The Work-In-Progress Thread

[Raggydoll]

11 hours ago, Perenelle said:

OK so I'm back, here is the raw file which I just emailed to Raggydoll, doe with a good camera so should be better, lightened the fish as much as I could. I'll be back later, depression kis kinda grinding me down today. The contrast has to go up on that upper right-hand corner, obviously. Also I need help with posting an avatar pic...?

I have replied to your email Perenelle but like Geoxena said, we can't use this image. None of the images you have provided have been 300DPI and that is the minimum requirement from Printerstudio. I have tried uploading images with lower resolution but they stand out among the others as being out of focus, so I understand why Printerstudio have that rule. It just would not print well. So this rule goes for everyone - please do not send in contributions that are less than 300DPI. Especially not now that we are so close to deadline and there is no wiggle room left for trying to fix things. 

[Nemia]

I have taken @Perenelle's picture and just put a lighter filter over it, from the very basic tools Photos offers,  because I simply wanted to see the whole image. It's an interesting card and technique, crayon on darker background. 

 

Edited April 28, 2020 by Nemia

[KaiNO]

...and perhaps this online tool can be used to set 300 DPI (?)

 

Edited April 28, 2020 by KaiNO
Bad suggestion

[Raggydoll]

I understand you all wish to be helpful but please understand that re-setting dpi is not something that would fix this issue. Dpi is determined by size of the original image. Anyone can edit up the dpi afterwards but it will still not make the image the right resolution. I ask that you allow us that are in charge of the project to handle this. 

[Raggydoll]

29 minutes ago, Nemia said:

I have taken @Perenelle's picture and just put a lighter filter over it, from the very basic tools Photos offers,  because I simply wanted to see the whole image. It's an interesting card and technique, crayon on darker background. If you take the picture in natural, even light, with the highest resolution possible, or if you scan it, it should work. Sorry if I have taken liberties with the work of someone else but after I could see the details a bit better, I wanted to share. 

The crayons glare when shot with a camera, this image will need to be scanned in order to work. 

[Nemia]

Sorry! I edited my original post, I'm really sorry to be such a busybody 😞

Edited April 28, 2020 by Nemia

[Raggydoll]

3 minutes ago, Nemia said:

Sorry! 

It’s fine 🙂 I’ve worked with printerstudio multiple times and I’ve printed several personal decks, so I know from experience that you can’t submit an image that is of lower resolution and just alter up the dpi hoping that it would look good. It will stand out. If the whole deck has somewhat blurrier pics then that’s not so much of an issue but it is against printerstudios rules to do it. When you upload an image of lower dpi, the site gives you a warning, and if you then manipulate the image to give it a false higher dpi then its only you yourself that will lose out on it when it prints poorly. And since we are selling these I think it’s especially important that we follow the rules 👍👍

[Nemia]

I don't understand much about resolution etc and didn't want to give any advice - only say that the image is worth being scanned properly. 

[gregory]

No-one who is trying to help is a busybody, exactly - but as another who has worked with printerstudio I know what Raggy is saying - they simply won't accept a card for printing that will not print right - and kudos to them for preserving their reputation by taking that line. And upping the dpi often looks OK-ish on screen - but when it prints it looks like nothing on earth.

 

Perenelle needs to find a scanner, and FAST ! -and make very sure it is set at 300 dpi. There must be some store in her area that can do it. Otherwise the card isn't going to be usable.

Edited April 28, 2020 by gregory

[gregory]

Oops cross posted with raggy. Yes, the image is  worth scanning properly - but if it can't be scanned, it won't be able to be used. I think it's already too late; the requirement to get it scanned has been mentioned so often and simply isn't acted upon. Images from a cellphone are just not good enough.

Edited April 28, 2020 by gregory

[gregory]

1 hour ago, KaiNO said:

...and perhaps this online tool can be used to set 300 DPI (?)

 

As a matter of interest - I had downloaded an earlier version of Perenelle's card. Out of curiosity, I ran it through that and set it to 600 dpi - it came out impossibly pixellated.

Then I noticed what they say on their site:

Quote

The actual quality (resolution) of the image (within the file itself) is not affected when its DPI value is adjusted.

I am not quite sure I understand the full technicality of that, but I do know that the quality did NOT come out as remotely printable. The files she is submitting are simply not usable - it comes down to that.

[Raggydoll]

11 minutes ago, gregory said:

As a matter of interest - I had downloaded an earlier version of Perenelle's card. Out of curiosity, I ran it through that and set it to 600 dpi - it came out impossibly pixellated.

Then I noticed what they say on their site:

I am not quite sure I understand the full technicality of that, but I do know that the quality did NOT come out as remotely printable. The files she is submitting are simply not usable - it comes down to that.

