Magazine cover via (Breeze System) HotFolder: overlay (png) sizing/placement issues

<p>Hey. I know this is mostly a wedding photographer's site, but I'm hoping there are a few with experience printing on location, with a .png overlay, and even some experience with the Mitsubishi CP-D70DW printer. So here's the issue:<br /><br /> I'm using "Hot Folder" (by Chris Breeze of Breeze Systems) on Windows 7 Professional OS with Breeze Browser Pro (same company) to feed the watched "hot folder" that sends the selected images to the printer. <br /> <br /> In a couple of weeks, I'll be making portraits in an elaborate set, printing 8x10s with a magazine's cover design overlayed onto each portrait. <br /> They are for an event sponsored by the magazine, and are constructed to look like a typical cover of that magazine.<br /> <br /> I've made a .PNG file with the magazine's custom header that is sized to exactly match a "Large/Fine" jpg from a D300s, which is 2848x4288 @ 300ppi in a vertical orientation. So both the camera file and the overlay.png are exactly the same size/resolution/orientation. <br /> <br /> So far, I've been able to make the combined jpg and png files print at 8x10 correctly oriented to each other, but HotFolder and/or my Mitsubishi <a href="http://www.mitsubishi-imaging.com/cp-d70dw/" target="_blank">CP-D70DW</a> seem to be cropping from both the top and bottom of the finished "magazine cover" image. <br /> <br /> I'd like to have the image automatically cropped from <em>only</em> the bottom of the image, which would make composing each portrait much easier, as I would have a clear, camera defined edge on three sides, and the least important part of the image isolated at the bottom, where there are a few smaller logos of other sponsors.<br /> <br /> Can anyone tell me how to fix the position of the images in the Hot Folder preferences, to consistently and automatically orient the print and overlay.png to exactly the top and sides of the camera generated, portrait oriented jpg that is dropped into the "Watched Folder", and to crop from the bottom edge only, the minimum amount necessary to fill the 8x10?<br /> <br /> Thank you! I'll be happy to clarify any points that seem vague in this request.<br /> <br /> Tom Meyer</p>

<p>like this...</p><div></div>

<p>Hi Tom, no first-hand knowledge on this particular printer, but I've worked with various dye sub machines before.</p>

<p>In general, the printer drivers usually have a "scaling" setting, or something along that line. You'd think that with the rigid print head, there is no need to change, but sometimes the paper feeds a little off-center, so "scaling" up a bit will overprint the paper, eliminating the white edge. In your case, the scaling might be set too high. So anyway, check the driver for a scaling option.</p>

<p>With respect to where the printer crops from, try changing the driver between "roll paper" vs "8x10 sheet" (assuming you have this option). I've never understood the point of it, but on some machines this changes the cropping point between center of the sheet vs the leading edge. I'm sure there is a reason, I just don't know what it is. So if you have this option, give it a try.</p>

<p>If the real issue is combining the overlay plus camera image, then I don't have any ideas.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

<p>Thanks Bill, you've given me some (hopefully) good ideas... t </p>

<p>Yes, hopefully.</p>

<p>BTW, if you want a useful test image, try this: In Photoshop, etc., put a cross in the center of the image, then another halfway in four directions - up, down, left, and right. For example, your images are 4288 pixels long, so it would be split into quarters, at 1072, 2144, and 3216 pixels (double check my math). After you make a test print, you can use a ruler to see how far off the center cross is.</p>

<p>To find how much of the image was lost (to overprinting), measure from center to one of the quarter points. You know that the edge of the image should be that same distance past the quarter point. So, for example, if that hypothetical edge should be a quarter inch past the print edge, you would know that a quarter inch of image had been cut off at that point.</p>

<p>Once you print the image, 5 minutes with a ruler and calculator will show exactly what's going on, alignment-wise.</p>