Digital BW, The Print

I've printed a lot of platinum (and/or palladium), and have friends who
print only that process.  Since there is some similarity in the papers used
for pt/pd and inkjet, naturally I tried mimicking a pt/pd print (Epson 2200,
UC inks and ImagePrint 6).  It didn't work any better for me than trying to
imitate a darkroom b&w print.  I got the tones right, but it was still an
inkjet print.  I will say that once behind glass, the differences tend to
become less obvious.  One of the best platinum printers I know, Tom Millea,
has people hold the un-matted prints to view (www.tommillea.com).  In
looking at the older prints, a lot of things go into the mix.  Edward
Weston, Paul Strand and many others used lenses that you and I wouldn't give
a second look.  They worked only because the film area was large.  It may
have been that only home-made printing-out pt/pd materials were available.
A lot of the EW prints were made on grade 0 or 1 silver papers. (For pt/pd,
negatives are typically developed in one of the pyro variants, such as Rollo
or PMK, and the pyro stain adds density that makes silver printing
difficult).

With modern pt/pd prints by master printers (see also
http://www.davidmichaelkennedy.com/indexold.html), I see a depth of the
image and a tonal range that is just not there is an inkjet or silver print.
But, if you want to try: I suggest you might start with the Photoshop .ahu
filters from  http://www.zuberphotographics.com/page_Downloads.htm.  There
are a number for alternate photo processes.  The kallitype filters are
pretty good and I use them for toning from time to time.  May the Force be
with you.

  --Ken

> -----Original Message-----
> From: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com 
> [mailto:DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com] On 
> Behalf Of Jim Jasutis
> Sent: Saturday, June 11, 2005 8:32 PM
> To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [Digital BW] Quick mini Platinum poll
> 
> I am kind of new here, and would like to ask a quick question.
> 
> I know that inkjet prints are an entitity unto themselves, 
> and don't need to compare themselves nor try to emulate any 
> other medium. That being said, there is a lot of talk of 
> trying to make inkjet prints that look like traditional 
> silver prints. One of the big stumbling blocks seems to be 
> the sheen of the silver prints. Since Platinum was done on 
> handcoated papers much more like the matte inkjet print 
> papers, I was wondering what combinations of inks and papers 
> any of you have found that looks something like platinum. I 
> have never seen a platinum print in person, but I have read 
> so many glowing reports about them, that I would like to see 
> what an inkjet version would look like --- Thanks  -- JimJ