FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q: Is there a limit to the paper size in Qimage? I can't seem to find where to change the paper size.

A: There is no limit to the paper size in Qimage. The paper size is controlled by your print driver. Simply click "File", "Printer Setup". Under "Properties" for your printer, set the new paper size there. After you've performed this step, Qimage will automatically recognize that you've changed the paper size and the main window will update with the new paper size.

Q: When I use some image editing software, it reports that my photos are 72 DPI. Will this affect my printouts and do I need to "resample" or "interpolate" these images up to 300 DPI before using Qimage to print them?

A: This is a misleading concept that we wish some image editing programs wouldn't make so confusing. Although your image editing software may report 72 dpi for a particular photo, digital images simply have no DPI, because images (by themselves) have no relation whatsoever to "inches". Relating images from digital cameras to a physical print size like some photo editing packages do, is simply confusing and a rather useless concept since they do so without consideration of what size you actually intend to print the photo in the first place! In other words, reporting 72 DPI for a 2048 x 1536 resolution image is simply choosing a "default" print size of 28.44 inches by 21.33 inches for absolutely no reason, because editing a photo should not necessarily be linked with a specific print size. Let Qimage worry about print size and interpolation at print time. Stored images such as JPG, TIF and other formats simply have a "resolution" which denotes the number of pixels in an image. Obviously, you cannot translate image resolution such as 2048 x 1536 into dots per inch (DPI) until you select a print size for that image. For example, if you print that 2048 x 1536 image at a width of 10 inches on your printer, you will get a print that is approximately 200 DPI (2048 pixels divided by 10 inches). In contrast, if you print the same image at 14 inches wide, you'll get a print that is about 150 dpi. Qimage is designed to print images at whatever size you specify, and can automatically ensure that your original images are printed at optimal resolution. Once you set your print quality (under "Edit", "Preferences", "Printing Options"), you never have to worry about it again! It just doesn't need to be any more complicated than that! For more information on this auto-interpolation, see "Edit", 'Preferences", "Printing Options" from the main window of Qimage.

Q: I have been told that it is best to resample my images in another software package to increase DPI, or to make sure that the DPI of my print matches my printer. Is this correct?

A: NO! Qimage has higher quality interpolation methods than are available in even the most expensive photo editing tools. YOU SHOULD NEVER RESAMPLE YOUR ORIGINALS when using Qimage, because Qimage will automatically ensure optimal printouts from your original file resolution! If you use another photo editor to resample your photos to 300 DPI (or any resolution), you will actually be DEGRADING the quality of your images because you'll: (1) be interpolating twice: once in the photo editor and once at print time and (2) your photo editor probably doesn't offer extremely high quality interpolation methods such as Hybrid, Vector, Pyramid, and Lanczos interpolation. It is best to leave this all important interpolation task to Qimage, since Qimage will interpolate to the resolution of your printer as a final step before printing!

Q: I can't seem to get three 4 x 6 prints on one page? If I want to print 4x6 or 6x4 prints and get three on a single page, how do I do it?

A: You may not have selected a setup that best utilizes paper for 4 x 6 prints. After selecting the 4x6 size, simply click the "Optimal" placement method under the preview page. Also make sure that the "Image Lock" button (lock icon below the preview page on the main window) is not depressed. This will guarantee that you get three 4x6 prints on the page if there is enough room (if the page size is at least 8x10). In other placement modes (other than "Optimal") you will have to set the paper itself to portrait orientation and use a 4x6 (portrait) print size to get three 4x6 per page. Note that if the printable area defined by your printer (listed above the preview page) is less than 8.0 inches on one side or 10.0 inches on the other side, it is physically impossible to fit three 4x6 prints on a page.

Q: What's the big deal about associative filters? Why do you say they are so powerful?

A: In digital imaging (like many things in life), it is always important to retain the original. This becomes especially important when using lossy compression schemes such as the JPEG (JPG) images downloaded from most cameras. Associative filters allow you to maintain the original/untouched image but associate some needed "whole picture" filtering/enhancement. By creating a filter that is applied to the original image, we bypass two major hurdles: (1) There will be no further JPEG losses to "modified" images, and (2) the "modified" image does not have to be resaved because the filter is automatically applied every time Qimage opens the image... for literally every operation. Number (2) becomes very important in a "JPEG world" because due to the fact that JPEG compression losses are additive, we would have to save the modified image in an uncompressed (or at least much larger) image format to retain the kind of quality that you can get from associative filters.

Q: How can I use associative filters to automatically rotate images that are taken in portrait mode with my digital camera.

A: This is one of the simplest uses for an associative filter. Just follow these steps.

(1) Navigate to the folder that contains the images. Select all images (by looking at the thumbnails) that are rotated.

(2) Right click in the thumbnail area and choose "Apply Predefined Filter".

(3) Choose one of the rotation filters, click "Open", and then select to apply to "All".

A very small associative filter (file) will be saved with each image in the queue. Qimage will read the filter and use it for every operation (including thumbnails, printing, etc.). By doing this, you avoid wasted space (because another (rotated) version of the image is never saved). You also avoid any/all JPEG losses that would be present in a re-saved JPEG file. Since Qimage opens the original file (unrotated) and then applies filter parameters, there are no JPEG losses.

Q: I have created a complex filter that I want to save for use later, but I don't want to apply it to any images. How do I do this.

A: Simply go to the batch filter, create your filter, and then click "File", "Save Filter Parameters" from the top menubar and then click "Save...". The saved filter is saved by default in the Qimage folder. To test it or apply it later, just repeat the process and select "Load..." rather than "Save...".

