September 6, 2009 by Brad.

Greetings!

There is a common misconception that the correct “resolution” for images viewed on a monitor or the web is 72 ppi. One of the undesirable side-effects of believing this misconception is that it can lead you to get the wrong display of images with the View > Print Size command in your image editing application.

The problem is that View > Print Size depends on your application knowing the correct screen resolution and your screen resolution is probably not 72 ppi.

For example, the screen resolution of my laptop monitor is 147 ppi (1920 pixels over 13 inches). Let’s say I have an image that will print 6” x 4”. By default, View > Print Size displays this on my laptop at 2.94 x 1.96. Why? Because Photoshop thinks my screen resolution is 72 ppi (the mythical default number). So, by default, View > Print Size displays images at 72/147 = 49% of real size.

In Photoshop, you can set the screen resolution in Edit > Preferences > Units & Rulers > Screen Resolution. Setting mine to 147 results in View > Print Size correctly displaying the image at 6” x 4” on  the screen.

To determine your monitor’s screen resolution, just measure the width of the displayed area in inches and divide that number into the pixel width of your display settings. For example, suppose your display settings are 1600 x 1200 pixels and you measure the width of the displayed area as 13.9 inches. Then your screen resolution is 1600 / 13.9 = 115 ppi. Using that setting in Photoshop will produce the correct image size with the View > Print Size command.

It’s a good idea to verify that you have the right setting by placing a 6″ x 4″ photo up to the screen and comparing. If the image on the screen is smaller, then increase the screen resolution setting. If it is larger, then decrease the screen resolution setting.

NOTE: If you’re using a CRT monitor, be aware that the vertical screen resolution can be different than the horizontal screen resolution. Before you measure your screen resolution, you need to use the monitor’s hardware controls to ensure the display is ”square”.

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September 1, 2009 by Brad.

We use a MagicJack USB dongle for long-distance telephone calls over our Internet connection. The price is hard to beat and the unit works amazingly well most of the time. We have a cordless telephone base unit connected to the USB dongle and the handsets can be used throughout the house and deck. Provided of course that the MagicJack software is running.

MagicJack does not operate as a Windows service. It needs its application to be running under a logged-in Windows user. Initially, I had the USB dongle plugged into my desktop workstation. But since I often reboot or run heavy CPU applications, my workstation was not the best place for running the MagicJack.

Recently, I set up another computer on our network as a file server and I also wanted it to host the MagicJack instead of my workstation. This server would run Windows 7 and it would be headless (i.e. not have a monitor, keyboard or mouse of its own). To manage the server, I would log into it using Windows Remote Desktop Connection . The question was: could I get MagicJack to operate in this evironment?

In my initial attempts, the MagicJack software kept crapping out, but…

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June 23, 2009 by Brad.

Greetings!

Ladysmith, BC has been registered for the 2nd annual Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk. This event is open to anyone who wants to join us in documenting our community through photography. You can find out all about it here. If you would like sign-up for the Ladysmith Photo Walk, just click here.

See you there!

Cheers!

Brad

Posted in Digital Art-ifacts, Events, News | Print | No Comments »

June 23, 2009 by Brad.

Shalom and Best Wishes Everyone!
For June 2009, the Theme Shoot topic was “Moving Parts”. Click here to see the top 3 results.

If you’re interested in joining the Ladysmith Camera Club, please click here to send an email to the club to get further information. The club meets the 4th Tuesday of the month at “The Terrace Room” behind “The Printingdun Beanery Cafe” at 341 First Ave, Ladysmith, British Columbia. The public is welcome. The LCC welcomes new members, novice to pro.

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June 19, 2009 by Brad.

Salutations and Howdy All!
For May 2009, the Theme Shoot topic was “Hot Stuff”. Click here to see the top 3 results.

If you’re interested in joining the Ladysmith Camera Club, please click here to send an email to the club to get further information. The club meets the 4th Tuesday of the month at “The Terrace Room” behind “The Printingdun Beanery Cafe” at 341 First Ave, Ladysmith, British Columbia. The public is welcome. The LCC welcomes new members, novice to pro.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Ladysmith Camera Club, Digital Art-ifacts | Print | 1 Comment »

June 18, 2009 by Brad.

Felicitations!
For April 2009, the Theme Shoot topic was “Hard Edges”. Click here to see the top 3 results.

If you’re interested in joining the Ladysmith Camera Club, please click here to send an email to the club to get further information. The club meets the 4th Tuesday of the month at “The Terrace Room” behind “The Printingdun Beanery Cafe” at 341 First Ave, Ladysmith, British Columbia. The public is welcome. The LCC welcomes new members, novice to pro.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Ladysmith Camera Club, Digital Art-ifacts | Print | 1 Comment »

April 2, 2009 by Brad.

The Theme for March 2009 was “Openings”. You can see the top 3 selections here.

For April 2009, the Theme Shoot topic is “Hard Edges”. The due date for submissions is end-of-day Sunday, April 26. We have scheduled an outing to go shooting “hard edges” in the town of Ladysmith on April 19. We’ll meet at The Printingdun Beanery Cafe on 1st Ave at 9am.

If you’re interested in joining the Ladysmith Camera Club, please click here to send an email to the club to get further information. The club meets the 4th Tuesday of the month at “The Terrace Room” behind “The Printingdun Beanery Cafe” at 341 First Ave, Ladysmith, British Columbia. The public is welcome. The LCC welcomes new members, novice to pro.

Posted in Ladysmith Camera Club, Digital Art-ifacts | Print | No Comments »

April 2, 2009 by Brad.

Do you sometimes have a colour image that appears washed out, lifeless and overly gray, even after adjusting levels and contrast? You know there is more colour in the image, but you can’t seem to coax it out. Well, if you’re up for a short ride through the Lab colour mode, here’s a very simple trick to “pump up the colour”. Read the rest of this entry »

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January 27, 2009 by Brad.

The assumption that paper is white is, of course, faulty. So-called white papers come in varying shades of white and degrees of brightness. Then there are coloured papers and transparent media, such as self-adhesive vinyl. Producing “white” is a real problem for inkjet printers.

That’s why I’ve always wondered why inkjet printers don’t include a white ink. Even my HP Z3100 with 12 inks doesn’t have white. A white ink makes so much sense to me. It would extend the gamut, provide more accurate colour profiling and open up more creative options.

Adobe InDesign understands there is a difference between “White” and “Paper”. Too bad my printer doesn’t. Apart from the extra cost (which I don’t think would deter me), is there a good reason for this?

Posted in HP Z3100, Digital Art-ifacts | Print | 2 Comments »

January 25, 2009 by Brad.

What is “art”? Who the heck knows? However, a lot of folks seem to know what isn’t art. Many folks hold the view that art is partly, if not wholly, defined by its medium; that some work can’t be art because of the tools used to make it, whereas other work must be art by a similar principle. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Digital Art-ifacts | Print | 3 Comments »