Resolution concern?

...

LOL.

It may be a bit of a misnomer but a bitmap is not a map of single bits!

It started out that way when the term, generally used in computer science for a map of on/off indicators was the natural one to use for the black and white printing that was all that was being done by general purpose computers at the time.

Once the name had been coined it stuck and is now used for any colour map where the colour depth depends upon the device.

To answer your question, the bitmap contains the full colour image.

I'm beginning to find your condescension egregious, and it does not encourage intelligent discussion. In this case you have completely misunderstood the question. I asked what colour model you think is used. 'The full colour image' is not a description of a colour model. I was expecting a description such as Lab, CMYK, RGB etc. I merely wanted to more fully understand your overall concept of the extent of the information passed from the application to the printer/printer driver - including the way in which colour is defined. I now have the impression that you do not know what a colour model is. I'm sure that you will want to correct my impression.

Best,
Helen
 
I'm beginning to find your condescension egregious, and it does not encourage intelligent discussion.
I wan't being condescending and I wasn't laughing at you.

What amused me was that in nearly two decades of using the term 'bitmap' I'd never noticed it was actually (at least in terms of how it was originally coined), a misnomer.

In this case you have completely misunderstood the question. I asked what colour model you think is used.

Ooops!

I'm sorry, I misread colour model as colour (new specs arivving next week, really!).

I actually know (rather than think) that the colour model is RGB.

And no, I'm not disputing that the printer/driver will need to map the RGB values into something suitable for controling the proportions of the inks it happens to be using.


Now, is there any chance that you can tell me about this alternate method of getting bitmaps (or bitmapped images generally) from an application to the PAD (Printer And Driver).

You stated the fact with absolute certainty and I'm all agog.
 
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However, since the lens resolution and film/sensor resolution combine to give you and actual resolution the higher the sensor resolution the better (all other things being equal).
Ah, that's where I got my rant from. You're absolutely right, all other things being equal, more megapixels means better quality prints, crisper images, more cropping allowed, etc. Whether or not you'll be able to see those improvements in your average 6x4 remains to be seen, but whatever. I do agree with that.

The thing is, it is never equal. When you cram more things into a smaller space, quality is bound to deteriorate. It's just a general law (with exceptions, of course :)). So in some cases, 6mp can actually out-perform 10mp. Yet camera salesmen constantly bang on about how having more megapixels can, nay, WILL get you better prints and somehow make you a better photographer, which is probably why I get so mad at them :p.
 
The thing is, it is never equal. When you cram more things into a smaller space, quality is bound to deteriorate. It's just a general law (with exceptions, of course :)). So in some cases, 6mp can actually out-perform 10mp. Yet camera salesmen constantly bang on about how having more megapixels can, nay, WILL get you better prints and somehow make you a better photographer, which is probably why I get so mad at them :p.

Indeed.

It may well be that you'll get a better resolution (let alone other considerations) by spending money on a better lens rather than more megapixels.

Unfortunately it seems that megapixels is the 'headline figure' for digital cameras.

Rather in the way that first frequency response, then distortion, then power output were the headline figures for hi fi amps at various times.

It's a pity people don't generally take a more 'holistic' appraoch.
 
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