[Leica] RE: Digital FIBER Prints

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

Subject: Re: [Leica] RE: Digital FIBER Prints


> Norm Aubin wrote:
>Then there's inks - MIS quad tones - Piezo inks (so to speak), EPSON inks, 
>and others yet.  So how do you sort this all out?  At least with papers you 
>can see a lot of other folks work and get a feel for what the papers look 
>like - and what the various developers do to those papers.

>Here in this brave new world of infinite possibilities it's daunting - at
>least in the fiber world we had the works of a generation or two of
>photographers helping us sort the wheat from the chaff.  Now we have to
>start over: it's exciting, but it's time consuming and fraught with lots of
>ways to fail.  >>

"Nathan Wajsman responded:
> I don't think it is that different than with film. Let's say, 10 years 
> ago, before the digital revolution started decimating the ranks of 
> film/chemicals/paper makers, you could also go crazy trying to figure out 
> which film, which developer, which paper, which paper developer etc. The 
> solution then, as now, is to find something you like and stick with it, 
> unless something new comes along that is absolutely compelling.
>
> For me that meant that I had a default film for each speed (Fuji Acros for 
> 100, Tri-X for 400 and Fuji Neopan for 1600) and my default developer, 
> XTOL. Now in the digital world, I similarly stick to Epson Matte 
> Heavyweight and MIS inks (I am obviously talking B&W here) is my 
> combination, although I will try the Hahnem?hle papers too in the near 
> future.

> Unless you find a personal standard and stay with it, more or less, you'll 
> end up spending all your time on testing rather than on photography.<<<

Hi Norm & Nathan,
We can all relate to the paper digital ink printer dilemma as we who've done 
wet tray printing for many many years, this digital-ink jet thing is like 
starting all over.

We knew what we liked coming out of the wet tray, the look, the paper & feel 
when dry. Then along comes digital and it's a whole new ball game as we 
became rookies again. Yep digital inkjet is a new learning curve and to some 
degree the internet, as helpful as it is at times,  can also be very 
confusing! WHY?

Well 20 thousand people give you all the versions of how they think 
ink-papers should be and that becomes confusing. In the olden days a buddy 
or a small camera club had a few folks who were pretty damn good printers.

The choices of film, developer, paper were pretty limited so it was much 
easier all round. Not to forget, it was much cheaper. ;-)

Today? Holy mackerel there's a gazillion kinds of printers, inks and paper 
and like I said, twenty thousand people giving advice off the screen, not to 
forget camera clubs are now... "near all experts of confusion."

As Nathan says wisely, "pick one, work with it, beat the hell out of it 
learning how to squeeze the very best out of it." Then try something else if 
you're so inclined. But don't jump all over the place "changing papers, inks 
and machines mid-stream" because all you'll do is become more confused and 
never satisfied. The only thing you'll become good at is wasting your money 
testing all the time.

Wise words Nathan, thanks.

Oh yeah and to add to the paper confusion. ;-) Have any of you tried? 
"MUSEO" fine art paper by Crane? And of course ;-) it's beautiful & 
expensive.

ted