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Thread: What is your method for making digital negatives?

  1. #1

    What is your method for making digital negatives?

    I know a lot of you make digital negatives for various alternative print processes. The last time I made digital negatives was about four years ago, and things have likely gotten better since then. I made digital negatives for palladium and platinum prints and it was exceptionally difficult to make good negatives then. I had loads of flat prints with awful tonal ranges and the ratio for reject prints was astronomical.

    At any rate, I assume that it is easier to make high quality digital negatives now. What process do you use and what media do you print on to make your negatives? Do you follow an established method or have you come up with your own solutions? Any current books, articles or websites to recommend for making digital negatives?

    Thank you in advance,

    Larry McNeil

  2. #2

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    Re: What is your method for making digital negatives?

    Quote Originally Posted by Larry McNeil View Post
    I know a lot of you make digital negatives for various alternative print processes. The last time I made digital negatives was about four years ago, and things have likely gotten better since then. I made digital negatives for palladium and platinum prints and it was exceptionally difficult to make good negatives then. I had loads of flat prints with awful tonal ranges and the ratio for reject prints was astronomical.

    At any rate, I assume that it is easier to make high quality digital negatives now. What process do you use and what media do you print on to make your negatives? Do you follow an established method or have you come up with your own solutions? Any current books, articles or websites to recommend for making digital negatives?

    Thank you in advance,

    Larry McNeil
    Most people appear to use one of the following systems.

    The first two methods, which involve making and applying a correction .acv curve in Photoshop, are about equally easy (or difficult) to learn. The third method is based on QTR and involves creating a correction profile for the printer.

    Persons who own and use RIPs other than QTR may devise and use their own profiles.

    All three systems work fine, but of the three PDN is IMO the easiest to learn and use, QTR is the most complicated.

    I personally used PDN for several years, then tried and switched to QTR, but more recently switched back to PDN.

    Sandy King


    PDN
    http://www.precisiondigitalnegatives.com/

    RNP
    http://www.inkjetnegative.com/images/RNP/rnp.htm

    QTR
    http://www.ronreeder.com/
    For discussion and information about carbon transfer please visit the carbon group at groups.io
    [url]https://groups.io/g/carbon

  3. #3
    Wayne venchka's Avatar
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    Re: What is your method for making digital negatives?

    I was asking the same question relative to the Canon iPF 500 that is coming my way in a week. Does the PDN method work with the inks in the 5000?
    Wayne
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    Re: What is your method for making digital negatives?

    Quote Originally Posted by venchka View Post
    I was asking the same question relative to the Canon iPF 500 that is coming my way in a week. Does the PDN method work with the inks in the 5000?
    Most likely it will work with PDN but it is impossible for me to say for sure without having actually tested the machine. I have heard of some people who have used previous generations of Canon pigment printers with PDN to make digital negatives so unless the ink set is entirely different there is a good chance the iPF 5000 will work.

    Sandy King
    For discussion and information about carbon transfer please visit the carbon group at groups.io
    [url]https://groups.io/g/carbon

  5. #5

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    Re: What is your method for making digital negatives?

    QTR will only work for Epson printers.. I've been using the PDN method with the HP z3100 i have, and get great results. The hardest part is figuring out the best ink combo to use for 'grainless' prints

  6. #6

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    Re: What is your method for making digital negatives?

    Check out www.digital-negatives.com. It is a website created by Ron Reeded to support his book "Digital Negatives, Using Photoshop to Create Digital Negatives for Silver and Alternative Process Printing." By clicking the tab in the right side bar, you can download Chapters 4 & 5 from the book to see if this system is right for you.

    Link for chapter 5: http://www.digital-negatives.com/index_chap5.htm

  7. #7
    Photographer, Machinist, etc. Jeffrey Sipress's Avatar
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    Re: What is your method for making digital negatives?

    I'm not sure what digital negatives are or why i need to use them. I've been a digital photographer since it was invented and seem to be doing fine using photoshop. (I shoot 4x5 a lot, too!).

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    Re: What is your method for making digital negatives?

    negatives printed on transparency material using an inkjet printer for contact printing alt process (platinum, carbon, etc) or silver paper. Going to any of the above links, or googling "digital negatives" will give you more in depth info on them

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    Re: What is your method for making digital negatives?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeffrey Sipress View Post
    I'm not sure what digital negatives are or why i need to use them. I've been a digital photographer since it was invented and seem to be doing fine using photoshop. (I shoot 4x5 a lot, too!).
    Jeffrey,

    People who make digital negatives use Photoshop to prepare their files for printing digital negatives. Some shoot with digital cameras, others with film and scan the negatives. Digital negatives are used for printing with alternative processes like carbon transfer, cyanotype, palladium and platinum, vandyke, kallitype, etc.

    Sandy King
    For discussion and information about carbon transfer please visit the carbon group at groups.io
    [url]https://groups.io/g/carbon

  10. #10

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    Re: What is your method for making digital negatives?

    QTR is a pretty amazing piece of software. I've used it for 5 processes now with the 3800, can't seem to stump it. It is a little complicated at first, but fairly intuitive and very efficient once you get familiar with the routine. Well worth the $50 donation.

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