Reproducing Fine Art Black and White Photographs

[neil poulsen]

What are the best technologies available for reproducing a black and white fine art photographs? Is it different for a photograph mounted on matt board? These will be printed on a pigment ink printer, like an Epson 4000 or 4800. I want to stay true to the color of the black and white print. This will be reproduced 1:1, with no enlargement.

For example, I'm considering someone who uses a Better Light scanning back with cross-polarized lights. But given that this process involves a lens (El Nikkor in this case), could one obtain better results from a flatbed scanner?

Where does a 4870 Epson, or the more recent Epson scanner, stand in the spectrum of available technologies? Are they "pretty darn good", or are they more in the "don't even bother" category?

Would someone choose something different for color photographs?

[Kirk Gittings]

What is the original print, silver? How big is it? What was the original film (different answer for Tri-x than TMax100), what is the color from? Selenium?

[Bruce Watson]

It depends on what, exactly, you are trying to reproduce, and how many.

For example, if you are trying to reproduce the Dmax and tonality below the 1/4 tones of a silver gelatin print, inkjet is probably a questionable choice. If you are trying to stay true to the color of a photographic print of any process, in particular one that has a tone that isn't constant (say a split-toned print) then you might get there with inkjet, but perhaps with some metamerism problems. If you are trying to reproduce the surface of an "F" surface air dried silver gelatin print, then inkjet is still a poor choice.

Really it comes down to how many you want to make. If you are making 1000 or more, you might want to consider tri-tone offset press. Maybe even duo-tone. Quad-tone would surely do it, but it's pretty hard to find and expensive. I'm picking on offset because it can meet the Dmax, can handle a wide range of color tones and still be B&W, and can handle a wide range of surface gloss depending on paper stock and varnish used.

If you are going to make 100 or less, why not just make them in the darkroom like the original?

It's that range in the middle that causes the most problems...

[Ted Harris]

Two more questions:

1) Is there some reason why you don't want to scan/reproduce fromt the negtive? Generally speaking this will give you moe control and a better final image.

2) What do you plan on doing with these prints?

The answers matter ....

[neil poulsen]

Here are responses to questions. Thank you for the input.

>> Film is Ilford FP4, likely processed in Pyro (WD2D).

>> There is some split toning so color varies; I'm not sure about toning methodology. Definitely silver gelatin.

>> Sizes are 8x10 or 11x14 reproduced 1:1 (no enlargement).

>> They're being sold as reproductions. Original prints will be much more expensive. The idea is to offer a lower cost alternative. We'll be printing as we go, versus a large run.

>> Photographer wants to use inkjet. He wants to reproduce the color of the final print as close as possible. So, we're working from a print.

[Kirk Gittings]

Trying to get inkjet prints to match a split toned silver gelatin print in my opinion is a waste of time. Its like trying to copy an oil painting with watercolors and trying to get a match. They are different mediums and should be treated as such. You could make ink prints that are very beautiful in their own right, but not a match.

[Bruce Watson]

I'm afraid I have to go with Kirk. You aren't likely going to get what you want from inkjet.

For starters, it will take you a lot of time and lots of test prints to get close to the tones. You probably will find that you can't hit the tones exactly - you'll most likely be using a CcMmYKk printer, and even with an excellent custom ICC profile, you'll be using it at its weakest point - close to, but not quite, neutral. Very iffy, this. And what works today may not tomorrow - temperature and humidity variation are best seen in the nearly neutral tones in my experience, as will be the batch-to-batch paper and ink variances.

You might be able to get something close using, say, the MIS UT7 inks, but you'll be frick'n with curves in Photoshop for hours and hours to get something close.

Then, the papers won't match. Not even very close. Gelatin coated fine art papers are a rarity, and ones that work with pigment inks are virtually unknown. And the paper/ink costs will be higher than for your silver gelatin prints, not to mention amortizing in the cost of the printer itself.

Inkjet is a different medium. It's not wanna-be silver gelatin. If you treat it that way what you typically get is ugly inkjet prints. If you optimize for inkjet, you can get quite beautiful prints, but they won't look like your silver gelatin prints.

Of course, it's your time and money. You can always try it yourself. But at least you've been warned ;-)

[Ken Lee]

"The idea is to offer a lower cost alternative".



There's the rub. How about offering smaller prints instead ?



There are people who specialize in making reproductions of fine art. It's a specialty and a craft, involving high-end equipment, color calibration, etc. Why bother ? You might spend more effort and money making reproductions than you will making the originals.



For the money I spent exploring inkjet printing, I could have purchased a lot more analog equipment. Hey, there's an idea: Sell the scanner, calibration software and hardware, printer, Photoshop, extra hard drive, extra memory, extra furniture, extra monitor... and get something nice, like one of those classic Sliver prints - not a lower cost alternative. :-)

[Kirk Gittings]

"Inkjet is a different medium. It's not wanna-be silver gelatin. If you treat it that way what you typically get is ugly inkjet prints. If you optimize for inkjet, you can get quite beautiful prints, but they won't look like your silver gelatin prints."

Well said.

[neil poulsen]

What would be the key elements of optimizing an inkjet reproduction of a silver based image? For example, would you use matte or glossy type paper?