Q: Some images have filters that I no longer want applied. How can I remove the filters?

A: Simply add the image to the queue. You will notice the word "<filtered>" next to the filenames in the queue. Just select the filenames in the queue and right click and select "Delete Filters".

Q: More complex filters seem to take longer to load/print. Is this normal?

A: Yes. Qimage only performs filtering/enhancement when needed. In other words, if all you do is rotate an image, Qimage only performs a rotation and skips all other steps. The more non-zero values that you enter, the longer Qimage will take to view/print images. Some of the CCD filters are quite complex and can run for up to a minute or more depending on image size.

Q: I understand that associative filters do not modify the original file, but how does Qimage handle images that have a rotation filter. Will these get rotated twice if the software "automatically rotates" images to fit within bounds?

A: Don't think about it that way. Think of it exactly like you "really" rotated the image. Qimage handles all the details so that every operation is done as if you had actually resaved the file (except there will be no JPEG losses like there would if you actually resaved a JPEG file). Of course, other programs will still see the original as the original without the rotation because other applications will not see Qimage's filter association.

Q: I would like to view/print my images in black and white. Can I do this without selecting black ink only on my print driver?

A: Sure. Just select thumbnails, right click in the thumbnail area, select "Apply Predefined Filter" and select the "Black and White" filter.

Q: I set an associative filter with a sharpen value of 2. Now I want to increase this to 4. If I enter "4" in the sharpness parameter is the filter going to add "4" to the previous "2" and get "6"?

A: No. Filters are not additive. Any filter you set is identifying new parameters.

Q: How do I select multiple thumbnails or files and drag them to any position on the page.

A: You can click on a thumbnail/file in the list to select it. To mark more than one, hold the Ctrl key down before you press the mouse button on the next image (like any Windows function). Once you have all the thumbnails marked, click on any selected thumbnail and hold the left mouse button down. Keep holding the button while you drag the mouse pointer over to the small preview page in the upper right. When you release the left mouse button on the small preview page, the images will be placed on that page at the location dropped. Note that if you want to drop the images before an image on the preview page, drop them on the left side of that image. Dropping the images on the right side of an image on the preview page places the new images after the image on the preview page. If you drop images on white space (not pointing to an image), the images will not be placed on that page. Instead they will simply be added to the end of the document. These three techniques allow you to perform any and all add functions by simply dragging images.

Q: I know Qimage has the capability of adding text annotations, but I can't find the function. Where is it?

A: More detailed page editing functions can be found in the page editor. Once you have added images to your document, click the "Full page editor" button below the preview page. You may now click the right mouse button on any image on the page for a full list of editing options. Select "Text Annotation" from the options list and you will be prompted for the annotation for the selected image.

Q: Images on the page editor look grainy. I would like to see more detail. How do I do this?

A: Qimage has many options which allow the user to either save time, or see detailed information depending on need. If images look grainy in the page editor, it is because the "view" option in the right panel of the screen is set to "Thumbs/Small Images". When this setting is in effect, Qimage loads the thumbnails to save time. To see the detailed image in high resolution, simply change the "view" option at the top of the screen to "All Images" or just click the "HQ Preview" button if you just want a temporary refinement of the current page.

Q: I use a folder for editing many images and have deleted some old images and added some new ones. How can I delete the old thumbnails (files with {Q} extension) and create new ones for the new images?

A: Just click "View", "Rebuild thumbs". This will delete all old thumbnails and create new ones based on what is currently in the directory/folder.

Q: I have some folders with hundreds of images in them. I like to keep Qimage in the "thumbnail" mode all the time, but when I go to a new folder that has many images, do I have to wait for Qimage to load the thumbnails before I begin adding images?

A: No. Qimage is loading the thumbnails in the background. You may perform any operation you like while Qimage is loading thumbnails. You may select thumbnails that have already been loaded while Qimage is still loading more, and if you know the name of images further down on the list, you can even select them before the thumbnail appears. Keep in mind that Qimage will only need to load the thumbnails once if you check the "Save thumbs" box. The next time you go into the folder/directory, Qimage will load the thumbnails very quickly.

Q: I would like to leave a margin on one side of the paper so that I can punch holes, etc. Can this be done?

A: Most print drivers have an option that allows you to select a "custom paper size". Open your print driver and click the "properties" button. Select "paper size" and locate the option to create a custom paper size. You can then enter the size of the area you would like to print on, and the print driver should take care of the rest. As an alternative, you can also select "Page Formatting", "Margins" and enter a left margin.

Q: When I check "Img Info", sometimes the filename, resolution, date, etc. print, but sometimes only the filename prints. What am I doing wrong?

A: The amount of information that can be printed depends on the size of the printed image. For example, if you print images at 4 x 6, probably all of the information will be printed. If you then decide to print 2 x 3 images, it is possible that only the filename will fit under the image. It all depends on the size of the printed image. If you need to print more information under very small images, consider changing the printer font size to something smaller, like "Arial" with a size of 6. You can do this via "Page Formatting", "Print Info/Annotation Font".

Q: What does the "swap" button do in the page editor?

A: For any image that is not square (same horizontal and vertical resolution), this will have the effect of rotating the image 90 degrees.

Q: When downloading images from my digicam floppy adapter, I have to click dozens of times on different directories, go to the A: drive, select the folder, mark the files, create a new directory to store them in, copy them, etc. How can I simplify the tedious steps of downloading images from a digital camera floppy adapter (or other file source).

A: Use the "File", "Flash Card Copy/Move" function.