Newbie Question: Processing RAWs (.NEFs) – Image Size Reduction Necessary?

A
Posted By
anonymous1
May 14, 2005
Views
243
Replies
1
Status
Closed
Newbie Question: Processing RAWs (.NEFs) – Image Size Reduction Necessary? I intend to edit my RAW (.NEF) files from my Nikon D70 in Nikon Capture and/or Adobe Photoshop and rendering the final shots as JPEGs at 300dpi for printing at a commercial printer (mostly for 4X6 prints). When I printed samples out on my cheap bubblejet printer, I had to of course include the step of reducing the image size in PhotoShop to 4X6 for printing purposes. It’s my understanding that commercial printers use software to automatically reduce the image size for printing. (I assume this because in the past when I had shot 5 megapixel JPEGs in my cheap digital pocket camera, I never reduced the image size before I dropped off the JPEGs for commercial printing).
MY QUESTIONS: 1) Is it recommended that I reduce the image size of the JPEGs I create from the RAWs to 4X6 or should I just skip that step and let the commercial printers software do it for me? 2) If I don’t reduce the image size myself, am I reducing the quality of the JPEGs I render by in essence having the JPEGs being compressed twice….once when I make the JPEGs and once by the commercial printer’s software? Hard drive space is not an issue and I’d rather skip reducing the image size if it really doesn’t matter. Thanks in advance for you input.

How to Master Sharpening in Photoshop

Give your photos a professional finish with sharpening in Photoshop. Learn to enhance details, create contrast, and prepare your images for print, web, and social media.

T
Tacit
May 14, 2005
In article <8e423$4286395f$d1cc59a3$>,
"anonymous1" wrote:

MY QUESTIONS: 1) Is it recommended that I reduce the image size of the JPEGs I create from the RAWs to 4X6 or should I just skip that step and let the commercial printers software do it for me? 2) If I don’t reduce the image size myself, am I reducing the quality of the JPEGs I render by in essence having the JPEGs being compressed twice….once when I make the JPEGs and once by the commercial printer’s software? Hard drive space is not an issue and I’d rather skip reducing the image size if it really doesn’t matter. Thanks in advance for you input.

It’s not clear what you mean by "commercial printing."

When you say "commercial printing," do you mean you are printing the image on a printing press, or do you mean you are having photographic prints made?

If it’s the former, you should not be saving in PEG at all. If the latter, send the full-resolution JPEG; it will not be re-compressed during the process of being scaled by the photographic imager.


Art, photography, shareware, polyamory, literature, kink: all at http://www.xeromag.com/franklin.html

How to Improve Photoshop Performance

Learn how to optimize Photoshop for maximum speed, troubleshoot common issues, and keep your projects organized so that you can work faster than ever before!

Related Discussion Topics

Nice and short text about related topics in discussion sections