Digital BW, The Print

From: "Roy Harrington" <roy@...>
To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2003 11:36 PM
Subject: [Digital BW] Re: Digital BW Printers met in SF last night


> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Tyler
> Boley" <tyler@t...> wrote:


> >
> > Tom, seems between the 16 of you there must have been
> some impressions
> > to share. Most of us are in a vacuum and envy these get
> togethers.
> > What did you see, like, dislike???
> > Anything? Anyone?
> > Tyler
>
> Hi Tyler,
>
> It was a fun meeting and there are probably 16 sets of
> impressions.  The diversity of everyone's workflows, inks,
> photostyles, goals is very wide.
>
> There was a lot of show and tell by many in the group.
> Most of the group had from one or two prints all the way
> to a very nice and complete portfolio -- done btw with MIS
> Original Inks and completely self -done workflow using
> photoshop quadtones.  There were prints from some
> exchanges.
>
> Naturally there was a some tech talk and show.  Martin had
> images and test prints using the Pixel Picasso Septone inks
> and software system.  I got to show some images and test
> prints I made using QuadToneRIP with vm-sepia based inks.
> Martin and I carpooled so I gave him a quicky machine demo.
> There weren't any UltraTone ink prints, too bad, I'd like to
> see some.
>
> There was a great discussion about making and selling
> inkjet prints from old masters (by those with the legal rights,
> of course).
>
> I announced that I've got a photo show for the month of
> July in Palo Alto.  They are all printed with my 7500, special
> dilution of vm-sepia inks and quadtone rip software.
>
> Roy
>
Tyler,

I'll add a bit to what Roy said above. First I am really impressed with
QuadTone RIP both in how easy it is to use and in the results. The curve
building is very simple,  based upon calculating the dot percentages where
you achieve paper saturation with each ink to establish the crossover points
and then adding factors to adjust the slope and width of the curves so that
the peak of the black ink falls at 100%. (Jump in here Roy if I'm not
getting this straight!) All of the step wedges were dead perfect without a
ripple or bump. Great prints with very deep blacks. If you just want to use
the curves that are already built then the series of steps to print are no
more difficult than using the Piezo driver, probably easier. Resolution off
Roy's 7500 is comparable to the Septone 7600 samples done with Pixelpixasso
and a bit better than what I get with my 1280 and the Piezo plug-in. Wish I
had a Mac to run it on!

To a great extent the meeting and the work that was shown was a
demonstration of a point you were making awhile back. Namely that people can
make wonderful, expressive prints with any of the materials and workflows if
they commit themselves to the effort. There was an incredible series of
prints of one photographer's family done with the original MIS quads using
the Quadtone Mode in Photoshop. The group included someone whose reaction
was that they really needed to go back to silver printing, which is a
legitimate decision if that is where you want your work to be. Someone came
to take a look who considering moving to digital printing. A couple of
people talked about their experiences working from LVT negatives. I passed
around a wonderful Mike Kravit palladium print made from an inkjet
chromogenic negative.

It was really wonderful to have Imogene Cunningham's grandson show up with a
couple of versions of her "Magnolia Blossom" in inkjet wondering what she
would have done with this new technology. An incredible connection of past
and future.

Hard to really describe a free flowing exchange like that. A nice blend of
technology and art got talked about. Good sized group, a great bunch of
people and real prints to look at!!!

I strongly recommend that people try and get together locally. This is a
visual medium and there is no substitute to holding prints in your hand.

Many thanks to Tom O'Connell for acting as our local chairman and pulling
these meetings together. Thanks also to Tom Jow for getting us a meeting
room, and munchies! Without some committed people these kind of events don't
happen.

Martin