Duplicate Transparencies

[Robert Brown]

I regularly submit color transparenccies to a number of regional and national publishers of calendars, greeting cards and magazines and have always sent original transparencies (I know-!!!) in presentation boards for review. I have built a good repore with the editors and photo directors that I usually work with and have not had any problems with lost or damaged photos in the some 20 years that I have been submitting (although the US Post Office has lost a package for me and so has FedEx-which after many frustrating days of searching-finally found). However because of increased liability concernes from some new clients, I am increasingly asked to submit only dupe transparencies first and then send originals if a client wants a photo for use. My lab in Phoenix (Image Craft) which does outstandingly supurb work for me lists dupe 4x5s at about $24 each!! That quiet honestly puts dupes out of the question for me. (My files have some 2500 usable images right now) My yelp for help is this: Does anyone one have a cheeper solution to getting dupes made (with good enough quality to land on big time editors' light tables) or am I looking at the wrong process for getting dupes done. Other quality labs that I have checked all seem to be in about the same price range.Thanks in advance for your input and wisdom on this one.

Bob

[Ralph Barker]

I don't have any recommendations on a good source for dupes, Bob, but does the nature of the work allow multiple, consistent originals to be shot? That might be the least expensive way of maintaining both maximum quality and security.

[Mark Sampson]

You just need to build the cost of dupes into your price,as part of your cost of doing business. It should be a billable expense if on assignment.

[George Stocking]

Since this is large format forum, I am assuming these are 45 originals. The very best dupes I have seen (from 45 to 45) are the ones contact printed at Photo Craft in Boulder. Absolutely superb. $33 each and well worth it considering the $24 for optical dupes from Imagecraft, which are not even considered repro quality. (They charge more for repro quality, and don't do contact dupes). However, given your situation, your best bet is to go 70mm dupes, also from Photo Craft. You can pay as little as $12 or $15 (something like that) for (qty) 5 of each, and the quality is excellent; as good as one could expect from an optical dupe.

Imagecraft is my intown lab also; my experience with their dupes has been all over the place. If you get them made there, be sure to loupe them really well before accepting (paying) them.

If you have any other questions, you can email or call (my # is on my web page)

[george jiri loun]

I have been sending slides to stock photo agencies for 15 years or so and have never been asked for dupes. Digital is one option, often asked for today. If they don't want your originals and put on you the price of dupes, I would leave them.

[Ed Eubanks]

I know I'm chiming in a bit late on this one...
I wonder if full 4x5 dupes are required for this work. Could dupes be made more affordably onto MF transparency film? This might be a cost-saving solution. Just wondering...

[Frank Petronio]

I used to make my own with an enlarger, a hunk of glass, and a box of duplicating film. Pretty easy really, and a lot cheaper than a lab. You can "bracket" to get started - read the instructions in the film box...

[Scott Walton]

My lab charges $22 for 4x5 dupes. Why not, in this electronic age, convince your client to use a CD with RAW, PSD, Tiff's (format as PC Tiffs) or Jpegs with your images and if their client needs a print/chrome, then you send out the original?