A non profit I am trying to help out publishes a very modest newsletter,
with the uh, photocopier, and I have been asked to help get pictures in it.

What settings are recommended for such a task? A couple of trials
produced horrible results. I even tried a half tone, but no go.

--
John McWilliams

>A non profit I am trying to help out publishes a very modest newsletter,
>with the uh, photocopier, and I have been asked to help get pictures in
>it.

Getting good results from a photocopier can be done, but it requires knowled
ge
and skill of basic prepress functions, such as halftoning and color correcti
on.
It also really, really helps to start with a PostScript printer to print you
r
master. Don't even bother trying to print the picture on an inkjet printer a
nd
then photocopy that; you'll get garbage.

Being a veteran of small-press publishing, this is an area where I've had a 
lot
of practice. :)

For good quality photocopiers, you should use an 85-line halftone screen for
your images. A tighter screen will reduce the number of shades of gray your
image will have, especially on a 600 dpi printer, and will not photocopy as
clearly.

Very, very important to photocopy reproduction is the quality of the image
going in to the process. Photocopying introduces significant "dot gain" into
your images; what that means is that photocopied images become much darker.

To get good results when reproducing an image on a photocopier, you must get
familiar with Photoshop's Curves command. This command is found under
Image->Adjust->Curves. You also must have your Info palette open and be
familiar with how to read the numbers in it.

Start with a grayscale image. Set your Info palette so that one of the two
readouts displays "actual color." Open the Curves window
(Image->Adjust->Curves).

Since photocopying darkens an image, you are going to lighten it. It should
look too light and slightly washed-out on your screen. If it looks perfect o
n
your screen, it will look muddy and dark when you photocopy it.

First, position the mouse pointer over the darkest part of the image which
still contains detail. This part of the image should not be 100% printing
according to the Info palette. Instead, it should be no more than about 85%
printing; the shadows in your image will darken dramatically on the
photocopier.

If the darkest shadow detail in your image is darker than 85%, pull down the
shadow end of your curve (the right-hand part of the curve in the Curves
dialog) until your Info palette shows it to be about 85%.

Now look at the lightest part of the image which still contains detail (not 
the
part which should print pure white; the lightest part that shows detail). It
should be 5-6% in your Info window. If it is lighter than this, that part of
the image will be pure white (no detail) on the photocopier. If it is darker
,
lighten it by moving the left-hand point on the curve to the right until the
Info palette shows you it is about 5-6% printing.

Now pull the middle of the curve down slightly.

The image will look much lighter on your screen. This is what you want.

Click OK in the Curves dialog. Now print the image to your laser printer, us
ing
an 85-line halftone screen.

If you do not have a PostScript printer, you will need to make the halftone 
in
the image. Save the grayscale image, then use Image->Mode->Bitmap. Theoutput
resolution should be the resolution of your laser printer, the method should
 be
Halftone, Round dot, 45 degrees, 85 lines per inch. Print the bitmap (or pla
ce
it in your page layout program) and use it to print the master you will
photocopy.

--
Art, literature, shareware, polyamory, kink, and more:
http://www.xeromag.com/franklin.html

John McWilliams <jpmcw@comcast.net> writes:

> A non profit I am trying to help out publishes a very modest
> newsletter, with the uh, photocopier, and I have been asked to help
> get pictures in it.
>
> What settings are recommended for such a task? A couple of trials
> produced horrible results. I even tried a half tone, but no go.

Possibly a lower screen frequency for your halftone -- I wouldn't
expect a photocopier to reliably hold anything about 85.
--
David Dyer-Bennet, <mailto:dd-b@dd-b.net>, <http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/>
RKBA: <http://noguns-nomoney.com/> <http://www.dd-b.net/carry/>
Pics: <http://dd-b.lighthunters.net/> <http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAl.../dragaera.info/>

Tacit wrote:
 
