Digital BW, The Print

Martin wrote,

>Lenswork ... isn't anti-digital but [is] pushing silver fiber and
>photogravure as the final output. They didn't feel that there would be much
>of a market for inkjet prints of their "Special Editions." ...

I confess I went through a period of using imagesetter internegatives and
other ways to make "silver prints" that had, in fact, gone through a digital
step.  One reason was that the toned, fiber-based silver-print is considered
the more archival and higher value product.

However, my feeling was that it was not just the physical characteristics of
the silver print, but the rejection of the digital step that was behind the
price and "fine art" acceptance of the digital outputs.  Whether the
rejection of the digital step is rational or not is somewhat irrelevant in
the short run if one wants to sell into that market.

At any rate, part of my search for a digital silver-print workflow included
finding an internegative that was so good that the purchaser or gallery
could not tell that the print was digital.  After thinking about that
approach more, however, I decided such an approach would be just plain
dishonest.  Trying to hide the digital step might get one some sales, but
ultimately someone will ask, "Did that silver print go through a digital
step?"  I was unwilling to lie about what I was doing.

I also found that the imagesetters were not making prints that were totally
lacking in artifacts.  When I was using them the "stochastic" imagesetter
outputs still had highlights with a fine "screen door" pattern that could be
seen with a loupe.

After trying a bunch of different workflows, I concluded that pigmented
quads and inkjets were equal in visual quality (better than all but the best
imagesetters) and much cheaper.  Also, I have found working with service
bureaus to be very frustrating.

At any rate, the LensWork prints, being silver-prints but with the digital
step (I assume) clearly disclosed is a reasonable compromise.  But, to the
extent the digital step is the problem, it still does not get rid of that
prejudice, and I suspect the prices reflect it.

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com