Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Fred59"
<jfhanson45@...> wrote:
>
> This is my first post in the forum--by way of introduction, I'll 
> simply say that I am an advanced amateur photographer, with a 
> special interest in B&W printing.  I've recently gone all-digital on 
> the shooting side, and I am now setting up the digital printing side.
> 
> My semi-retirement project is to scan in and print some thirty-plus 
> years of 35 negs, as needed. FWIW, I also am an advanced (hardware) 
> PC computer freak.
> 
Jim:

I have enjoyed BW printing for a couple of years now using an Epson
2200 and MIS UT7 inks.  Surprisingly pleasing prints can evolve from a
digital camera color image, PhotoShop, and QuadToneRip.

Like you I have about three decades of 35mm BW negatives and, for all
but a few, proper contact sheets; plus more color slides than I can
properly estimate.  You may find reviewing contact sheets as tiresome
as I even knowing there are exposures worth working through a BW
inkjet printer.  Reviewing color slides is even more tedious.

Paul Roark recommends a high-resolution scanner for your negatives; I
agree.  I bought a Minolta Dimage Scan Elite 5400 and have managed to
work over about 150 sets of negatives.  The 5400 has been replaced by
the 5400 II which reviewers claim is faster with more image processing
features.  It is expensive but the capability to scan 5400 elements
per inch means you can wring just about all the value from the
scanned film.

An important adjunct is a program to display and permit searching for
individual and groups of images.  I find Westphal's IMatch
(photools.com) is ideal.  One may search for similar images where
searching on name, date, EXIF data, and what-have-you, would be
ineffective.  I have 21 DVDs loaded with the full files of many BW
images (as well as recent files from a Sony F828).  IMatch holds
relatively little data on-line for each image -thumbnail and text data
as well as identity of the DVD carrying the full image.

Thumbnails can be displayed in several sizes with or without
accompanying data.  The kids are in their fifties now, but I have
discovered many forgotten images of their younger years.  A scanner
and presentation program turns those old negatives into a much more
valuable resource.

Reinald