Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/08/03
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>I have given up traditional printing and sold my enlarger earlier this >year, after it was parked in the darkroom for 4 years. I still use my >darkroom to develop films (B&W and C41) but the prints are made with the >Nikon LS-2000 scanner and Epson Photo printer. Why? Because it is more >convenient, and because of this convenience I am able to make better >prints on the computer than I could in the wet darkroom. The only real >compromise is size (my printer can print only A4/letter) and longevity. >I can address the size issue by buying another Epson printer, and as for >longevity I am currently awaiting my order for the quadtone archival >inks and corresponding papers, which should solve that problem. Is the Lightjet 5000 the answer? Me, I've ruined every photo with a nikon scanner and photoshop. I just can't help it. The blues, well I like purple. And the saturation - I'll fix that. And of course I'll go through about 1000 fade/blur and everything. The final image turns out to be a big ball of color (unless I desaturate). I could use layers but I figure I'll just do a little bit... I don't mind so much if someone with expertise and a sense of limitations scans and then prints my stuff. In many cases, I could easily be tricked. I know what the positive looks like on the lightbox and what it's parameters are in terms of duplication on paper, or whatever. I need to take the image (me slides) and stop there. I recently took the strangest picture of an orange door - weird, very weird orange...and used it as a test on a HP - the bottom of line Color Copier (36bit) (retails I think $600) and I was just stunned by the print (just HP photo paper) I made a few copies at different settings and then asked for opinions and almost everyone chose the HP copy as their favorite (it was a 'bit' brighter). Then I figured - that's it! Color Inkjet Copies! That idea lasted a good ten seconds - but behind glass! Hah! Nice print! Archival!!!!! Come 'n get 'em!!