Alt-Process Prints from Digital Negatives or Positives

[Tin Can]

I read somewhere, most likely on Jon Cone website that many latest Epson's will not allow refilled carts and has an unbeatable lockout.

He also said the P600 was not in that lockout group and he can hack the system with better and far cheaper digital neg inks.

[Andrew O'Neill]

Problems with Epson R1900 printing digital negatives.
Im getting lines across my film when I print.
Im using Pictorico OHP, printing with the recommended ICC Premium Glossy profile from Epson.

It prints fine on glossy paper, but not on the film.
Don't want to waste anymore film, anyone have same issue and find a profile that works for you?

You should run a nozzle check. Run a head cleaning cycle. A head alignment cycle wouldn't hurt either.

I use QTR to profile digital negs. http://www.quadtonerip.com/html/QTRoverview.html

[Tin Can]

curious why Randy. I know a number of professionals who have switched to Canon the last few years and love them.

I bought a B&H Canon PRO 1 early edition and had problems with not enough usage and having to replace all 12 inks way too often for my output. Even printing only monotone B&W it requires and drinks all 12 inks despite having 5 for B&W. No way to set the darn device to use only B&W ink. Insidious bean counters.

Then I bought a last full set of ink, $500 and bingo it demanded an online firmware upgrade but I could not do a firmware upgrade with up to date iOS or Win 8. Calling for service revealed Canon only has a far suburban service facility and they told me I must bring the 70 lb monster to them. Out of warranty and cash repair.

I don't have a car, i dislike renting one to drive to the burbs and I needed 2 people to carry it for me. I am still pissed. Obviously...

I gave it away in the FS section here and I never heard if the second owner got it working.

I paid $1000 for it, put about $2K in ink in it and I have 2 prints I like from it on my wall. $1500 prints!

I was ignorant when I bought and didn't yet know that the Cone system and Epson was the only practical way to make B&W prints and digital negs. My 2 Canon B&W keeper prints are really nice, but my digital negs never went anywhere.

Early on I contacted Jon Cone about making a Piezo set for the Canon and he declined. Smart guy!

I have bought and successfully used many Epson photo printers, not perfect but they never needed an ambulance ride.

ymmv

[ndg]

Randy, you can make digital negatives with the Epson 4900 and the Epson ink set. That is all I use. Have had it since 2012.

[Tin Can]

Randy, you can make digital negatives with the Epson 4900 and the Epson ink set. That is all I use. Have had it since 2012.

Thanks for the tip. I believe that model is being discontinued.

I will get a fresh Epson pony, P600 when Jon Cone has it all figured out.

No hurry. I don't think...

[Frank_E]

The P600 does fine with pictorico ultra premium, haven't tried regular pictorico. I'm not sure why he would make that statement?

thanks for the response Erik. Are you using the P600 with the Epson inks or the Cone inks?. Are you printing with QTR?

[Erik Larsen]

thanks for the response Erik. Are you using the P600 with the Epson inks or the Cone inks?. Are you printing with QTR?

I'm using the epson inks with the method taught in Christina andersons book. I don't see the reason to do qtr at this point as I'm happy with this method.

[Willie]

I believe this image, and this thread belong somewhere other than the Large Format Forum. A digitally captured image is not large format.

Some use LF cameras, scan the negative and make an enlarged digital negative so they can print much larger without having to deal with a much larger camera - for a variety of reasons.

The size and weight difference in carrying a 4x5 compared to a 12x20 outfit are major. Digital negatives make larger final contact prints a viable process.

[Frank_E]

Eric, thanks for the response.

For others, here is further information that I learned in connection to my question about the Epson P600 printer. It is useful to know. This was the reply I got on another discussion forum that deals with digital negatives. "A lot of the printers use optical paper sensors that see thru the film and will not load it. The fix it to tape a 5" piece of white paper along the loading edge of the paper".

[Erik Larsen]

I've not had a problem loading pictorico. I use the premium lustre photo paper setting in the printer dialog settings if that makes a difference. I don't think there is a pictorico film option to use? I am not an advanced digital negative printer so I'm not familiar with the potential pitfalls the p600 might cause, just that I haven't experienced any so far.