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Why doesnt text & image print crisp & clean?


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Rhino1616

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Good evening,

Im creating a label for my CD, and I created the images with PS7 & then imported them into coreldraw in EPS format to do the text. (I heard that vector programs create cleaner, crisper text than bitmap programs,and my fonts are between 8 - 10 size). I added my text & some vector clipart then printed it directly from CorelDraw & the text & clipart was super crisp but the imported image was gritty, so I exported the entire file back into PS7 in Corel EPS format. I printed it in PS7 & the reverse happened: The image was nice & clean & the text was gritty. Am I importing/exporting in some wrong fashion, or there a way to have both my images & text come out crisp & clean?

Thanks for help
 
Hi Rhino1616! :)

When you import an eps file into Photoshop, it is going to be "rasterized". You would have seen a dialogue box like this one. If you set your image resolution to somewhere between 150-300, you shouldn't have a problem with print.

However, I would suggest you'll get equally good results if you use Photoshop for both your imagery & print. At least, this is the way that I do it. Photoshop's text tools work just like vector graphics in that they are scalable without loss of quality.

Generally speaking, vector graphics are used by commercial designers because (unlike raster files) they can be scaled without any loss of quality. However, because you produced your images in Photoshop (raster images) you might not have set your image resolution high enough for print purposes.

72 ppi is fine for web, but you're going to want at least 150 for desktop printing. ;)
 
Yup, Wendy's right. From PS you need to jack up the doc res. 300 minimum for anything.

Raster images are pixel based, and you need to jam as many pixels as you can into the smallest space possible... and uping the res to 300 means you're putting 300 pixels into a 1" space. And that means you'll get much higher quality/detail.
 
Thanks for the info guys, I had no idea that PS text was vector based, I might as well do the entire project in PS.

Thanks again for the help.
 
;) It's the way that I work Rhino1616 when "photos" are involved and, believe me, if you 'max up the resolution' (to 300 ppi - probably not necessary for a desktop printer) you won't be disappointed. ;) I've printed out 'art' (don't get out the magnifiying glass) almost as good as what commercial printers have produced for me. :)

Do yourself a favour though... run a test at various resolutions. 150-200-250-300 just to see the difference. I only say this, because there comes a point when you're sending too much pixel information to your printer and your printer has to make a decision to "dump pixels". Better to have the more intuitive PS software do that than your printer! :)
 
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