First, I have some pixel art I want to resize to a much larger (printable) size in photoshop, but photoshop likes to automatically blur sharp edges... is there a way to turn that off so I can resize the pixel art and retain the sharp, pixelated look?
Second, I want to print this like poster size. I plan on going to kinkos or something to print it. What do I need to know about setting up the file? Ex: what's a good resolution (I hear 300 dpi), do I need to make the file CMYK instead of RGB? What format is best for printing and getting it to look as close as possible to the way it does on screen? Any other tips? Thanks.
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Anonymous2006-10-23 5:08
Convert to indexed colour first, then resize.
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Anonymous2006-10-23 7:34
You can also use nearest neighbour instead of bicubic when resizing. Just make sure that the resize is an integer multiple of the original, otherwise it'll look terrible.
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Anonymous2006-10-23 8:11
Or don't resize it but just save it with a very low dpi value, if that's what they use to determine the printing size.
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Anonymous2006-10-23 11:18
>>2
This converts the entire image? And will that affect anything else I do other than resizing?
>>3
Thanks, I remember seeing this once before and that was basically what I was looking for... just kind of forgot where the option was lol. And yeah, definitely going to keep it scaled properly.
>>4
The thing is I need a full resolution background behind the pixel art, so I still need the higher dpi for that.
Thanks for the replies so far. Can anyone add anything in about the printing process? Especially about colors- I hate how the colors never look the way they did on screen (which makes sense since screen colors are addative and printing are subtractive, but I know there have to be some tips for getting the colors to look right. :) Thanks again.
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Anonymous2006-10-23 15:01
I know some of you are graphic designers/wannabes and can help me out lol
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Anonymous2006-10-23 20:06
It's probably easiest to send the RGB data to the printer, and let them do the CMYK conversion. If in doubt, ask them.
you're absolutely right. on screen colors are not only terribly inaccurate, bt also vary between individual monitors.
a pantone matching system book or jim krause's color index book is the print reference to use when you want your output colors to be accurate. they contain printed examples of the currently possible colors with 4 color process (print) along with their cmyk formulae. the color index book is the cheaper option at around $25 american. i stole my pms book from the university, so i really can't tell you what they cost. they're probably quite overpriced.
if you're really serious (or perhaps even lazy)about output accuracy, you can get yourself a nice flat-crt monitor, like those old sony trinitrons or mitsubishis. these can be calibrated to be quite optically similar to print output. lately these have been going for reasonable prices due to a lack of demand for them. getting them well calibrated is a costly process, however.
Thanks for the advice, this will definitely help. I remember hearing about the color books but I wasn't sure what they were called or if that was what they were used for. I'll have to stop by the printers and ask them about that when I get a chance (just didn't want to seem like a complete noob and do as much on my part as I could ahead of time). Thanks again, and please have an internet on my behalf. :D
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Anonymous2006-10-24 4:41
>>8
You can get old Pantone reference sets off eBay for under $30 if you're lucky. Even if they're a few years old they're still usable (as long as they've been looked after and haven't faded, of course).
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Anonymous2006-10-24 8:08
RGB > CMYK (CMYK is only for Mac fanboys that think Macs are better than PCs for <insert task that PCs are better at, such as video editing, graphics processing, etc.>)
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Anonymous2006-10-24 9:17
>>11
You really are a clueless twat, aren't you? RGB is used for displays (on Macs, PCs, TVs, and just about anything else with a colour screen), CMYK is used for print (Ever used a colour printer? What four colours do you always find in them, be it toner, ink or film?). CMYK has nothing whatsoever to do with Macs or PCs (nor does RGB either; in fact they both pre-date computers). RGB and CMYK are just different colour models. If you're planning to take something from screen to print, you have to be aware of both, and know how colours in one will appear in another. What, do you think Macs have CMYK displays or something?
>>14
I might've taken your pointless rant more seriously if you hadn't failed so hard at spelling and punctuation (and pronunciation - it's more like "KUL-er" than "kol-or", regardless of accent).
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Anonymous2006-10-26 10:33
I work at a Kinko's.
First off if you take it there you pay $10 per square foot, which is about $60 for a 2ftx3ft poster, just fyi.
Secondly no one working at Kinko's knows how to color match and our oversize color printers like to randomly fudge the color.
Your best bet is save in RGB and CMYK mode because one or the other may work better depending on what printer they have. But printing large stuff in color is mostly a pain in the ass just fyi.
Good luck!
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Anonymous2006-10-26 17:11
I'm so tired of having to suffer the consequences when other people screw up.
First I had to call back and forth to our pharmacy and insurance company to straighten out one of Ethan's meds. The pharmacy only filled it for a 3 week supply. I know we got this drug authorized for a the full dose and I'm tired of paying a full copay for less than a month's medicine. But the pharmacy insisited that they tried and the insurance company wouldn't authorize it. So I called the insurance company, who claimed the pharmacy didn't run the claim right, and that it was authorized. So I had to call the pharmacy back, who insisted the insurance company had denied the full claim, but they'll try again, and oh yeah, it worked. Now Jete has to drive back to the pharmacy to get the rest of the dose.
So. Annoying.
Then I had to return a call to an ambulance company who claimed we owed them over $1000 from Ethan's trip home from the hospital in March. I explained that the hospital promised to cover those charges. The ambulance company said they had the same information, but no money had been sent. And if I didn't do something about it, we'd be held responsible for the full amount. So I called the hospital, and they put me on hold for about 10 minutes and came back to explain that they had sent the check, but the ambulance company lost it so they had to reissue it. But that everything was handled and we shouldn't be responsible. Then the ambulance company called back to apologize, and said everything was taken care of. But it isn't really. I'm stressed and tired and didn't want to waste half an hour of my work day dealing with this.