[Leica] Closing my darkroom

[jonathan at openhealth.org (Jonathan Borden)]

In the past few years I've been scanning 35mm film (Minolta5400) and  
printing using an Epson 2200... also using MIS Carbon inks on a  
C84... there is no question that matte prints on the 2200 or with  
carbon inks have a nice quality... the prints are particularly  
terrific when a "pastel" sort of look is needed.

Yet when I compare these prints side by side to traditional darkroom  
selenium toned air dried DW fiber the prints don't have the same  
appearance ... in many cases the inkjet prints don't have the  
"emotional impact" of the air dried fiber prints. I haven't been able  
to quite place my finger on what has been lacking (of course SWMBO  
says simply "the blacks aren't very dark" :-) She has been pretty  
much able to spot an inkjet print in an instant whether mine or in a  
gallery.

In the past couple of weeks I've got my new Epson 4800 printer up and  
running. The prints are nothing short of amazing when placed side by  
side with a fiber print ... these prints have it. The blacks are just  
as black perhaps blacker (using Epson Premium Glossy or Luster).

When closely viewed, these new inkjet prints look more like a fiber  
print than an RC print (at least to my eye). I think that is because  
the RC prints often have a slightly veiled appearance -- I've assumed  
this is because the silver is not on the very surface of the print  
but slightly buried in the RC. The matte inkjet prints have the  
appearance of a flat surface of ink i.e. lacking in depth. The glossy  
K3 prints (from the 2400/4800/7800/9800 series) have an entirely  
transparent depth akin to a fiber print. The blacks are Azo/Amidol  
black ... really. I'm now having a hard time justifying why I'd  
return to wet printing except for ? fun ?.

Bring on the digital M ....

Jonathan