Photoshop CS5: The Missing Manual

Recap: Stress-Free Printing Tips

Congratulations! You've just waded through a ton of dense information. Some of it you'll remember and some of it you won't; but, no matter what, it's here whenever you need to refer to it. To recap, here's a quick list of some of the most important tips:

• Calibrate your monitor with an external calibration tool. These tools are the only way you can accurately view and proof your images onscreen.

  

  Figure 16-22. Top: Because neither Picture Package nor Contact Sheet was updated and included in CS4 or CS5, you may encounter unexpected weirdness if you use them. Try downloading new versions from Adobe's website if your CS3 versions of the Contact Sheet plug-in and Layout folder cause problems. Bottom: Once you've copied the files and restarted Photoshop, both plug-ins should appear in the File→Automate menu as shown here. If the plug-ins don't reappear, try quitting Photoshop and relaunching it in 32-bit mode; the box on page 6 tells you how.

• Resize your images to the print dimensions before you print. This lets you make sure your image prints at the size you expect. Besides, a smaller image prints faster.

• Make sure you have enough resolution. After you resize your image, make sure you have between 200 and 300 ppi to produce a high-quality print. (Resolution is discussed in detail in Chapter 6 on Pixels and Resolution.)

• Sharpen your image if you've made it substantially ...