Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/10/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]OK, I made 3 prints: - One on a RC Ilford Multigrade - One on a gloss Fiber Ilford Multigrade - One from a scanned image (LS-8000, glass carrier 4000 DPI) printed on Baryta Gold Fiber 8x10 is only 3x+ or so enlargement (each dimension) from the 6x7 so not a stretch at all. Anycase, observations: RC print is definitely the weakest. A good inkjet print trumps it easily. It is the same grade paper and get the same amount of light as the FB but it just lacks the punch and contrast. My wife thinks the traditional FB looks "cheap," mainly because of the gloss. but I think it's because she's used to seeing them in a gallery, behind glass. The subjective quality of the Baryta print and the FB are different. The FB has much better shadow separation and purer highlight, but with the inkjet, I am almost certain that it can be tweaked. The Baryta print is very good. The grain is more apparent under a loupe and looks like scanned and inkjet grain, whereas the grain on the FB is very smooth. As it is, the FB looks better, but ultmiately inconclusive as I have not try to coerce better tweaks on the Baryta print yet. While the computer file can be tweaked indefinitely, it's actually easier and faster to tweak a wet darkroom exposure and see the result in a few minutes rather than making another (costly) printout. The FB paper of course needs to be pressed straight somehow... -- // richard m: richard @imagecraft.com // w: http://www.imagecraft.com/pub/Portfolio09/ blog: http://rfman.wordpress.com // book: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/745963