Yes this is something that not everyone understands. DPI is not only determined by the settings on the camera or the scanner, it is also determined by the size of the original artwork. This means that you cannot take a stamp and scan it so that it is the size of a big painting. And by altering the dpi in a file you are really only changing the numbers, not fixing the actual resolution. 300 DPI is also the recommended minimum size. So people usually scan at a higher dpi or create artwork at a higher size/dpi and then shrink it down to 300 when it’s down so that the file  is more manageable in size. 

 

[KaiNO]

Sorry guys, you're right.

I withdraw my suggestion ☺️

 

[Raggydoll]

3 minutes ago, KaiNO said:

Sorry guys, you're right.

I withdraw my suggestion ☺️

 

I know you just wanted to help 🙂. 

[gregory]

Everyone in this thread has wanted to help, But the one simple thing that Perenelle has been told is needed hasn't happened, and doesn't look like happening before the deadline. Basically - if she cannot submit a SCANNED image at at least 300 dpi in the next two days, her card won't be able to be used. It's a shame she didn't take this on board way back when - or even mail the original artwork to someone with a scanner - but it's too late for that now; even expedited mail is taking forever because of Covid restrictions.

 

To be blunt - this looks like a card that will have to be reassigned. Maybe Perenelle can hang on to it and get it properly scanned in time for the NEXT collaborative deck

[Pen]

I think the Chariot is finished. I hope it will be OK - I've printed it out at the correct size but am a little worried about the huge reduction as the original is A4 and that's a bit large to reduce to such a small card. 

 

The Chariot

 

A black stallion and a white mare pause momentarily to rear as they carry the charioteer on his spiritual journey. The black stallion represents the conscious mind and worldly concerns, as symbolized by the material Sun symbol on the front of the chariot. The white mare, together with the daylight Moon, which represents Cancer, is symbolic of the subconscious mind and the charioteer's spiritual quest.

 

For this brief instant the chariot is neither stationary or moving. The charioteer must regain control, unite opposing forces and inspire his wilful horses to pull together in one direction.

 

Anyway, inspirations were Plato's allegory (although there was no room for wings on the horses and the stallion is every bit as lovely as the mare!), the statue of the Delphi Charioteer (only I made him an older man, as my original efforts made him look more like a young Greek boy - Phæton perhaps).

 

Quote

 

Plato paints the picture of a Charioteer (Greek: ἡνίοχος) driving a chariot pulled by two winged horses:

"First the charioteer of the human soul drives a pair, and secondly one of the horses is noble and of noble breed, but the other quite the opposite in breed and character. Therefore in our case the driving is necessarily difficult and troublesome."^[1]

The Charioteer represents intellect, reason, or the part of the soul that must guide the soul to truth; one horse represents rational or moral impulse or the positive part of passionate nature (e.g., righteous indignation); while the other represents the soul's irrational passions, appetites, or concupiscent nature. The Charioteer directs the entire chariot/soul, trying to stop the horses from going different ways, and to proceed towards enlightenment.

 

Edited April 28, 2020 by Pen
addition...

[gregory]

LOVE it ! I hope you are on the list of people taking extras where needed - I love your stuff.

[Wanderer]

Absolutely stunning, Pen - and I love the explanation as well! I can't see any problem with this being reduced to card size, at all, so I'm sure it's absolutely fine.

[Raggydoll]

3 minutes ago, Pen said:

I think the Chariot is finished. I hope it will be OK - I've printed it out at the correct size but am a little worried about the huge reduction as the original is A4 and that's a bit large to reduce to such a small card. 

 

Anyway, inspirations were Plato's allegory (although there was no room for wings on the horses), the statue of the Delphi Charioteer (only I made him an older man, as my original efforts made him look more like a young Greek boy - Phæton perhaps).

 

Stunning!! I think you will be fine because from what I understand it is mainly the intensively dark colors that can get too dark when shrunk down from a large format. Your image has so many soft bright tones that I can't imagine there being any problems. But please feel free to send me the image and I will test it out for you. 

[Pen]

Gregory, Wanderer, RaggyDoll - thankyou - I'm glad you like it!

 

Gregory - this one is an extra, as originally only one major was allowed and I'd already done The Sage.

 

RaggyDoll - sending you the image in a minute -  weareone@thetarotforum.com ?

[Raggydoll]

2 minutes ago, Pen said:

RaggyDoll - sending you the image in a minute -  weareone@thetarotforum.com ?

Yes thats the one! 

[Pen]

1 minute ago, Raggydoll said:

Yes thats the one! 

It's on the way 🙂

[Raggydoll]

4 minutes ago, Pen said:

It's on the way 🙂

Uploading to printerstudio as we speak. Shall I email you the preview or post it here? 

[Pen]

2 minutes ago, Raggydoll said:

Uploading to printerstudio as we speak. Shall I email you the preview or post it here? 

Whatever's easier 🙂 Thanks!

[Raggydoll]

@Pen Here we go. This is only a screenshot so it obviously won't look as crisp as your drawing does. To me, it looks perfect. No issues with the colors. I love it!