Digital BW, The Print

Tyler Boley wrote:
> Also, you just can't take the same file and print with all those
> processes and have the process be the criteria, you have to optimize
> the tonal qualities in the file to make each set of materials shine in
> their own way. In some ways the old S curve made lovely silver for
> those who knew how to print.
> Tyler
> http://www.custom-digital.com/
>   

Absolutely. If you print the same file that is tuned for HPR on a paper 
that's linear out another stop it will print too dark. We've compressed 
the shadow detail to make it work on HPR; we have to uncompress the 
shadow details somewhat (especially between the shadow details and 
black) to make it work on a paper with a higher Dmax.

One of the reasons I wanted out of darkroom printing is the frustration 
of dealing with the toe and shoulder of the darkroom papers, all 
somewhat different from one another. Trying to hold shadow details and 
highlight details in the same darkroom print was always an exercise in 
frustration for me, and usually many (way too many) workprints. Much as 
I tried, I just could never develop the correct "feel" for the process 
and so never felt like I was fully competent at it.

Inkjet printing solved those problems. At the expense of introducing its 
own set of frustrations ;-) Oh well.
--
Bruce Watson