Digital BW, The Print

Steve Kale wrote:

> And when it works well it will return to the "fine art" world with a
> vengeance. The first step is to get pigment inks that can sit well on 
> coated papers - eradicating the typically termed bronzing and gloss 
> differential issues.   Parallel development is also occurring with 
> respect to coatings which come closer to traditional finishes.  In my 
> opinion, we are getting ever closer to replicating the prior 
> "standard" - air-dried, fibre-based, (glossy) silver gelatin print.  
> There's nothing to say that this need be the "standard" but the allure 
> of a fully-useable 2.3+ dMax range with a traditional "look" will be 
> enormously strong for as long as matte printing remains stuck down at 
> dMaxs of 1.6-7.


Absolutely. What is driving the market toward this "standard" is the 
laws of physics. It's easier to get higher Dmax on a glossier surface 
than on a matte surface. What we want, is the higher Dmax, not 
necessarily the glossier surface.

> Now, of course, there are others working on new inks that have already 
> achieved in tests dMax of well over 2.0, extending to match today's 
> photo black output and traditional print dMax.  It remains to be seen 
> as to whether these inks can come successfully to market.

Yes. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

> The real test of what will be the new "standard" will only come when 
> inks on matte papers can achieve the same useable dynamic range of the 
> current "traditional standard".  Until then matte paper output is 
> playing a fill-in role while photo paper output develops rapidly to 
> meet its predecessor.  Personally I would like to see a bit more 
> balanced advances to both.  I'd much prefer a cotton paper print over 
> a photo/fibre print IF it had the same dynamic range.  Unfortunately, 
> though, this will require some very radical rethinking of ink 
> technology and perhaps the standards by which its longevity is 
> judged.  But it is still very early days in the digital printing of 
> photographs and we have a lot to look forward to.

Yes. Given a choice of 2.3+ Dmax on gloss, semi-gloss, or matte paper, I 
would almost certainly pick the matte paper. I don't think I'm alone in 
that. The market is there. It's just a matter of time.
--
Bruce Watson