elargements before or after?

[tonya]

I just bought neat image, and am cleaning up some 1600 iso images taken in full sun. I am looking to enlarge these and see if I can still get a good print from the lab after cleanup. Question is: do I use neat image first and then re-size, or re-size and then use neat image?Just looking for the best way

[NITeam]

I recommend to reduce noise in original images and enlarge after that.

Vlad

[tonya]

thanks so much

[stewstryker]

Toya,

My reply may be a little late, but hope it helps anyway.

I've always heard that you should do the noise reduction as the last step in your photo processing, as once you smooth the noise out, there's no way to get that detail back.

Best,

Stew

[NITeam]

I wouldn't recommend that. Usually the last step is sharpening, but noise reduction is one of the first steps. Good noise reduction preserves details so it shouldn't be a problem. However, if you do noise reduction in the end then it may be more difficult to get rid of noise aggravated by post-processing.

So, I recommend reducing noise in the beginning of workflow.

Vlad

[stewstryker]

...So, I recommend reducing noise in the beginning of workflow.Vlad

Wow, that shows how little I know! I guess I'd gotten that confused with sharpening. Thanks for the quick correction!

[tonya]

well I did noise reduction first and then enlarged, I will have my prints in about 2 days, so we will see how it goes.
thanks

[Daveg]

I guess I'd gotten that confused with sharpening. Thanks for the quick correction!

Yes, sharpening is usually done last because the optimum parameters are dependent on the output device. You usually use a smaller radius for an image to be viewed onscreen than one to be printed. Since the same image may be used multiple ways, it's best to keep the original unsharpened image around and then sharpen as needed.

[stewstryker]

(snip)it's best to keep the original unsharpened image around and then sharpen as needed.

Thanks for the great tip! I rarely print my photos so never even thought about sharpening being output device-dependant. So keeping the original and sharpening per device will save me a lot of frustration in the future.

Then that begets the question: is noise-reduction is the same way?

[Daveg]

Then that begets the question: is noise-reduction is the same way?

Not to my knowledge. Sharpening is kind of unusual in this respect.

However, many serious photographers keep the untouched original camera files available, such that if any improvements to image processing happen at a later date, they can go back to the original and reprocess them. A variant on this is that your taste/style/expertise might change in the future. Also, some people see the original file as the "negative" that can prove that they originally took the picture for copyright disputes. (I don't know if that's been tested in court.)

[sternhagen]

To Neat Image Team:
If in general NI noise reduction comes first in the work flow and sharpening last then I would assume that PSE adjustments such as lighting, color, color etc. come in between? Also, there is a sharpening function in NI. If the user elects to use the NI sharpening setting by invoking NI noise reduction (with the sharpening boxes checked) early in the workflow when profiling, does this advance sharpening to the beginning rather then put it at the end? Put another way how does NI split noise reduction from NI sharpening so as to put NI noise reduction at the beginning and NI sharpening at the end in the workflow?
Regards
Sternhagen

[NITeam]

Neat Image does noise reduction before sharpening when you use both in NI. You can choose to use only one of them at a time also, to move sharpening to the end of your workflow. If the workflow is short then you can use both at the same time.

Also, NI sharpening is different from PS one, it works differently. So, you may even want to use both, one together with noise reduction, another in the end of workflow.

Vlad