RE: filmscanners: pixels, printer dots, etc

["michael shaffer" <rarewolf@roadrunner.nf.net>]

Ken writes ...

> ...
> On page 67 of that book he shows a tiny 32 pixel image scaled to 5
> dpi.  It's printed as a 6.4 inch graphic with pixels that are,
> obviously, 1/5 inch in size.  My question is, what does this say about
> print resolution? The printer is obviously using a certain number of
> dots to produce one pixel.  Is this number of dots specified simply by
> selecting the print resolution in the printer driver menu?

  You are pretty much correct, but one printer might allow you to choose
"draft" mode without referencing any dpi, while another will allow you to
choose 180dpi (draft) or 360 ... or 720 ... or 1440 ... you get the idea.

  But it's not as simple as this either.  Depending on the printer and the
driver which translates your pixels/inch into dots on paper (e.g., HP's
method, Epson's method, Postscript's method), the software will have to
resample your pixels ... which may beg the question ... "If I want to avoid
resampling artifacts, is there an optimum res to send to the printer?"  In
some cases the answer is "yes".

shAf  :o)