Setting Nikon D80 to DPI 300 for print

[amirra]

I have a D80 Nikon from like 2006 and want to know how to set up the DPI to 300 so I can create print worthy pictures. Does anyone know how? I'm looking to print to clothes

[mike_halliwell]

The D80 has a 10MP sensor of 3872 x 2592. At 300 DPI, that's 12.9" x  8.6".

At native size, you'd be printing pocket handkerchiefs?   😉

To resize it, you'll need to use some additional software. 

To get the best from the D80, you'll need to take RAW files and convert them. That conversion software will allow resizing.

Nikon used to have a RAW convertor but the current (free) version may not go back to 2006. Nikon ViewNX didn't go beyond Win 7 officially and I suspect it's replacement may not work for D80 files. 

I'm sure someone else here can chip in, some of them like using older models.

8 hours ago, amirra said:

print to clothes

You have a printer that will handle fabric? The weave density and fabric/ink 'bleed' makes 300DPI an irrelevant overkill, more like 72DPI.

 

[hans_janssen1]

DPT settings are usefull for PS ed for giving you the printsize, but don't change anything at the real file size.

[rodeo_joe1]

Pixels have no size! Not until they're given one by viewing or printing. 

DPI settings are only applicable in an image editor or other printer software. The camera couldn't care less about what size you're going to print its pictures - unless you print directly from the camera using 'Pictbridge' or some such technology.

As an experiment, I once printed the same view at A3 size; one taken with a 6MP bridge camera, and the other taken seconds later with a 12MP DSLR. I showed the prints to about 50 people and their pick of which camera took which shot was no more than a random 50/50. In fact many of them preferred the bridge-camera shot because the colour was slightly more saturated. 

So, IMO you'll have no trouble printing straight to A3 size. That's about 11" x 16". Even higher if you use some specialist upsizing software. 

Addendum: Printing onto cloth is going to lose any fine definition in the picture anyway. So using a higher resolution camera would probably be completely wasted when printed onto, say, a T-shirt. 

Edited November 18, 2022 by rodeo_joe1

[hapien]

With textile printing it is all the same what resolution setting of D200 one uses.

Latest Nikon RAW-software supports many cameras all the way to year 1999. D200 included. DPI can be set into images here.

If one is after posterisation effects often seen in textile printing, photoshop or gimp might be more suitable. DPI can be set into images here.

[joseph_smith3]

On 11/18/2022 at 1:22 AM, mike_halliwell said:

The D80 has a 10MP sensor of 3872 x 2592. At 300 DPI, that's 12.9" x  8.6".

At native size, you'd be printing pocket handkerchiefs?   😉

To resize it, you'll need to use some additional software. 

To get the best from the D80, you'll need to take RAW files and convert them. That conversion software will allow resizing.

Nikon used to have a RAW convertor but the current (free) version may not go back to 2006. Nikon ViewNX didn't go beyond Win 7 officially and I suspect it's replacement may not work for D80 files. 

I'm sure someone else here can chip in, some of them like using older models.

You have a printer that will handle fabric? The weave density and fabric/ink 'bleed' makes 300DPI an irrelevant overkill, more like 72DPI.

 

The current version of Nikon NX  Studio should be able to read a D80 RAW or jpeg or tiff file. Just download it and its manual from Nikonusa dowload enter. In the  manual for NX studio Printing is explained starting on page 213-214. 

 

If you have saved to your computer previous versions of Nikon's free RAW processor, Nikon Capture NX-D or Capture NX2 these programs can be used to prepare D80 files for printing. 

[mike_halliwell]

17 minutes ago, joseph_smith3 said:

Nikon NX  Studio should be able to read a D80 RAW

Yup, you've just gotta be on 64 bit Win 10 or higher, but most people are now.....😉

Interestingly, Camera Control Pro 2 now 'goes' no further back than the D90 and Win 10/11 64 bit. It used to, but post Win 7 all previous models weren't supported.

[glen_h]

JPEG files usually have a printable DPI number, even if it doesn't mean anything.

As for printing on cloth, there are two ways that I know of.

One is to get printable material that you then transfer to cloth. 

That is, iron on or use a dry-mount press, to transfer it.

 

The other way, that works for cloth that isn't already part of something,

is to print directly onto cloth.

Using freezer paper and heat (such as a household iron) attach the cloth

to the paper.  Then cut a rectangle (usually) out of it, and put it into

and inkjet printer, cloth side toward the ink.

 

Works very well.  After printing, peel off the paper.

I have used this for making a quilt. As well as I know it, the images

are washable, though it might be better not to wash them.

 

Best to wash the cloth before printing.

[mike_halliwell]

On 11/17/2022 at 10:30 PM, amirra said:

I have a D80 Nikon from like 2006 and want to know how to set up the DPI to 300 so I can create print worthy pictures. Does anyone know how? I'm looking to print to clothes

That was the initial question.

The only 'size' that matters is the print size, ie 30 x 20 cms or A4 or somesuch. The max DPI you're going to get printing direct to fabric is about 72DPI.

The transfer-to-fabric will get you to ~150 DPI.

Good enough for quilts and posterized T shirts but not much more. Fabric is just not a high-res substrate. The fibre nature bleeds badly, ink runs along the fibres and spreads to the adjacent fibres which is very hard to stop.

There are dedicated fabric printers that print on pre-coated textiles, but they are more for producing upholstery fabrics etc, not fine art.