[photo-3d] On the Computer Graphics Frontier

["Jim Harp" <matmail2@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> 
> A new Walmart opened a mile from my house last week and they have the Frontier
> set up. I am very interested in having some of my computer graphics output to
> print on this device and went to talk with the lab manager...
>
> 1) I believe the Frontier can take Zip and CD media but what file formats
> will it accept (i.e. RGB tiff, Photoshop, etc...)?

I've been submitting RGB TIFF files that I created in Photoshop, but JPEGs
can also be used.  My understanding is that the TIFF format doesn't use
compression and is thus more accurate.  Because of this TIFF files are
larger.  I've been bringing in CDRs with individual files as large as 28MEG.
If you're using a Mac make sure to include the suffix .tif or .jpg at the
end of your file name, or the Frontier won't recognize the file.

> 2) What is the actual DPI that it prints at and is it addressable?

I've been asking this all over with no answers.  Perhaps this is proprietary
information.  My guess is about 300 dpi.

> What is  the maximum pixel dimensions it will accept? Regardless of what DPI
file I provide, does it change resolution and if it does, to what res does
it convert it to?

As an experiment I submitted the same file in 300 and 600 dpi resolutions.
The results were identical.  I think the Frontier converts whatever digital
file it receives into its own format before printing.  Recently I've been
just submitting whatever resolution I come up with.  For example if I'm
editing together two 2000 pixel wide images into a monolithic pair, I submit
the resulting 4000 pixel image without resizing anything.  I set the "image
size" parameter to 4" X 6" or whatever size I'm having printed without
changing the file size and ignore the resolution.

> 3) If a files dimensions are 7.75" X 9.25" will it change my dimensions to 8"
> X 10" or print my file at proper dimensions on 8 X 10 paper?

You should size your file to match one of the print sizes they offer.  I
often leave a grey border to fill in unused space.  At the Moto-Foto where I
get my digital files printed the file is always slightly enlarged, so that
some of the image is cropped.  This is annoying, because it means I can't
design a precise 4 X 6 layout.  I have to leave a border and guess how much
of the image will be cropped.  Moto-Foto says this is unavoidable.  Please
let me know if the same thing is true at your Wal-Mart.

> 4) Are there any other media that it can print on such as transparency
> material?

I don't think so.  Maybe next year we'll be able to take our digital files
to Wal-Mart and have high res slides made in one hour.  I'll be interested
to hear what kind of results you get.  The good news is that at 29 cents a
print experimenting is affordable.  Jim Harp