Digital BW, The Print

Hello Art,

>Up until recently I used convential black and white printing 
>methods but now I am moving to a new realm...
>Can someone get me started in the right direction? 

>...does that over ride the burning and dodging that I do in photoshop? 

No, it shouldn't.  There are different approaches to this, but in
general you should get on paper what you see on screen.  Even the
slightest changes, such as moving a point on an adjustment curve by a
single RGB unit, will show in the print.  


>How do I get the feel of the old Ilford Gallerie look from these 
>products?

The 2400 is a versatile printer and you can emulate many different
"looks" with the tone control in ABW mode combined with various
papers.  For example, some papers render carbon inks with a cooler
tone than others, and they vary in contrast range as well, so the
paper choice is as important as the ink tone setting.  For example,
one of my favorite silver prints was done on Galerie #3.  I found a
good match for it using Merlin Smooth paper with ABW setting 6h,-6v. 
It will take some experimenting, but I'm sure you'll find things
you'll like.

There is an article (#5) at the link below called "The Great Paper
Chase" which lists the attributes of 26 different papers.  It can give
you some ideas of where to begin experimenting.  There is another one
(#9) which outlines a workflow for the 2400 that will get you started
right away without needing extra hardware or software.  It's a
complete step by step outline, from Photoshop settings to making the
final print.  There is also a section about using proof paper which is
 good to know.

You'll like the 2400, it's an excellent choice.  One of the great
things about digital printing is how much more control we have.  I've
been able to make good prints from negs that I was never fully
satisfied with under the enlarger.  So, welcome to this great new world.

Regards,
Clayton


Info on black and white digital printing at    
http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm