Digital BW, The Print

I doubt that many here are rich. I will say something though - we are 
spoiled. Back in my wet darkroom days it would take several pieces of 
paper and a lot of time to get a good print. Yes you could use "cheaper" 
paper to get a quick proof, but this proof normally would not eliminate 
the neccessity to use several pieces of good paper in fine tuning the 
final print. Each paper is slightly different. Now throw in toning, the 
wet print and dry print taking on a slightly different look, etc. and 
there are a lot of variables that need to be juggled to get a final print.

With printers we have a lot more control on the process before we go to 
paper - so the production of a final print is usually quicker and eats 
up less paper. The one thinn I have noticed is drying down is still an 
issue. The other night I printed a image of a old train station. I first 
printed ( 1280 MIS VM and EAM) it to bring out the richness in the brick 
train station - that is richness in zones 3. 4 and 5. I was very 
disapointed in the print. It could not hold a candle to the silver print 
I have of that negative. I then printed one where I opened up the 
shadows some that I liked better.

Two days later after everything was dry, I looked at the first one and 
the richness was there after the print fully dired. So drying down is 
still required with injets before a final judgement can be made.

I just don't think there is any foolproof short cut to producing a 
quality image. If anyone has one - I'm all ears.

Truman

Keith Cooper wrote:

>Hello
>
>Given the relatively high cost of good paper and ink I was wondering how
>people go about doing rough proofs for their B/W work?  I do test strips on
>final paper/ink combinations, but what about other ways of getting a 'real'
>image to hold and pass around, other than just looking at a screen?
>
>I've found two ways quite useful, but what do other people do? Or is
>everyone on the list wealthy enough to have large printers with expensive
>driver software, rolls of paper, and densitometers? :-)) :-))
>
>
>  
>

Keith Cooper wrote:

>Hello
>
>Given the relatively high cost of good paper and ink I was wondering how
>people go about doing rough proofs for their B/W work?  I do test strips on
>final paper/ink combinations, but what about other ways of getting a 'real'
>image to hold and pass around, other than just looking at a screen?
>
>I've found two ways quite useful, but what do other people do? Or is
>everyone on the list wealthy enough to have large printers with expensive
>driver software, rolls of paper, and densitometers? :-)) :-))
>
>
>  
>
I profile with a scanner.. Will be adding a ColorMouse soon..

I've saved the costs of the software and the time put into setting up 
profiles several times over..

Soft-profiling is particularly helpful with troublesome images..
Keith

 

"Just some guy," and founder of the Multiverse's largest EPSON printer 
User Community (highly recommended by Vogon Poets and MegaDodo 
Publications), at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EPSONx7x_Printers/
 
"For the rest of you out there, the secret is to bang the rocks together 
guys"




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