Digital BW, The Print

Djon wrote:

>I
>think this has to do with a pervasive sense that inkjet is inferior as
>is, right now. It ain't. It's just different, like etchings or silkscreen.
>  
>
The "it's just different"  is only partially true.  Most traditional 
media have a look that's hard to emulate with other media, and the 
emulation will not usually be very successful. For example, oil paints 
have different characteristics than watercolors. One can try to use one 
to emulate the other, but it would be very difficult, if not impossible, 
to achieve an identical looking piece, as long as the original piece 
used the characteristics of it's medium to full effect. Inkjet prints, 
on the other hand, can fairly easily be  made to look very similar to 
traditional photographic prints. In fact, according to certain criteria, 
dmax for example, some inkjets can surpass traditional prints.   Inkjet 
prints can also look quite different from air dried glossy fb silver 
gelatin prints, but so can other traditional silver gelatin and 
alternative processes.  Traditional photography does not amount to just 
one look. Hence one need not be "emulating" the look of traditional 
photography only by preferring non-matte papers.

I use the traditional air dried glossy fiber based silver gelatin paper 
not because others have used it in the past; but because it's dynamic 
range, range of hues, archivability, surface reflection and other 
characteristics have in the past best fit the type if image that I've 
wanted to make.  I've tried numerous other traditional processes, and 
for my work none were as satisfying, but I have nothing against those 
who use other processes.  Since the traditional air dried...silver 
gelatin paper has best met my needs, when looking for a replacement, 
it's only natural that I should compare them to that standard, and 
there's nothing wrong with this, as some seem to suggest. I'm only 
trying to emulate the look of FB with regards to those characteristics 
of inkjet printing that aren't as satisfying to me. If possible, I'd 
like to get injet prints which surpass my FB prints in all of their 
characteristics.  This is not, as some have suggested, trying to get one 
medium to do something that it's not suited for.  With the progress 
being made with inkjet prints, I have no doubt that my goal will 
eventually be achieved. Now those who print on matte inkjet papers may 
have other goals, and that's fine. My goals, though, are not inherently 
less legitimate than theirs.

Like what you like, and let others worry about themselves.

-Peter De Smidt