Leather Background

and will the 72dpi image translate well into a 300-600dpi reproduction image.

oops
shoulda ended with a ?

You can't go up in quality. There's just not enough pixels in that size original to make it better quality. You can always go down in quality and size so it is best to take your pics in a higher resolution than you need and then resize down.
of course you can try to make the 72 dpi  to 300 dpi but it will blur coz 72 dpi means 72 dots per inch if u convert it into 300 dot per inch the dot size will be increased.
So dont try to convert it into 300 dpi. Still u want to convert it u have to make finishing using photoshop tools.
Anyway you can ask another question for this if you want more detail

>You can't go up in quality. There's just not enough pixels in that size original to make it better quality....<

Thanks, Miltiadis23.
I am quite aware of those limitations.
That's why I said in my opening statement: "The image needs to be at least 300dpi so I have reservations about images from the net."
I will be sure to open a new question if I need that type of information.

Shekerra>
I'm thinking something similar to the 1st one but more contrast in the leather grain.
Maybe even the 2nd one.
I'm still in the planning stages.
Are those freebee images?

let me get this clear
So you are actually want us to find a leather background at 300-600dpi ?
i got confused

I would be happy with a method for creating something similar.
I have a method for creating a "gold foil" look in PS and I didn't know if there was something like that for a leather surface.

I *may* be able to use a 72dpi image.
I can spend the time cutting and manipulating an image to get something like what I need, if that winds up being my best option.
I'm looking at what my options are, right now.

Thanks for the link lherrou.

http://www.gigposters.com/forums/anything-goes/26090-leather-photoshop-tutorial.html
just for the fun :)

I will look
Thanx

:-)

>Are those freebee images?

NO

But I might be able to create something for you in PS

Thanks shekkie.
If there were already some method that I could be instructed on that would be OK but I don't think you need to put that kind of effort into it.

I'll look at the on-line images and see what I can come up with.

Couldn't find anything like leather texture.
:-(

There is a texture filter but I will have to see about setting up a texture file.

Playtime!

:-)

The thought has crossed my mind.

You can find a sample that you like, and give it enough light from an angle where the the texture shows up nicely and you don't need to use a flash.

Then you can use your image editing program to change the color to what you need. If the sample that you have is not large enough for your printed piece and you think that you may have to piece several images together, or clone the image to cover a larger area, try very hard to get the lighting even on the sample so that one side is not much darker than the other.

Another way to make sections match where the light is uneven is to duplicate the layer and flip it so that the two lighter sections match up, then overlap slightly and erase the top edge with a soft edged eraser so that the two parts will blend.

As for myself, I just printed a 5.5" x 8x5" brochure several weeks ago with a leather cover (printed image, not real leather) and simply purchased an image from the source that lherrou listed above. I had to change the color and add some vignetting around the outside, but it was a lot cheaper than shooting the image myself, time wise.

oooh go to home depot and get the Faux finishing leather look sample card and take a picture of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

> oooh go to home depot and get the Faux finishing leather look sample card and take a picture of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ah, come on! That's cheating!!

Not a bad idea for web work, but wouldn't do for printing. The printed piece has already been broken up into halftone dots. Trying to create a printing separation from this would be a nightmare.

Back in the days before cheap stockimages, I needed a similar image. I explained what I needed to the owner of an antique bookstore. I agreed to rent a book for $15. I purchased the book with a credit card, took it back to the studio and shot it, then returned the book and credited my card. The $15 was paid in cash to compensate the owner for his trouble.

But there are a lot of great images available now so unless I needed something really unique, I would go with a stock photo.

>Ah, come on! That's cheating!!

It is an original idea and I don't mind sharing the poinks with you.

:-)

>but wouldn't do for printing.<

I dunno.

I had a fair amount of success using a sampled spot from one of the on-line lists above ^
[whose?]
It took a while to arrange copies of the spot in a decent pattern and then disguise the seams.
It turns out the overall pattern looks very fine leather-like and is a possible selection for my background.

Home Depot?
<shudder>

I'll give it a look if I can force myself to go over there.
;-)

The problem is not one of disguising the seams. The problem is photographing something that has been broken up into halftone dots.

When you make color separations of this image, you are trying to break apart those dots one more for the printing press. The only way it can be done is by blurring the image until all of the dots blend together and then trying to sharpen the image back without it going back into dots. Unless you do this, you will get an effect called moiré patterns

You can sometimes have reasonably good success on black and white images, but color images are all but impossible.

The only other time that it can work when you have a very large printed sample that you are making much, much smaller when reprinting.

Avoid the aggravation and shoot you own original image, create your own artwork, or download a good quality image.

and give me the points for my original idea!

Sorry, but I don't see that any resolution that I will get from my photograph of a sample is going to be an issue.

I am not doing a macro photograph of the image.
I am also not doing a huge reproduction.

I did a dye-sub test print on PVC of the leather image i put together and it looks quite good.
The final image will be on PVC also.

A dye-sub 300dpi image is a good enough indicator of a final result print by an Indigo or high-speed lithograph for me to see what direction I need to take with the image.
I can fine tune the color balance before production.

I appreciate your input but this doesn't apply to my needs.

my comments were aimed @ D_Brugge

I've shot a couple of feedbacks in that direction.

I'm sorry. I wrongly assumed that this was going to be printed offset. Here is an article in a newsletter that expresses my concerns and at the same time says why this will not likely be an issue.

http://www.printindustry.com/newsletter_15.htm

And please...throw shekerra some points so that she will hush up :-)

I've been meaning to split the points for all of the excellent help but a Microsoft update caused my Zone Alarm firewall to lock down all internet access at home.
I have the fix and will try to get things back to normal this evening if I get home in time.

tough splitting the poinx for all the good answers

thanks everybody!!