Sending files to colorists

rodrigo · 07-03-2012, 05:03 PM

Hello,

On the Guide to Digitally Drawing comics by Freddie Williams II ( which is a great book by the way) the final chapters he talks about inking and preparing final, flattened, bitmapped TIFF files to the colorists...but, when I did it and printed the bitmapped file lost much of the quality of the art, so, there´s my question: Must the files be Bitmapped? Can´t they be Grayscale, RGB or CMYK???

Thanks in advance.

**L Jamal** · 07-03-2012, 06:13 PM

If it's inked then it should be no less than 300DPI and bitmapped at print size. I prefer 450-600 DPI. For pencils, I suggest 450 in grayscale.

rodrigo · 07-03-2012, 06:48 PM

it´s inked digitally and bitmapped at 11x17 inches with 300 dpi. I already tryied to make 600dpi, But, when I print it, it just looks better on grayscale. the bitmapped file seems to lose quality....I followed the book instructions but the grayscale just looks better...
Any thoughts?

MBirkhofer · 07-03-2012, 09:53 PM

it appears to lose quality because it does... but you are also really really zoomed in.
Your monitor is 75-120dpi. on average.
Zoom out so your scan is visibly print size. 6.8x10. A 21" screen is probably 12" vertical for example. You won't be able to see those jagged lines anymore.
The same is true when printed. Printed inks bleed into the paper, and spread out. so that jagged pixel look you see when scanning in, won't occur after printed.

Standard comic size:
If it is inked and will be colored.
450 dpi, b/w 50/50 threshold .tiff
If it is inked, and will not be colored.
600 dpi b/w 50/50 threshold .tiff
If it is NOT inked. greyscale 450dpi .tiff

Always work in even numbers. As PCs get stronger we can improve these.

rodrigo · 07-04-2012, 10:03 AM

Yes, I understand. I just wish we didn't have to bitmap the images. This situation make us have to be much more careful about details and hatching....

Thanks so much guys.

Here is the image I was refering about saved in RGB: Batman & Robin

Alex Sollazzo · 07-04-2012, 10:22 AM

Some art wont really take well to bitmapping, 1 or 2 of the books i work on are grayscale lines.

MBirkhofer · 07-04-2012, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodrigo

Yes, I understand. I just wish we didn't have to bitmap the images. This situation make us have to be much more careful about details and hatching....

Thanks so much guys.

Here is the image I was refering about saved in RGB: Batman & Robin

are you implying that is actual size?

Dimensions should be 6.876x10.438 inches, 450dpi, which results in 3094x4697pixels.

450 dpi with color, any detail lost will not be visible. The 4 color print process will bleed (moreso with cheaper paper), and the eye will not be able to pick anything sharper out.
Pure black and white, the eye can see a bit sharper. 600 is good.

(EXACT values can change. Ive seen 6.5-6.9 regularly. 10.2-10.6)

MBirkhofer · 07-04-2012, 07:00 PM

I should add, yeah, I've gotten a number of people who do "digital" inks. however, these "inks" are more like ink washes, which should not be bitmapped.
Aka, they are not hard black/white. they have lots of grey.

rodrigo · 07-04-2012, 09:02 PM

Oh, that´s good news indeed. I will keep my files at grayscale then. (much better looking that way

)
That image size is the 72 dpi with 950 height pixels, saved in jpg with 55 quality.
I have downloaded the page template from Freddie´s site. I gues it has the right dimensions but, the total size of it , according to the photoshop is 11x17 inches.
Thanks very much for the feedback, much appreciated.

Ebony Warrior · 07-18-2012, 12:57 PM

I send my pages to my colourist as a 400 dpi greyscale and let him make the decision to bitmap it if he wants. So far it has worked out pretty well. The book has gone through 3 colourist and they have all seemed OK with greyscale pages.

07-03-2012, 05:03 PM	#1
rodrigo Registered User Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Brazil Posts: 274	Sending files to colorists Hello, On the Guide to Digitally Drawing comics by Freddie Williams II ( which is a great book by the way) the final chapters he talks about inking and preparing final, flattened, bitmapped TIFF files to the colorists...but, when I did it and printed the bitmapped file lost much of the quality of the art, so, there´s my question: Must the files be Bitmapped? Can´t they be Grayscale, RGB or CMYK??? Thanks in advance.

07-03-2012, 06:13 PM	#2
L Jamal member of G.R.O.S.S. Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: right here Posts: 10,574	If it's inked then it should be no less than 300DPI and bitmapped at print size. I prefer 450-600 DPI. For pencils, I suggest 450 in grayscale. __________________ L Jámal Walton UNGOODWISE \| MY BLOG \| SELF-PUBLISHING COMICS

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07-03-2012, 06:48 PM	#3
rodrigo Registered User Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Brazil Posts: 274	it´s inked digitally and bitmapped at 11x17 inches with 300 dpi. I already tryied to make 600dpi, But, when I print it, it just looks better on grayscale. the bitmapped file seems to lose quality....I followed the book instructions but the grayscale just looks better... Any thoughts?

07-03-2012, 09:53 PM	#4
MBirkhofer Decks, drums, tablets. Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 1,049	it appears to lose quality because it does... but you are also really really zoomed in. Your monitor is 75-120dpi. on average. Zoom out so your scan is visibly print size. 6.8x10. A 21" screen is probably 12" vertical for example. You won't be able to see those jagged lines anymore. The same is true when printed. Printed inks bleed into the paper, and spread out. so that jagged pixel look you see when scanning in, won't occur after printed. Standard comic size: If it is inked and will be colored. 450 dpi, b/w 50/50 threshold .tiff If it is inked, and will not be colored. 600 dpi b/w 50/50 threshold .tiff If it is NOT inked. greyscale 450dpi .tiff Always work in even numbers. As PCs get stronger we can improve these.

07-04-2012, 10:03 AM	#5
rodrigo Registered User Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Brazil Posts: 274	Yes, I understand. I just wish we didn't have to bitmap the images. This situation make us have to be much more careful about details and hatching.... Thanks so much guys. Here is the image I was refering about saved in RGB: Batman & Robin

07-04-2012, 10:22 AM	#6
Alex Sollazzo www.alexsollazzo.com Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 169	Some art wont really take well to bitmapping, 1 or 2 of the books i work on are grayscale lines.

07-04-2012, 07:00 PM	#8
MBirkhofer Decks, drums, tablets. Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 1,049	I should add, yeah, I've gotten a number of people who do "digital" inks. however, these "inks" are more like ink washes, which should not be bitmapped. Aka, they are not hard black/white. they have lots of grey.

07-04-2012, 09:02 PM	#9
rodrigo Registered User Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Brazil Posts: 274	Oh, that´s good news indeed. I will keep my files at grayscale then. (much better looking that way ) That image size is the 72 dpi with 950 height pixels, saved in jpg with 55 quality. I have downloaded the page template from Freddie´s site. I gues it has the right dimensions but, the total size of it , according to the photoshop is 11x17 inches. Thanks very much for the feedback, much appreciated.

07-18-2012, 12:57 PM	#10
Ebony Warrior Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 100	I send my pages to my colourist as a 400 dpi greyscale and let him make the decision to bitmap it if he wants. So far it has worked out pretty well. The book has gone through 3 colourist and they have all seemed OK with greyscale pages.