Digital BW, The Print

Tyler,

I wrote an article on B&W digital printing that was published in Shutterbug
about three years ago, and covered most of the options and products
available at that time (including many you listed). Now delving into it
again I can understand your point of view with one exception. ³The people
that need these things are small in number, and they are the only ones who
need it, and they are the ones who can define the need.² is not the reality
unless you exclude a lot of serious photography enthusiasts because they are
not totally dedicated Œfine arts¹ photographers. I know my readership is a
very small segment of all of the photographic enthusiasts in America, yet I
have good evidence I reach an audience in five figures. A very large segment
of active photography enthusiasts is middle aged and older, in part because
they have both free time and the discretionary income to afford their
interest. From the feedback I obtain from readers because I have a Digital
Help column I know a large segment of my audience has an interest in B&W
photography among those that have a digital darkroom. These people will come
to support B&W digital printing solutions when it is no longer necessary to
be Œgoofball obsessive¹ to get through the doorway.

Regards, David B. Brooks
Shutterbug Magazine
E-mail: fotografx@...



On 10/16/04 11:44 AM, "Tyler Boley" <tyler@...> wrote:

> 
> I guess I don't understand the problem. We have choices all the way
> from free RGB curves with inexpensive MIS inks, QTR for $50 that you
> can literally do anything with, Imageprint for a number of options, to
> StudioPrint and Cone.
> The neat innovative stuff is always developed by those outside the
> mainstream with an eye for some need the major market feels unnecessary.
> There are a great number of people making beautiful B&W prints these
> day, any number of ways.
> Epson has never been in the forefront of how to make outstanding
> prints on their own hardware, it's always been addressed by third
> parties needing, and developing, more. Even the Atkeson profiles,
> which finally made Epson printers work "right" out of the box, were
> only brought under the Epson umbrella after they were developed
> independently.
> Roy, Cone, StudioPrint, ImagePrint, Lyson, Generations, MIS, Paul, you
> name it, these are where the advances come from, and it's for the
> best. Epson will never see the need for what an advanced artist wants,
> it would never occur to them.
> Gallery was always more expensive then a mainstream Kodak paper. The
> people that need these things are small in number, and they are the
> only ones who need it, and they are the ones who can define the need.
> Things have come a long way because of all these people, we're up and
> printing.
> I'd say Epson and the other biggies should stand back and let us do
> what we need to do.
> Goofball obsessive niche developers are exactly what we need more of.
> Tyler
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, claudej1@a... wrote:
>> >  
>> > In a message dated 10/16/2004 10:07:16 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
>> > DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com writes:
>> > 
>> > Unless  the enthusiasts are
>> > into this in the numbers that are possible the market  size will limit
>> > development and keep costs higher than they would be  otherwise, and
> a lot of
>> > neat innovative stuff will never get  developed.
>> > 
>> > Regards, David B. Brooks
>> > 
>> > 
>> > 
>> > I agree with your assertion here. As long as Epson thinks that
> printing  B&W 
>> > with color inks is acceptable, I don't see it happening. THEIR
> market  reseach 
>> > probably tells them that it's not worth making special inks and
> drivers  for 
>> > B&W only as it's perceived as a "nitch" market.
>> >  
>> > Used to be that even RA-4 prints were for color only, but with
> lasers and  
>> > pixels, it seems acceptable to make B&W prints from color paper as
> long as  the 
>> > profiles are acceptably neutral. The average person has no clue about
>> > metamersim.\
>> >  
>> > There may be only 3 or 4 labs in the country who have dedicated B&W
> laser 
>> > printers with Dektol processors on the back end.
>> >  
>> > Archival really means longer life than the buyer, so we should seek
> older  
>> > clients with more money.
>> >  
>> > Claude
>> > 
>> > 
>> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> 
> 
> 
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