling above that can be seen, but practical benefit for normal photographs is pretty doubtful. 300 or 360 dpi (from 300 or 360 good pixels per inch) is about as good as anyone would normally want for small photographs. 100 dpi is not enough, but YMMV. You can save yourself the bother of resampling by using QImage software to do it automatically. Compared to Fuji Frontier / Crystal Archive light jet prints (300dpi), the Epson prints with 360dpi look at least as sharp and detailed, possibly more so. Dot pattern is not visible to the naked eye. With a loupe, dot pattern is visible, and appears very similar to film grain on frontier prints from scanned iso 100 colour negative, printed at 6x4, and I don't believe that grain has ever been considered an issue with 35mm iso 100 printed that small.
Under my microscope at ~50x, you can see that the ink droplets are quite defined - not "splattered" out. You can also see the effect of the part gimmick "RPM" optimised 5760 dpi mode (available with some desktop Epson printers) on drop placement. The RPM mode makes very little difference to the naked eye, except I get the impression that shadow detail seems somewhat improved.
Anyone disputing the quality of inkjet prints these days must have been asleep for a few years.
OTOH, the inkjet makers are fleecing everyone with exorbitant pricing. Canon and HP are now serious players in the inkjet game, so eventually there is hope that there will be some price competition.

.

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