Digital BW, The Print

I agree wholeheartedly but with one caveat:

Until the end result truly steps out of the shadow (and bigotry) of its
predecessor it will remain judged by the best that its predecessor can
deliver.

I don't think this will really happen until the traditional guys look at a
digital print and agree, by their traditional standards, "that's pretty damn
good".  The advantages that digital has in the realm of image management and
editing means digital dwarfs the traditional domain in this respect.  The
choice of textures and finishes in the matte domain has already been
enormously expanded.  However, the allure of a "good" black takes the gloss
of this achievement (excuse the pun).  But we get closer every day. The K3
inks are a massive leap forward.


> From: Tyler Boley <tyler@...>
> Reply-To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Date: Sun, 05 Jun 2005 01:44:09 -0000
> To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: [Digital BW] Re: dont think inkjet prints do the trick
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "- andu -"
> <px3n120x@y...> wrote:
> 
> Although I would ad a few more papers to your list, I agree
> wholeheartedly. This process stands on it's own, does not imitate
> another, and has unique qualities a talented printer learns to exploit.
> Tyler
> 
> 
>> Unfortunately, from what I observed, most people come to B&W digital
>> printing with the wrong attitude, they think it is a technology meant
>> to copy or clone traditional silver printing, which it is not. Also
>> unfortunate is the fact that most efforts are put in the same
>> direction, how to make a digital print look like what it is not, a
>> silver print. And I must say, some have been very successful, though
>> on the wrong track.
>> There is a paradox, most people acknowledge the fact that an image
>> from a scanned negative (grain structure is different) or one taken
>> with a digital camera (shadow detail, sharpness, grain structure,
>> etc.) looks different then what one would get from a negative enlarged
>> with an enlarger, still they expect the prints to look the same with
>> the ones coming from a process involving an enlarger and chemical
>> processing.
>> Besides, the best paper (IMHO) for digital printing is Hahnemuhle
>> photo rag which has a texture and feel and color with no equivalent in
>> silver printing papers that I know unless you make you own.
>> What I'm trying to say is, use each technique for its strongest
>> points, take into consideration the specifics of a technique and use
>> them to your advantage. The B&W print 'look' that we all know and like
>> and are nostalgic for, has its power and its magic because over time
>> we learned how to take advantage of that technique, not by trying to
>> copy another.
>> 
>> 
>> Andu