Digital BW, The Print

Not wishing to jump into the fray with too much enthusiasm but I have 
been using VM and UT for a few years now.
And have also tried BO printing on many occaisions, I love the 
luminance etc but as with many, can't stand the dots, whether its at 
2880 or 1440...

However....
I do find that there are images that print better with BO than with 
my hextone set.
A few months ago I narrowed down what seems to be a glaringly obvious 
point.  My scanned film has grain.  My Scala work and Neopan work has 
grain.  Film highlights have dots - its grain. Grain works well with 
BO printing - Eureka.  I have several prints from Neo400 / 1600 that 
look significantly better with BO than with hex.

Now on the digital side, I have used a Fuji S2 for about a year and 
the pretty much noisless/grainless output compared to my 35mm film 
work means that the BO dots are much more visible as the black tries 
to make up the clear highlight end of the spectrum.

Therefore both methods clearly have advantages.  For me, using a 
dedicated 1290 means I can do both.  Since I hardly ever use film 
anymore, I do tend to predominantly print with UTs, but I would never 
understimate the strength of portraits or landscapes containing 
reasonably high levels of noise or grain printed with Black ink only.

Regards

Steve

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Tom Baker 
<tbaker1328@s...> wrote:
> Jerry  -
>  
> Give them their money back.  Then charge them for an etching.  I 
think etchings bring a bigger buck!
>  
> Tom Baker
> 
> Jerry Hadam <jerry@p...> wrote:
> > Message: 8
> > Date: Sun, 23 Nov 2003 07:42:14 -0000
> > From: "Mark Hahn" <markhahn2000@y...>
> > Subject: Re: PWP and Black only printing
> > 
> > No, I'll say it with respect to 2200 output.  It
> > isn't "photographic."  It may work with some images, but it will 
read
> > more like a photographic etching than a photograph.  My eyes 
aren't
> > that good anymore (after turning 40), but I can clearly see the 
dots.
> 
> 
> I print both ways with different profiles and on the fact that 
black only
> will read more like an etching, you are 100 percent wrong. Maybe 
that is
> your experience but after 25 plus years in the wet the BO prints 
that I make
> look wonderful with or without comparing them to anything else, they
> certainly don't look etched.
> Image made from a Hassy, Scala film rated at 100, scanned on SS120 
and
> printed BO - these images rock.
> 
> 
> > Maybe some people like it and maybe I'd like it for other images, 
but
> > not many people are going to mistake it for a photograph.
> 
> 
> Everyone that I have sold one to has mistaken it for a photograph, 
should I
> give their money back and sell it as an etching??
> 
> Jerry
>