Digital BW, The Print

Not on matte paper (by this I mean a non resin-coated paper).  I think the
best we have seen is 1.6-7 and a coated that helps protect without
diminishing dMax eg Lascaux fixative.  To exceed these dMax values and hence
obtain a greater dynamic range to work with we need to move to resin coated
papers and "photo black" ink.  Some have noted higher densities on matte
paper but from dye rather than pigment inks.  John Edmunds once referenced
2.1 on matte paper but did not disclose the ink.


> From: "Nick H. Nugent" <nghin@...>
> Reply-To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2005 19:19:38 -0000
> To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: Re: [Digital BW] DMax and Glossy Prints - Are We Kidding Ourselves?
> 
> 
> 
> Hello Shilesh and Johnny,
> 
> Thanks for sharing your experiences. In an earlier post I wrote about
> my quest for a perfect coating for matte papers and found myself
> growing fonder of the uncoated matte print. Is there such a thing as a
> coating that boosts dmax to 2.2 and leaves alone the beautiful tactile
> feel?
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Johnny Eades"
> <jeades1@s...> wrote:
>> ... I hedge because I have some images which need to be
>> printed on glossy in order to gain the richness in the lower Zones
>> (I-III). I have some images which when printed on Matte paper seem
>> to have a veil of light gray over the shadow areas (I-III) that seem
>> to diminish the richness of detail that is evident there.
> 
> I agree with Johnny that there are prints you must must make with a
> paper with very high dmax, those with important shadow details. But
> those that are higher key with soft features actually benefit from
> softer shadows as as attempt to map a black point to zero may make
> make the subject too harsh.
> 
>> ... a trick from my darkroom days of rubbing some oil from my nose
>> into one of the areas I needed to increase the richness  there...
>> That improved the richness of the shadows, but went right through
>> the paper and enabled light to shine through from behind
> 
> Why didn't I think of this before  :)  I actually tried Dorland Wax
> Medium for a while and gave up. It's just too much work.
> 
> I found that matte papers of the ultrasmooth sort gives as high a dmax
> with a much more luxurious feel than glossy when coated with my
> favorite water-based polymer coating mediums.
> 
>> ... There is always learning to be done in Photography, which is
>> what keeps it from become stale. I find myself changing my opinions
>> quite often and do not care to become stagnated simply because of my
>> own unwillingness to make changes in workflow or technique.
> 
> I couldn't agree more.
> 
> Best regards,
> --nick
> 
>