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My normal print size is 13X19 - I settled on that because at smaller sizes I couldn't tell as much about the technical quality of the image for selling purposes and besides they look more dramatic - but it does cost more in paper and ink and time to print.
I happened to have some 8.5X11 (A4) paper in the printer recently for a specific project and so used it to make some prints from the recent trip to Tofino and in doing so observed something I had seen before - prints made that small on matte paper don't look sharp, even though they look fine at larger sizes, viewed from the same distance.
I think there are two things going on.
First, there is a limit to the resolution of inkjet prints and perhaps we are getting close to that with the detail in a high pixel count image when the print is small (the drivers interpolate downwards and the inks bleed into the paper).
The second reason is that with large pixel count images, I am output sharpening with pksharpener at 300 dpi with a print size roughly 13X19 from my 1Ds2. By the time the print is downsized to 8.5X11 I am probably losing all of the output sharpening benefit. I'm going to try an experiment downsizing the image for small prints, then doing output sharpen and see if there is a substantial difference.
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Hi George,
I actually have noticed just the opposite using PKS, but may be doing something slightly different than your workflow. I too usually print on 13x19 paper (usually at arounf 11x14-ish), but I even make 4x5 prints on Epson premium Semigloss which people seem to really like. They like the intamacy and sometimes they have actually even preferred a small hand held image.They do not seem to be stuck in our "wall art" mode of thinking.
Mine (small prints) always look crisper and sharper in this small size. I do however, down size the flattened file for printing at 300ppi to the actual printing dimensions with photoshop. Maybe this is the difference. Bicubic sharper really seems to crispen them up as well. I then apply PKS output inkjet sharpening. Seems to work great and the image seems to pop right off the paper without it looking over sharpened. Would love to hear how your change of workflow with PKS works out.
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