>
>
> Getting good results from a photocopier can be done, but it requires knowl
edge
> and skill of basic prepress functions, such as halftoning and color correc
tion.
> It also really, really helps to start with a PostScript printer to print y
our
> master. Don't even bother trying to print the picture on an inkjet printer
 and
> then photocopy that; you'll get garbage.
>
> Being a veteran of small-press publishing, this is an area where I've had 
a lot
> of practice. :)
>
> For good quality photocopiers, you should use an 85-line halftone screen f
or
> your images. A tighter screen will reduce the number of shades of gray you
r
> image will have, especially on a 600 dpi printer, and will not photocopy a
s
> clearly.
>
> Very, very important to photocopy reproduction is the quality of the image
> going in to the process. Photocopying introduces significant "dot gain" in
to
> your images; what that means is that photocopied images become much darker
.
>
> To get good results when reproducing an image on a photocopier, you must g
et
> familiar with Photoshop's Curves command. This command is found under
> Image->Adjust->Curves. You also must have your Info palette open and be
> familiar with how to read the numbers in it.
>
> Start with a grayscale image. Set your Info palette so that one of the two
> readouts displays "actual color." Open the Curves window
> (Image->Adjust->Curves).
>
> Since photocopying darkens an image, you are going to lighten it. It shoul
d
> look too light and slightly washed-out on your screen. If it looks perfect
 on
> your screen, it will look muddy and dark when you photocopy it.
>
> First, position the mouse pointer over the darkest part of the image which
> still contains detail. This part of the image should not be 100% printing
> according to the Info palette. Instead, it should be no more than about 85
%
> printing; the shadows in your image will darken dramatically on the
> photocopier.
>
> If the darkest shadow detail in your image is darker than 85%, pull down t
he
> shadow end of your curve (the right-hand part of the curve in the Curves
> dialog) until your Info palette shows it to be about 85%.
>
> Now look at the lightest part of the image which still contains detail (no
t the
> part which should print pure white; the lightest part that shows detail). 
It
> should be 5-6% in your Info window. If it is lighter than this, that part 
of
> the image will be pure white (no detail) on the photocopier. If it is dark
er,
> lighten it by moving the left-hand point on the curve to the right until t
he
> Info palette shows you it is about 5-6% printing.
>
> Now pull the middle of the curve down slightly.
>
> The image will look much lighter on your screen. This is what you want.
>
> Click OK in the Curves dialog. Now print the image to your laser printer, 
using
> an 85-line halftone screen.
>
> If you do not have a PostScript printer, you will need to make the halfton
e in
> the image. Save the grayscale image, then use Image->Mode->Bitmap. Theoutp
ut
> resolution should be the resolution of your laser printer, the method shou
ld be
> Halftone, Round dot, 45 degrees, 85 lines per inch. Print the bitmap (or p
lace
> it in your page layout program) and use it to print the master you will
> photocopy.
>
Many, many thanks. Post archived for further ref. It inspired me to see
if I could get my old laser writer 4/600 PS up and running, which
entailed finding the cords, etc. for my old 8500. So, I am half way
there! 8500 is now networked, and - well, half way- connected to the
outside world via ethernet/cable modem, but Cmd-K and browse for server
doesn't bring it up. ..... but still a bit of a thrill to fire up 8.6
and see some apps I had forgotten about. [Some like Enternet, didn't
need or want reminding of.]

I do hope the PS in the Apple name does indeed mean ps.....

--
John McWilliams

After three years of therapy my psychiatrist said something that brought
tears to my eyes.  He said, "No hablo inglés, Señor."

David Dyer-Bennet wrote:

> John McWilliams <jpmcw@comcast.net> writes:
>
> 
>
>
> Possibly a lower screen frequency for your halftone -- I wouldn't
> expect a photocopier to reliably hold anything about 85.

The one halftone I tried was around 85, iirc, but the printer fizzled a
bit on it. (is the about meant to be "above"?)

john

In article <92I7d.190309$3l3.180678@attbi_s03>,
John McWilliams <jpmcw@comcast.net> wrote:

> David Dyer-Bennet wrote:
> 
>
> The one halftone I tried was around 85, iirc, but the printer fizzled a
> bit on it. (is the about meant to be "above"?)
>
Most likely "above" -- or both. Some 600-dpi laser printers recommend
71-lpi screening. But as others have mentioned, the range of grey levels
is an important factor as well -- as is the condition of the photocopier.

--
Odysseus

For better intelligibility of the photocopies, have you had thoughts about
enhancing your photos ?

Example : open photo, duplicate layer, filter/stamp (stamp settings will
vary from photo to photo, fine tune until contour alone appears).
Than set fill to 50%., fiddle around this value,let the contour stay darker
than the background picture.
Could help, you never know.

Pierre


"John McWilliams" <jpmcw@comcast.net> a écrit dans le message de news:
zki7d.302863$Fg5.260687@attbi_s53...
>A non profit I am trying to help out publishes a very modest newsletter,
>with the uh, photocopier, and I have been asked to help get pictures in it.
>
> What settings are recommended for such a task? A couple of trials produced
> horrible results. I even tried a half tone, but no go.
>
> --
> John McWilliams