Digital BW, The Print

Greetings Al,

First off, I think that Clayton, as usual, has given some very sound advice.  I can confirm 
that my 4X5 negatives are making incredible (to me) "Black Only Eboni" prints 20" X 25" 
---I could never get to this scale using an enlarger without the images falling apart on 
me.  And the opportunity for adjustment and correction in Photoshop is gratifying to say 
the least (it is a kind of enlightenment).  The inkjet print certainly stands on its own.

Regarding The Great Yellow Father turning his back on black and white ---I think this will 
further open the doors to smaller entities stepping in to fill the gaps.  ---In some ways it 
appears that a more promising and less homogeneous landscape lies ahead for the 
traditional print.  They say there are four to five years of remaining Azo stock, and there 
are strong murmurings that an alternative manufacturer of an Azo equivalent is at hand.  
Azo is a different animal, and perhaps not the easiest to have taken on first with the PDN 
system ---becuase really I am now addressing two new variables at the same time.  I am 
still very early in the process, calibrating and re-calibrating, trying lots of different things, 
different tools for mixing in a limited amount of black ink, a RIP, elements of Dan 
Burkholder's approach, different ink settings.  I do not yet have a satisfactory negative or 
print on Azo in hand.  I wish I could say that I do.  ---Some very promising elements, but I 
have not yet successfully integrated them.  Other reputable photographer's have reported 
solid success with inkjet negatives on silver, but I have not seen these prints in person. My 
standards are pretty high and the digital realm is still very new to me ---only months.  
The printer you have your eye on shows great promise by most all reports.  

I can confirm that I have seen Platinum/Palladium prints produced with digital negatives 
that more than qualify as excellent by traditional standards ---and alternative (or 
"traditional") contact printing, as you know, is really where the digital negative shows its 
promise.

(I am starting to feel guilty here because the content of this discussion doesn't really fit 
the forum directly ---hopefully people will recognize that it does so indirectly.  Photoshop 
and the printer are fundamental tools in both realms.  I hope photographers will resist 
total segregation.)  

So with that, I'll say it: don't stop working with that 4X5.  Which ever direction you end up 
going, it will pay off.

In the meantime, I'll post you when I can consistantly and systematically produce that 
quality of inkjet negative and print that I am pursuing on Azo. 

Until then, keep your eye on the horizon,

Nathan Jones