Printers require 300 dpi - A different question/issue about 72 dpi

[writerinpjs]

Hello,

I've read through many of the threads on 300 ppi/dpi. I understand the solutions offered such as batch processing and how the printer will print the image size that equals the 300 dpi. However, I have a different issue. I purchased just this week a Rebel T5 with the assumption that I would be able to take 300 dpi images not 72. I create books for print and my printers require 300 dpi. They will not do the conversion. My options in the past have been film camera to CD (old, I know) or the iPhone. I was spending a lot of time in Photoshop getting the images to printer requirements. So imagine my dismay uploading the first batch of photos into Photoshop and seeing 72 dpi. Yes I was able to change them 300 - but this is exactly the production work I had hoped to not have by purchasing the new Rebel. 

There has got to be a better way?

Or is it a different digital camera I need to purchase?

Thank you for your help.

[ebiggs1]

Can you supply the name of the printer you are using?  I have nevre heard of a printer refusing a file because it wasn't at 300 DPI.   I am curious as I worked for Hallmark and thought I have seen them all.

What the others are trying to tell you is your camera is not saving the file at 72 DPI.  That happens when you look at it on your computer.

Canon has a gadget called PictBridge availible on your T5, which prints directly to printers without any computer at all.

It is easy to get confused by this DPI and image size thing but it is not the cameras fault.

You used an iphone? 

[writerinpjs]

All printers will send your files back if 72 DPI and magazines won't accept an image under 300 dpi if it's a print magazine. This is basic graphic design standards.

[cicopo]

We understand that but the camera OPERATOR appears to be the problem. Get back to what I asked about the file sizes. Once you download them to whatever device you are using that's where the problem starts. Something AFTER downloading is your problem and whether you believe us or not you need to re examine your work flow.

[writerinpjs]

"Whether I believe you or not"? Seriously?

Why are you taking that attitude? I am doing nothing other than trouble shooting an issue. And I've appreciated everything everyone has said. That attitudes surprise me a bit. This is a common issue.

My workflow is exactly as the person who showed the screenshots of how the photos show up in Photoshop is. It's is accurate to everything you have said.

I am simply facing that I will need to ammend my photos in photoshop to meet the requirements of printers even though I just invested in this camera hoping that not to be the case. You seem to think I don't get that the image quality is still there and it doesn't matter that it says 72 dpi. But I have gotten that the whole time. I see the quality. I know I can resize - I know I can change the dpi in photoshop. I just was hoping not to have to do that. 72 dpi shows up on the printers side if I don't force the issue by manually changing it. I'm disappointed - that is all. There is no workflow issue here unless you have a trick you would like to share that makes the resolution change to 300 dpi magically without manually changing it. That would actually be helpful.

[RobertTheFat]

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@writerinpjs wrote:

Basically a 72 dpi image does not print well. I was trying to become more professional by purchasing a camera that produces a higher resolution/printer acceptable photo. All designers have this issue now with digital cameras. I thought it was just the camera phones. Now I'm learning it's also an issue with an expensive digital camera. I'll figure something out. Probably will need to edit every photo in Photoshop. An extra step.

and

All printers will send your files back if 72 DPI and magazines won't accept an image under 300 dpi if it's a print magazine. This is basic graphic design standards.

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The point we're trying to get across to you is that a digital camera has at best a rudimentary understanding of what an "inch" is. The notion of "dpi" is added by a photo editor or by the software used to save the camera's image to a file on a computer.

When the printer balks, it's because you tell it to print a picture n inches wide, but don't provide enough pixels for the printer to use 350 of them per inch in each line of the printed image. So you have to find a way to provide the number of pixels the printer needs. If the camera doesn't have a setting that will give you the right number (and few cameras do, especially in RAW mode, which you ought to be using if you really care about image quality), then something else (usually a photo editor) has to do it. I know that's not what you want to hear, but lots of us have had lots of pictures printed on lots of high-resolution printers, so we sort of know what works. You've implied that you routinely work with professional print shops. Ask them to explain what they need and why. I'll bet they'll tell you pretty much what we've been saying.

