Preparing Image for LightJet

[arthuryeo]

Hi all,

I am intending to try out my 1st LightJet print, most likely a 16x20"

for one of my D2X RAW landscape images. If you're familiar with this

process, could you share with me (or us) how you prep your image?

 

I have submitted and printed 20x30" lab prints before but they were

all regular digital prints on Fuji Crystal Archival and Kodak Endura

papers, and I believe the machine was probably Fuji Frontier.

 

Looking forward to your experiences. Also, let me know which paper you

prefer.

 

Thanks,

[freehueco]

<p>Well, I operate a Lightjet at <a href="http://www.calypsoinc.com/">work</a>, so

here's the general setup:</p><br>

<br>

<p>Make your image look good (hopefully you are working on a calibrated monitor).

Size the file at 20x30 @304.8 dpi (if the file is smaller, just make sure that it comes to at

least 200 dpi at 20x30 for decent results. the machine does a pretty good job of

interpolation).</p>

 

Sharpen the image slightly. Don't go too far!

 

Add a border if you so choose. If you do add a border; add a 4 pixel black stroke mark

around the border.

 

Profile the image if the lab has a profile for the paper surface you want.

 

As for paper surface: I greatly perfer matte. If you like shiny things, check out metallic...

 

Mike

[arthuryeo]

I think one of the things which still seem pretty vague to me is the "Sharpen the image slightly." And, I read this in many places.

 

How far is enough for LightJet? What is enough when I view it at 100% in PS/CS2? Can you please elaborate a little on this?

 

Thanks for your help, Mike.

[marshall]

All output methods inevitably soften the image slightly. Some soften more than others. As a result, "output sharpening" is both required and also it is required to be applied differently to achieve a similar apparent sharpness in the final print.

 

I find that assessing prints at 100% on screen usually results in me undersharpening the image, since it essentially represents a greater degree of enlargement (unless you are printing at very low ppi). So I have chosen to view images at 50% while sharpening. [it is important to view at a nice, even multiple in order to avoid aliasing effects; you simply can't judge sharpness at 33.3% or 42.8% or any other percentage that shares image pixels across screen pixels that unevenly.]

 

Then, the image should look crisp on screen. If you were printing to inkjet, you might want it to look a little (just a little) oversharp, because the process introduces more softening. Lightjets are pretty sharp contone printers, so just make the image look nice and crisp and you'll get back pretty much what you want.

 

Another option, if you're interested, is to purchase a plug-in called Photokit Sharpener. It's made by Pixel Genius, and it applies a lot of built-up experience testing various input and output methods to the job of sharpening. It has settings for contone and inkjet output at various resolutions. Ultimately, it doesn't do anything you couldn't do on your own in PS, but it'd take a lot of testing to figure out all the amounts.

 

Good luck.

[scott_eaton]

<I>Size the file at 20x30 @304.8 dpi (if the file is smaller, just make sure that it comes to at least 200 dpi at 20x30 for decent results. the machine does a pretty good job of interpolation).</i><P>Then why are telling him to resize it then? Which way is it?<P>I do a lot of LightJet and Lambda printing, and never upsize my images to 304dpi. Labs tell me it's a waste of time because the LightJet does just as good as job with it's own proprietary upsizing, and given my own tests, it's true.<P>Fuji papers - better color saturation at the extremes, especially glossy Fujiflex which blows Kodak away in terms of extreme gamut range. <P>Kodak paper - better Dmax (stronger blacks). Use Fuji paper for very saturated subjects, but either work for pretty much anything else.

[alex_medeiros]

Scott -

 

I believe you have shared before your method/routine for preparing your files for lightjet and Frontier output. Would you mind giving a rundown on them again? I was not in a position to try this before but will be working with a digital SLR shortly. Thank you for your assistance.