Digital BW, The Print

Re: limited Editions

A few thoughts on your recent posts Mark. First, I believe that a small
watermark in a relatively obscure part of a print, one that doesn't destroy
the "integrity" of the image, will more than suffice to establish the end of
a limited edition. You don't have to destroy the file and I would suggest
that for those in the future, it might be an injustice to do so. I would
also suggest that it is no crime to keep an intact copy of the file with no
watermark in archival storage. Watermark or not, any limited edition run is
only as limited as the integrity of the artists allows. Thus, I would also
submit a certificate of authenticity with any limited edition print stating
its number and the total number of that run. It should also specify if
additional quantities might be made available at a different size or in
sepia instead of cool black, etc., and, if possible, how many. This is your
"contract" with the buyer and will assure the buyer that you will stick to
what you've stated.

In terms of this whole silver vs. inkjet mess, a few more things to
consider. First, there are tons of photographers at crafts fairs and the
like selling die ink prints that will fade God knows when... probably
between a week and a year. This is becoming the popular conception of
inkjet. That's why some idiot coined the term Giclee - to differentiate (and
to disguise) the inkjet roots of the print. (Of course the name was
misguided as Giclee means "to ejaculate" in colloquial French). The
beautiful stuff you're producing and that many of us are trying to produce
is very different from this "stock" inkjet so some form of differentiator is
probably useful and I tend to agree with the carbon pigment print
descriptor. The fact that it's made on an inkjet printer is irrelevant.
(Anyone who thinks that you can make a masterful carbon print on an inkjet
printer - repeatedly - without extensive modifications to the "normal"
inkjet process, is ignorant). I always tell people who ask that my carbon
prints are from a "modified" inkjet system including profiling, color
management, specially formulated carbon-based inks, continuous ink supplies,
custom software, etc.

Last, in regards to B&W magazine - the publishing world is very tough and it
eats small circulation magazines like this for lunch. No magazine this size
can afford to turn away legitimate advertising. It's simply not possible to
do so and survive. (I'll bet that we would all be surprised to know how
little the publisher makes on this pub.)

Oh, one more thought Mark. I grew up in a conventional darkroom. I went to
RIT and learned how to make a great silver print and I appreciate how
difficult it is to do so. I used to make commercial murals as a kid and can
tell anyone who doesn't know that the difficulty in making a fine silver
print escalates in direct proportion to the size of the print. It seems to
me that this is one area in which inkjet technology has a great advantage
(at least up to maximum inkjet sizes). I'm beginning to think about
concentrating on larger prints for sale as a further way of differentiating
from silver. Now all I need is the budget for a 9600...

With the greatest appreciation for your work, Mark,

Rick Colson