BTW, in regard to one of your earlier posts: You can get fine images out of a T5 if you're careful and know what you're doing. But not by any stretch of the imagination is it a professional camera, nor does Canon make any claim that it is.

[writerinpjs]

Yes. This conversation has been interesting. I will be returning the camera. Thank you for helping me vet it out.

[Skirball]

Sorry, nothing personal, but it seems like you still don't get it, based on the above.  It has nothing to do with the camera, the resolution of that camera is about the same as most all the others out there.

Basically a 72 dpi image does not print well. I was trying to become more professional by purchasing a camera that produces a higher resolution/printer acceptable photo.

And you have it.  Your camera can print up to something like a  17" x 11" image at 300 dpi.  If you really want to go significantly higher than that you'll need either the Nikon 800 series, or medium format.

All printers will send your files back if 72 DPI and magazines won't accept an image under 300 dpi if it's a print magazine.

I guess.  I would think most printers would simply print it at 300 dpi if the resolution was sufficient.  It would take them seconds to fix it; presumably your printer understands things like DPI.

I am simply facing that I will need to ammend my photos in photoshop to meet the requirements of printers even though I just invested in this camera hoping that not to be the case.

 That's the point you seem to be missing.  It's not the camera, it's your post processing. 

This is interesting to me. So if I import the photo that says 72 dpi into my In Design document (I use creative suite in my design practice) ... it will no longer read as 72 dpi once I output to PDF for CMYK print?

I don't use In Design.  But if you have a document set at 300 dpi and you import an image at 72 dpi, it will be huge.  But if you resize that image to fit in the document then yes, I would expect the program to resample at the documents DPI.

There is no workflow issue here unless you have a trick you would like to share that makes the resolution change to 300 dpi magically without manually changing it. That would actually be helpful.

Magically?  No, but if you're waiting for magic you're in the wrong business.  However, most anyone that wants to play in the business should know how to use the Image Processor in Photoshop.  It takes about 10 seconds to setup and it'll chug through all the photos you give it, automatically.  Alternately, you could use Lightroom, which can automatically change your files to whatever DPI you want, upon import.  It's not going to get any more magical than that. 

Yes. This conversation has been interesting. I will be returning the camera. Thank you for helping me vet it out.

Ok, but any other camera you get will do the same thing.  Perhaps graphics layout just isn't your thing.

[ebiggs1]

Since you have InDesign, do you have the Suite?  If you do, you have Light Room.  And LR will automaticaly process all your photos to 300 DPI.  Almost without input from you or adding any additional steps.  Solution, problem solved and you and your printer will be happy.  

[cicopo]

I'll try to explain this 1 more time. I print at home & have (from digital cameras) since 1998, and I've had lots of photos published in magazines. According to a review I checked your camera outputs the same size files as the 7D I used to own & those files at maximum resolution (large fine jpg) measure 5184 pixels by 3456 pixels. Unless you are cropping or manipulating those files you should be able to send them to a printer AS IS because they are bigger than needed for a book or magazine print. The printer software will look after the rest without you needing to do anything. 280 DPI is a recommmended minimum for photo printing (assuming the photo will be viewed close up) but I don't think many books print at that high a DPI unless they are high end. 

Using a file from my 7D, which as I've pointed out is the same size your camera can produce I've done 2 screen captures, one showing the dimensions of a print from that file at 300 DPI & another showing what would happen if printed at 72 DPI.

You will notice that the same file will print at 72 X 48 inches if you do it using 72 DPI but at 300 DPI it will produce a very nice print measuring 17.28 X 11.52 inches.

Unless you are publishing a very large (not thick) book you have more than enough camera in the T5. .

[writerinpjs]

-- What the others are trying to tell you is your camera is not saving the file at 72 DPI.  That happens when you look at it on your computer. --

This is interesting to me. So if I import the photo that says 72 dpi into my In Design document (I use creative suite in my design practice) ... it will no longer read as 72 dpi once I output to PDF for CMYK print?

That would be great if that's the case.