digital darkroom question

This is not a digital print war thread, I am really curious to what you are doing with the digital data.

Ok, I have been reading post after post for the last year of what scanner should i use, what printer is best, ect. So here is my question; What the heck do you do with your digital data?

I ask this because in the last year I have had several pictures taken of my kids, such as a soccer group print, a science math event, and horse camp. I being a good parent spent the $35 for the group photo's. Well it has been several months to 18 months and the pictures are so fadded and degraded you can hardly make out the shoot. My question to you digital people is i would like to convert to digital on my color 4x5 neg. only and still do my own printing of B&W on an omega D2V. If all of the so called professional guys and gals are going digital with this kind of result. What the heck can you do to convince me that i can have a print that is worth spending the money on the digital scanners and printers, and have a picture that doesn't last. If these people are using printers that cost in the $500 and they don't last. Are all us stupid parents getting screwed? It does sound alot easier on color prints which i rarely do because of cost. But then again why should I buy all of this equipment for prints that don't last? Can anybody help clear my head, or is it quick down and dirty get the print out the door that makes this popular?
Help please,
Dan

Dan:

I print to either a Chromira printer on Fuji paper (about 50 year life span) or to Epson 9600 or HP130 inkjets with about 70 year life span.

There are low cost archival inkjet printers. Epson makes the R800 which will give you >50 year prints.

For B&W, stay in the darkroom.

BTW, I don't have to turn off the lights to work with digital, so its not a darkroom anymore!

It's now called "A Digital Lightroom".

It sounds as if who ever supplied your photos either couldn't care or knew nothing about the archival properties of digital prints. Choose the right format printer and ink/paper combination to match the type of prints you require, and they will have a long life. I'm reviewing my current setup, but currently my A4 gloss/pearl B&W prints should last 70 years, B&W A3 matt 50 years, Colour A3 gloss 69 years and matt 29 years, estimated times framed behind glass. There are better than this. I know pro photographers who are more interested in the speed they can output prints, and aren't bothered by any other factor. They are in the minority, but this gives us all and inkjet prints generally a bad name. All printers/inks/papers are not equal.

Steve Bell

Hi Dan

We print fibre base prints from digital files all the time, same paper we use for traditional printing. www.elevatordigital.ca

Hello Dan: I've been using the digital for the website, to make prints with an Epson 2200, and to have larger prints made at a pro printer with multi shades of gray inks--Epson 9600. You'd be surprised at what the Epson 2200 can do.

Also, there are plenty of consumer point labs and pro labs that will print on fiber or RC paper. Develop a relationship with one, it's like developing a relationship with a wet-darkroom printer.

I've even heard of a digital enlarger that lets you print digital images onto regular wet-darkroom papers.

There's plenty of fun out there.

Well Thanks for all of your input. I guess I have alot to learn about printers and paper in order to go the digital route. I am intruiged by it all and a little apprehensive at this time. I guess i must start researching this more and find someone locally that does it. I beleive there is company about 2 hours from me that is doing a "laser light print". From what I gathered it was a fancy inkjet printer. I haven't seen there work. As far as going after the people who did the prints for me I have no idea who these people are, but you can be sure it will not happen again and they will be quite ambarased next time around when they are trying dump their crap on the rest of the parents. Some of you are saying B&W the traditional way, and some are doing "digital Light room". It must be a difference in equipment? Thanks again and now I have something else to think about. It at least opens the door for me to do my own color work, but it would be nice to do both when i take the plunge.

I'm a little late jumping in, but...

When I need to do digital post production and have hard copy output, I take the computer files to a local lab that has an Agfa D-Lab2. The Agfa outputs on "real" wet-process photographic paper and my local guys do a great job.