[Glenn Kroeger Participant Posts: 15]

Epson Printers

on: April 24, 2020 at 12:41 am

Kevin or Dano:  Can either of you comment on an appropriate way to sharpen images in preparation for printing via Epson Print Layout software? I use Pixel Genius sharpening in PS, and the built in sharpening in Lightroom. I am assuming that Epson Print Layout doesn’t do any sharpening itself, but since you can resize the image in Print Layout, it’s not clear exactly what approach to sharpening one should take.

[Jeff Schewe Gold Member Posts: 136]

Re: Sharpening for Epson Print Layout?

Reply #1 on: April 24, 2020 at 3:17 am

<p style=”text-align: left;”>Well, you could set up your prints in Lr using a template and use Save to File and use Lr’s output sharpening. That’s what I’ve done when using the Epson software :-)</p>

[Rand Scott Adams Silver Member Posts: 287]

Re: Sharpening for Epson Print Layout?

Reply #2 on: April 24, 2020 at 5:09 pm

Interesting.  I’m a LR and Photoshop user, and based on Jeff’s view of and recommendation regarding the general excellence of LR’s soft proof capability and Print Module, I now print pretty much only out of Lightroom.  So, I would ask “why?”  That is, why use Epson’s Print Layout at all?

Jeff’’s suggested work-around would surely do the trick, but why?  I’ve looked at Epson’s Print Layout, and used it to make several prints to get a feel for the functionality.  As far as I can see, it brings precisely nothing to the table that Lightroom’s Print Module doesn’t already do better.  My occasion to use it, as it happens, is very recent.  In trying to run to ground some issues with my new SC P7570 printer I made test prints through the Epson Print Layout only to rule out there being an interface problem with the 7570’s driver and LR or PS.  The Epson Print Layout has a nice looking interface, and OK functionality, but that’s about it as far as I could see.

Is there a reason you want or need to use Epson’s Layout rather than LR?

Rand

Rand Scott Adams Rand47

[Kevin Raber Silver Member Posts: 1324]

Re: Sharpening for Epson Print Layout?

Reply #3 on: April 24, 2020 at 9:39 pm

Epson Print Layout is for those that don’t get printing if that makes sense. It’s made for the casual JPEG shooter or mobile app user.  Essentially it is an easy way to print without the fuss.  If you are familiar with LR or PS and printing from these programs then you wouldn’t be changing.

There a ton of photographers that have never printed.  The layout app allows them to make a few choices and push the print button.  It opens printing to a whole new group.

Kevin Raber
Owner and Publisher of photoPXL

[Andrew Rodney Participant Posts: 427]

Re: Sharpening for Epson Print Layout?

Reply #4 on: April 25, 2020 at 12:00 pm

Download a demo of Qimage One, try its output sharpening. VERY impressive.

Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management" (pluralsight.com)”

[Kenneth Sky Participant Posts: 15]

Re: Sharpening for Epson Print Layout?

Reply #5 on: April 25, 2020 at 12:41 pm

I dropped out of Adobe’s apps when their business model changed. I found Capture One to not be intuitive for me and have settled on Luminar 4 and Affinity Photo. Both of these have no built-in printing module so I rely on Epson Print Layout. I am not a casual printer and the OP’s question is very pertinent to me.

[Rand Scott Adams]

Re: Sharpening for Epson Print Layout?

Reply #6 on: April 25, 2020 at 12:55 pm

Kenneth Sky wrote:

I dropped out of Adobe’s apps when their business model changed. I found Capture One to not be intuitive for me and have settled on Luminar 4 and Affinity Photo. Both of these have no built-in printing module so I rely on Epson Print Layout. I am not a casual printer and the OP’s question is very pertinent to me.

Are you able to soft proof in these applications?  I know Epson Print Layout allows color management via ICC selection, but not soft proofing.  That would make your scenario very sub-optimal for the way I work.  Or am I missing something in your process?

Rand

Rand Scott Adams Rand47

• This reply was modified 4 years, 4 months ago by Rand Scott Adams.

[Kenneth Sky Participant Posts: 15]

Re: Sharpening for Epson Print Layout?

Reply #7 on: April 25, 2020 at 7:54 pm

Affinity allows for soft proofing but not Luminar 4. But let’s get back to output sharpening.

[Rand Scott Adams Silver Member Posts: 287]

Re: Sharpening for Epson Print Layout?

Reply #8 on: April 26, 2020 at 9:28 pm

Kenneth Sky wrote:

Affinity allows for soft proofing but not Luminar 4. But let’s get back to output sharpening.

s

Sorry Kenneth,

Didn’t mean to sidetrack your post.  I was just genuinely  interested in your overall work flow.

Rand

Rand Scott Adams Rand47

[Jeff Schewe Gold Member Posts: 136]

Re: Sharpening for Epson Print Layout?

Reply #9 on: April 27, 2020 at 6:58 pm

Kenneth Sky wrote:

But let’s get back to output sharpening.

Well, you’ll have to accomplish what PhotoKit Sharpener or Lightroom does for output sharpening. The process in PK Sharpener of course won’t work in other apps besides Photoshop. Several 3rd party plug-ins also rely on Photoshop. So, using independent software is limited sharpening designed to output sharpen. You’ll have to figure out how to “roll your own”…

Several aspects you’ll need to keep in mind;

1st, you can’t really evaluate output sharping on your display. The display–even a 5K display is simply too low a resolution device. Screen dithering to show different image sizes ruins the accuracy of image detail. This applies not only to sharpening but also noise reduction. The only way to evaluate the sharpening via trial and error and examination and comparison. Looking at an image at 100% (one screen pixel for one image pixel) will never accurately show what an image will look like printed. Properly output sharpened images will look over sharpened. You’ll just have to test, test & test if you try to sharpen on your own. That’s what Bruce Fraser and I did when he designed PK Sharpener…many, many hundreds of prints!

2nd, you’ll need to sharpening images at their final exact size and image resolution. Resizing will change the relationship of the pixels and alter the final output.

3rd, different media will require different sharpening. Glossy media that shows substantial detail will need to be sharpened differently than matte paper and textured watercolor paper.

Finally, output sharpening is the 3rd phase of optimal image sharpening. The first two are capture sharpening–usually done in the raw processor and creative sharpening which is usually done locally. It’s only when the first two are properly done and the image is resized and at final resolution can you do output sharpening…

Good luck…sone you don’t use the same software I do, I really can’t give you any recipes…

[Kenneth Sky Participant Posts: 15]

Re: Sharpening for Epson Print Layout?

Reply #10 on: April 29, 2020 at 5:05 pm

Jeffe,

Is what you are saying, that with my workflow, I will have to wait for Epson to insert an output sharpening algorithm in Print Layout or for Affinity or Luminar to acquire a print module with sharpening in it? (Sorry for the long-winded sentence)

Ken

 

[Rand Scott Adams Silver Member Posts: 287]

Re: Sharpening for Epson Print Layout?

Reply #11 on: April 29, 2020 at 5:24 pm

Rand Scott Adams Rand47

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