Digital BW, The Print

-----Original Message-----
From: Jean-Marc Humbert [mailto:humbertjm@...] 
Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2004 5:12 PM
To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Digital BW] Still waiting for THE solution?!

>>only a great 100% B&W picture which looks like a B&W photo. 

If a "B&W photo" means an inkjet print which looks like real double-weight
fiber-base photo paper, like Oriental G or even the Ilford fiber papers, I
don't think that's going to happen.  You can purchase resin coated inkjet
papers.  However, I've never seen them used for exhibition prints in the wet
darkroom and don't know why it would be different with inkjet.  Basically,
you have to be satisfied with matte papers such as Inkjetart hot-press
museum, PhotoRag, etc.  That's what I do and I'm at peace with it.  Once the
prints get behind glass, a lot of the "differences" go away, and only
photographers tend to see them anyway.

A suggestion: buy an Epson 2200 (or 7600 if you need larger prints) with
Epson color inks, and have a custom profile made for the paper you like the
most.  Or, ImagePrint RIP should be good.  I tried the dedicated b&w inks
with a CFS and it didn't work -- too much repair time because of clogs, plus
limited "toning" ability for the papers.  But, if the goal is a great silver
print, that means back in the darkroom.  One possible variation: I got in a
disk the other day on making digital negatives for contact printing on
silver paper (www.danburkholder.com).  No experience with it yet...it's in
the pile of things to work on someday.  I tried it with platinum/palladium
prints with some success, but not with silver paper.

Regards,

  --Ken Carney
    www.kencarney.com 

P.s. I'm not going back in the darkroom on a regular basis either.  It's
dark and cold and stinks.  I can turn on the PC and have a neat Scotch,
waiting for inspiration, without the worry of mixing it up with Dektol or
something.