Splitting an Image

[RobinMcL]

Hello,

I want to split a rectangular image into, say, nine equal parts and have each saved as a separate page (or image). (I will then print out all nine and stick them together as a single image of huge size. (My initial image will have a huge number of pixels making sure that each of the final images will have a resolution of at least 300 dpi.)) I have Photo and Publisher.

I have looked at the slice tool but don't think it can do what I want. Is there a way to accomplish this in either Photo or Publisher? If not, does anyone know a stand-alone app that can do this?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Robin

[walt.farrell]

15 minutes ago, RobinMcL said:

I have looked at the slice tool but don't think it can do what I want.

Why not? You can certainly draw 9 slices, and use equally-spaced guides to help you create them. The export each slice to a file.

[RobinMcL]

Thanks Walt. Once again you have helped me out. I was struggling to get control of the places to do the split and did not come across the guide manager. This was a great help. My first attempt looks hopeful though not quite thee. The problem may be in the printer with its border-less printing. I'll work on that. My goal is the following and you may have a better suggestion.

I got an artist to do paintings for a short story I wrote and I organized an exhibition of the artist's work. The paintings look great but they (and obviously the exhibition) was in Scotland and I live in Oregon, and the eight paintings were around 4 feet by 5 feet each. They're still there and it will be a pain to bring them back. So now I am investigating getting a digital artist. I have found one in Spain who thinks that he can handle a file size large enough to be printed out around 40 inches by 60 inches at 300 ppi. While this solves one problem, it creates another. How can I print so large an image. I have inquired of local printers and the quotes vary from $350 to $600 per print. I simply can't afford that. My Canon Pro-100 can do 13" x 19" and so I am wondering about splitting the image and printing it out in sections. I would need to get every line of pixels so that I could align them perfectly. Then I could use acid-free archival tape that is used in book repair to join them at the back. Voila!

Okay, so I'm a dreamer.

I'll work some more on your suggestion.

Thanks,

Robin

[walt.farrell]

You're welcome. I don't have any better suggestions for how to proceed, I'm afraid.

[Brad Brighton]

@RobinMcL Keep checking for print shops; look for sign and commercial printers as well, not just photo/art printers. Using some estimates from a large-format shop I get some stuff done with here in Reno, 4'x5' would be about $120 per so while that may still be high for you, it's a lot lower than the quotes you mention.

[Jony.tw]

I try to print a big document in Desinger, and find the problem is never problem in QuarkXpress or Adobe InDesign. so use another software to print and split big document pdf.
 

[Greyfox]

1 hour ago, RobinMcL said:

The problem may be in the printer with its border-less printing

Most home/small office printers when set for border-less printing actually zoom the photo slightly to ensure full edge to edge printing, and in the process cut off some of the outer pixels. It might be necessary to set to print each section with the minimum printer border and then crop the borders off after printing.

[Fixx]

5 hours ago, RobinMcL said:

How can I print so large an image

Local shop I use charges 73 €/m² – Epson SureColor SC-P9000, Hahnemühle Photo Rag, 308gsm or Hahnemühle German Etching, 310gsm. Max width 1118 mm.

[walt.farrell]

2 hours ago, Fixx said:

Local shop I use charges 73 €/m² – Epson SureColor SC-P9000, Hahnemühle Photo Rag, 308gsm or Hahnemühle German Etching, 310gsm. Max width 1118 mm.

So about $150 US for the size Robin is talking about. Thanks, Fixx.

Edit: Unfortunately, they aren't quite wide enough. Robin wants 4', and that's only 3.6.

[RobinMcL]

Thanks to all for the suggestions.

On the border-less printing, I'll try using a margin, registration marks, overlapping prints using the registration marks and then cutting both sheets at the same time just to make sure that the cut lines fit perfectly.

On using a print shop, I did find one that was a reasonable price, but they don't use any color management and only use eight inks on their twelve ink Canon printer. I have been encouraging them to try color management (and all twelve inks) and they did say that they would (at least) let me show them how I calibrate my own printer/paper combination. I'll keep working that angle too. As it happens, there is a company in Portland (Oregon) whose business is color management and supplying the commercial printers with ink and inkjet printers (Epson). I chatted with them and was told that MANY of the printers here use no color management.

It's a pretty steep learning curve for me and I very much appreciate all the help the Forum has given me.

Robin