Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Phil Bard" <phil@p...> 
wrote:
> Martin,
> 
> Same answer, it's a really tough question.  I don't know if I would 
pay 
> just over $5000 for the 7000 setup over the 1160 (at about $1000 
when 
> you factor in software and bulk inks) just for the increase in 
print 
> quality in the smaller sizes.  The printer itself is a rock solid 
> workhorse and will certainly last longer, but that too is only one 
> consideration.  I personally place a high value on quality, and 
never 
> really feel satisfied until I'm producing the absolute best I can.  
> Even if I can't afford it.  I think most people would probably not 
want 
> to spend for it if they were only printing the same sizes as with 
the 
> desktops.  But if there weren't folks out there, Leica wouldn't be 
> selling so many cameras...

Phil,

I really appreciate the feedback. Sometime there aren't clear 
answers, but discussing it will of immense help to people in making 
their own decisions.

> 
> re:  the Lightjet tests.  I was planning an update.  I've been 
> travelling and also wrapped up in the 7000, but I did print one 
awfully 
> sharp negative that A&I produced last month just before  I headed 
out 
> of town.  I'll get a scan of it up on the website.  They managed to 
> pull in phenomenal sharpness and acceptable contrast (only required 
1/2 
> grade increase to match the original), all without having to go to 
a 
> larger negative size.  And that is without any manipulation of the 
scan 
> by me.  That was to be the next step, and still is, but I'm 
preparing 
> for and exhibit and time is a little scarce.  The tests I've seen 
with 
> LVT output (Antonis's prints) all required going up a format, in 
his 
> case 6x7 to 4x5.  That worked quite well for him, however.
> 
> The only thing I'm concerned with is a slight increase in the 
presence 
> of grain, and that is to be expected going grain on top of grain as 
> this process dictates.  Could be solved by outputting the scans to 
> TechPan, but what a pain that would be for the lab... Or, again, 
going 
> up a format.

I look forward to seeing the results on this. Do you feel the grain-
on-grain problem is related to final print size? If you enlarged from 
the LightJet or LVT neg would it be less of a problems with smaller 
prints and become more of an issue as the prints got larger?

> 
> And, BTW, my first post about the imbalanced nature I was seeing in 
the 
> list comments wasn't directed at you.  Sorry if you took it that 
way.  
> I just get really tired of reading what appear to me to be rather 
> transparent attempts to promote someone's product over another 
while 
> playing fast and loose with the facts.  Tyler: I think you're 
correct 
> in many of the things you have stated.

Well if I seem a little touchy about the balance issue, it is because 
it is important to me, and I expend a fair amount of time and energy 
trying to offer or encourage alternate viewpoints and rescue lost 
posts. I sometimes feel like a hypocrite trying to shore up both 
sides of an issue.

I think one of the problems is that if you look at the list over a 
short period of time, one or two topics dominate. But interests and 
threads are always shifting and changing. So I would ask that people 
take a longer and larger view of the list.

Most importantly POST! If someone feels there are too may posts about 
subject X, jump in and start a new topic! We get stuck in the rut of 
just responding to the current thread rather than trying to start 
some new ones.

In truth, I think the list is way out of balance in its discussion of 
inkjet printing and within that subject way more is posted about the 
quads than the color ink sets. Which is why I really value your posts 
on your LightJet work.

Also as important as balance, is truth and honesty. You can say, "Of 
course!" but what I see is that different people from different 
background and with different expectations have very different 
experiences using the same products and equipment. This leads to a 
multitude of "truths" about any given product, differences of 
opinion, conflicts and frictions. I hope that we can keep our 
collective perspectives and realize that if we told the average man 
in the street that we had a three day heated argument over which ink 
to use in out computer printers we would get some mighty funny looks. 

Martin
> 
(snip)