DPI for Epson 1800?

[Ben Altman]

I've been setting up my process for digital negatives with my recently aquired R1800. Today it occurred to me: with the smaller droplets this printer uses compared to my 2200, should I use a higher resolution file? I've been using the 360 dpi that I started with back in the Burkholder days (now using QuadTone RIP).

Has anyone investigated or tested this?

Thanks!

Ben

 

[mkochsch]

I've been setting up my process for digital negatives with my recently aquired R1800. Today it occurred to me: with the smaller droplets this printer uses compared to my 2200, should I use a higher resolution file? I've been using the 360 dpi that I started with back in the Burkholder days (now using QuadTone RIP).

Has anyone investigated or tested this?

Thanks!

Ben

No. In Photoshop use 360 DPI. The Epson print head is still patterned on multiples of 720 (i.e. 1440, 2880, 5760). 360 is actually overkill, but gives better resolution than 180. I think I read somewhere the Kodak uses around 240 (?) in their commercial equipment as the print resolution. The issue is actually more complicated with inkjets because the dots are ganged together in different sizes depending on the colour they are trying to print. Maybe someone who knows more can chime in on this one.

 

[Ben Altman]

Thanks! Now I know where those weird Epson resolution numbers come from, and why 360 is the magic number. Another mystery solved on the way to the perfect print...

Ben