Printing From Model Picture

[Anonymous]

Hi,
I have created a rendering in Lightworks and trying to print from Model Picture window directly. The Print command prints the exact size that is on screen, I would like to fit the entire rendering into the printed page (8.5x11). Is there a setting that I can fit the picture to the window or force the entire picture into 8,5x11. The AC option in print manager does not show up in print dialog box. I do not have Photoshop on my system.
Thanks,
Joseph

[Dwight]

It is too late for this particular image to print directly.

Next time specifiy the actual image size in the rendering dialog box - image attached.

To print the existing image, copy and paste it into the plan view and take it from there - stretch to size and use the marquee to define the print area.

[Anonymous]

Joseph wrote:
I do not have Photoshop on my system.

Photoshop is relatively expensive - but sometimes Adobe has special offers - keep your eyes out. Some kind of post-editing software is 'essential'.

PaintshopPro (www.jasc.com) is a much cheaper (~100$) alternative, some things it actually (imho) does better than Photoshop (and some things less well - eg. masks).

For image size editing you MUST download (the freeware) Irfanview - which would solve your current problem. www.irfanview.com

HTH - Stuart

[Anonymous]

Dwight wrote:
Next time specifiy the actual image size in the rendering dialog box - image attached.

Thanks,
When I use Pixel instead of Inches how do I figure out the size of the picture it self that is is going to print out? Let say to 8.5"x11".
Thanks,
Joseph

[Anonymous]

StuartJames wrote:
[For image size editing you MUST download (the freeware) Irfanview - which would solve your current problem. www.irfanview.comHTH - Stuart

Thanks would be great but I am on Mac.
Joseph

[Dwight]

While pixels are the currency of digital imaging, once placed on paper, size and scale become important.

Depending on the resolution of your printer, no more than 150 pixels per inch are usually required. There's been a lot of nonsense about printer resolution lately, but that refers to the finnesse of ink dot dithering in the output, not the file information input.

For 8.5 x 11 inch images, you need no more than 1275 x 1600 pixels, but you also need to tell ArchiCAD 150 dpi.

Using the inches dialog instead of pixels, it becomes easier to predict size and resolution.

I vastly prefer resizing in the plan window however, as it allows me a quick layout with notemaking.....

[Anonymous]

Dwight wrote:
While pixels are the currency of digital imaging, once placed on paper, size and scale become important.

Depending on the resolution of your printer, no more than 150 pixels per inch are usually required. There's been a lot of nonsense about printer resolution lately, but that refers to the finnesse of ink dot dithering in the output, not the file information input.

For 8.5 x 11 inch images, you need no more than 1275 x 1600 pixels, but you also need to tell ArchiCAD 150 dpi.

Using the inches dialog instead of pixels, it becomes easier to predict size and resolution.

I vastly prefer resizing in the plan window however, as it allows me a quick layout with notemaking.....

Thanks Dwight, I am little more clear now, but I have always be confused about pixels... bought your wonderful book Illustration in ArchiCadand waiting for your book on LightWorks to come out. Still do not know the RELATIONSHIP between:

dpi
Resolution
ppi
Image Size
Sharpness
Megabit of file
MEGAPIXEL of camers
Thanks,
Joseph

[Dwight]

Pixel:
The basic unit of digital sampling. A dot.
Consists of either:
- bitmap: black or white 0 or 1 - "on" or "off"
- one channel : up to 256 levels of grey
- three channels :red, green, blue [fourth channel: masking, etc]
- four channels: defining colors for printing to paper.

ppi:
PIXELS PER INCH - where pixels actually get a real dimension.

Resolution
How many Pixels per inch there are - on a physical surface, not as abstract pixels in a file.....

Image Size
You mean in dimensions on a paper?
Right. That's it?

Sharpness:
Sharpness is a cheap trick to make up for the fact that all digital images are blurry. The photo processor does a number of tricks with the samples to make them define [yet smooth] edges and make surfaces smooth.

Applying Sharpness is only valid once you know the final output size and printing method. It is a way to decide what edges are and increase contrast in pixels adjacent to this edge. When printed, the edges will stand out instead of blurring back into the background.

Sharpening is a non-intuitive activity. This why I recommend an expensive tool called "Nik Sharpener Pro" [promotional consideration given] that will automatically sharpen an image for any given output situation. Once you have seen Nik operate however, you can apply similar effects with Photoshop's "Unsharp Mask" tool.

It is non-intuitive because when sharpening for paper, images look poor on screen - "videoed." When printed however, they look crisp.

The irony is that many ArchiCAD users think that they can compensate for blurriness by making more pixels. Once you've exceeded the limit of your printer - that's it. Edges need to be "sharpened," not pixels added.

Megabit of file:
This refers the the ultimate ability of the file to record color changes:
1 bit - B+W
8 bit -a file with 256 levels for each color - the traditional 16 million colors.
16bit - the next stage of subtlety with many more levels for each channels - able to represent a broader range of dark to light - common in professionnal photography. You'll see this more in coming years as displays get brighter [able to actually represent the increased subtlety] and in HDRI renderings.

Or did you mean Megabyte?:


MEGAPIXEL of camers:

How many pixels the camera makes. See:

www.dpreview.com for actual pixel sizes of images for any given camera.

dpi:
DOTS PER INCH: the number of color dots an inkjet printer can make from each color jet is 360. When you have four color jets, they individually put out 360 dots per inch. So that is always the absolute mechanical resolution of an inkjet printer.

But then "they" got clever. If you watch an inkjet printer work, you'll see how the colors are printed with many printhead passes where color squirts accumulate to form a vibrant image. The 360 dpi jets "dither" their two "picolitre" squirts of ink into a smooth image. This is how they can claim 2880 and other absurd "resolutions."

Abstract painters like Jackson Pollock used more paint than that. When drunk Jackson was splattering his paint [seed] on those canvasses, industry experts were calling them bassolitres.

The relationship of these things are simple mathematical expressions - it is confusing because the computer display is good at disguising how coarse an image is while paper does not lie. We are often disappointed by the printed result because it looked so good on the screen yet is only a thumbnail on the page.

Try exercises on grid paper if you can't easily visualize this....

[Anonymous]

Thanks and Thanks Dwight,
Waiting for LightWorks Book.
Joseph

[Dwight]

Writing the lightworks lighthouse exercise right now.