Digital BW, The Print

Sorry Shilesh, didn't mean to pop your bubble. I had an interesting 
weekend last week: I took part in an outdoor art fair, little white 
tent and all. I had both inkjets and FB prints under glass on the 
walls, and inkjets only in flip-racks on the side. 

The most common question the entire weekend is 'what's a carbon-
pigment inkjet print?' Good opportunity to educate a lot of people.

Many also expressed surprise and amazement at how good the inkjets 
looked, on the wall next to some of my best FB prints. But there 
were a few-(not many mind you) that immediately said 'yea, they're 
good, but I can still see the difference'. That says to me  we (or 
at least I) still have that 10% to go, though we are so much closer 
than a couple years ago.
And yes, you can make the argument that it is it's own medium and 
should be accepted on its own terms, but face it-in most ways, for 
most uses, digital printing isn't really going to be a parallel 
technology. It is a replacement, and I for one don't want to have to 
make any excuses or feel like we have given up anything in quality 
for the sake of convenience or whatever. So pardon me if I keep 
pushing till we get there! (dirty job... etc.,etc.)

Steve


 --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Shilesh Jani" 
<shileshjani@b...> wrote:
>
> Steve,
> 
> Thanks a lot - you've just ruined the "feel-good" I was having!
> 
> How's it going? Haven't seen you in a print exchange in a while. 
> Would love to see more of the Florida Swampland and the Greek 
Isles. 
> 
> Shilesh
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Steven 
> Karafyllakis" <steve@s...> wrote:
> >
> > Matte paper might well be reflectionless held in your hand, with 
no 
> > glass-but if you put a silver gel print, a semi-matte inkjet 
print 
> > and a matte inkjet print under glass and hang them on the wall, 
> they 
> > all become equally reflective, since you are now looking at the 
> > reflections of the glass. The factors that do not get equalized 
are 
> > the more important ones-the tonal range and dmax of the FB 
print, 
> > the better dmax and shadow detail retention of the semi-matte 
> > inkjet. So I for one (since we seem to be conducting another 
> > impromptu poll) am not ready to write of the FB look and 
> advantages. 
> > I've said it before, I'll say it again: I want it all.
> > 
> >  my 2c worth
> > 
> > Steven Karafyllakis
> > 
> > --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Shilesh 
Jani" 
> > <shileshjani@b...> wrote:
> > >
> > > Hear, hear. Now let us (Epson, or anyone else for that matter)
> find 
> > a 
> > > the K ink which gives us Dmax in the 2 range on matte papers.
> > > 
> > > --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Clayton 
> > Jones" 
> > > <cj@c...> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Paul,
> > > > 
> > > > >...they may have a paper that comes close to the fabled 
silver 
> > > print, 
> > > > >but after getting used to matte papers, I'm not sure I want 
to 
> > go 
> > > > >back to the silver print look for display prints.
> > > > 
> > > > Exactly my sentiments, and "fabled" is a good word.  I held 
on 
> > to 
> > > that
> > > > standard in my mind for a long time, but last summer I 
searched
> > > > through a box of old fiber base silver prints (mostly on 
> Oriental
> > > > Seagull, Ilford MGFB and Galerie) looking for something and 
was 
> > > struck
> > > > by how distracting and annoying the glare and reflections 
> were.  
> > I'd
> > > > forgotten how bad it was and realized how much I've come to 
> love 
> > the
> > > > completely reflectionless carbon ink prints.  
> > > > 
> > > > I think that was the final step in completely leaving behind 
> the 
> > > last
> > > > traces of desire to recreate the look of emulsion prints of 
any 
> > > sort.
> > > > I believe I have now, even subconsciously, fully accepted and
> > > > embraced the fact that we are working with a different 
medium.  
> > > > 
> > > > Regards,
> > > > Clayton
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > Info on black and white digital printing at    
> > > > http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm
> > > >
> > >
> >
>