Looking for some guidance,

I'm going to be manipulating images (CS2) from basic color adjustment layers and b&w conversions but also want to pursue compositing images into a final print.
Print size targets are 8X10 minumum up to 11X14.

Images will be digitally captures as hi-res jpegs from an 8MP Canon A630. RAW not an option.

Are my final print sizes realistic without displaying artifacts, etc?
What, in addition to a properly captured initial image, can I do in Photoshop to maintain a high final print quality ?

Thanks for your help.
Bob

Hi Bob,

Yes, for a long time we were producing good 11x14s from a 6.3mp Canon 10D. You should be fine.

Re: Artifacts... that only becomes a problem if you need to lighten the photos considerably in Photoshop. If you do, any ISO grain or jpeg crap becomes increasingly visible.

All the best.

Damo.

If you save you images from Photoshop CS in jpeg format be sure to select the highest quality level (12).

Check the Image size. You should have "print size" @ 300 dpi.

I don't know anything about the A630 but my son has a SD630 and I "fix" all of the pictures for him. Outdoor photos are generally fine if you select the right program setting. I have found indoor photos have a noticeable amount of digital noise. This is what I've told him:

Don't use the zoom indoors
Shoot only at the highest resolution
Set ambient light as high as possible (even with the flash).
Use only low ISO settings (200)

I use Neat Image to reduce the noise from digital photos. It's free and works very well.