Printing with large amount of blown out highlights - leave or modify?

[cm olsen]

I want to print the attached image. Obviously I want the background VERY white,

but I'm wondering if I leave the RGB settings at 255 for all channels, will I

get a thresholdy effect in the highlight areas? Stated differently, if I set

the RBG channels to say 250 (where presumably some dye makes it to the paper),

will there be a better transition into the darker regions? Ideally I would like

the background to be as white as possible, but don't want to make the photo look

weird as a result.

 

I plan on printing to true black and white paper at mpix.com.

 

Thanks,

-C<div></div>

[j_sevigny]

For this kind of composition, the blown highlights (an exaggerated concern anyway) seem fine. On my monitor at least, it looks like you need to open up the face a little.

[kiro]

it's been my experience that once you get the print behind glass, the blown out areas (e.g.

ink free) no longer are a factor... i agree though with J - it looks like you have an almost total

loss of detail on the left side... i calibrated my monitor about a week ago, BUT it's a small

jpg...

[thomas_sullivan]

I print my own stuff, and I habitually set my output levels to 250...sometime even 245 dpending on the paper. What it really does is decreases the difference in "sheen" between the paper reflectance and the ink reflectance

[anna_nielsen]

Unless you want the image (face) to be so dark a lack detail you need to open it up. Try curves adjust. layer - (just click ok) set to screen and paint back the face on a layermask (you can then adjust opacity). That way you also get a white background. Try it. anna

[anna_nielsen]

Sorry - you dont want to paint back face but just some of the blow highkights on his head wit a low poacity brush and then try som highlight /shadow. .That shoud get you a open face and a pur white background.

[anna_nielsen]

Maybe you think this is written in some kind of code :-) well it isent - im just very very tired. anna

[cm olsen]

Thanks for all of the input everyone. It's not quite the final image - just wanted to post what I had to illustrate my point. Anna - what really looks like code is the filename of the image :^).

 

I will take the advice of opening up the face.

 

-C

[j_sevigny]

Anna's version is an improvement but I think, respectfully, that she may have gone a little too far as grain now seems to be an issue.