Digital BW, The Print

Hello Jim,

> I would like to ask about the processing of black and white film, 
> for ultimately scanning and printing on an ink jet printer. I am 
> curious as to what kinds of negatives produce the best results. 

I have used mostly Tri-X for years, usually exposing it at 180 or 200
and shortening the development time various amounts (D-76, HC-110 or
Tmax developers) for enlarger printing.  I've been scanning these negs
for digital printing and have gotten my best results by increasing the
exposure slightly above the scanner driver's default setting.  

So the bottom line for me has been that negs processed for good
enlarger printing have also been excellent for scanning.  As you would
expect, however, you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.  The
greatest scanner in the world can't save a poor neg.  Just as under
the enlarger, the better the neg, the less work required.  The
principles are the same.

What has been really interesting for me is that the same the qualities
of the films that we like for enlarger printing make it through the
digital process.  There is a certain "look" about Tri-X prints that I
have always loved, and that look is transmitted through the neg scans
into my digital prints.  My digi prints have the same "Tri-X look" as
their enlarger brethren, which pleases me greatly.

This is a subject I don't see discussed, and one question that I have
is whether we will all be sacrificing the particular "look and feel"
of our favorite film/developer combinations if/when we begin using
digital cameras.

I've have only used el cheapo digi cams so I can't test it myself, but
I suspect that even with top notch cameras my favorite Tri-X
look will be replaced by a generic "homoginized" look and feel,
influenced by the particular lens and camera software (not to mention
losing the ability to get different effects by using other
films/developers for particular purposes).

The one time I asked someone I got back a quick thoughtless answer to
the effect of "not to worry, with Photoshop you can make your pics
look
like anything you want".  Well, I suspect there is more to it than
that.  I once played with an add-on tool that gives you various
"filters" to supposedly emulate the look of different films.  It was a
step in the right direction, but I found there is a lot more going on
than just the gray scale balance.

I hope this is halpful and some good food for thought.


Regards,
Clayton


Info on black and white digital printing at    
http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm