Current methods of printing from color negs

[Rider]

If I want to have color negatives printed commercially, what is the current state of the art in printer/paper combos?

[Lazybones]

Tango and Chromira? LOLZ. Sorry.

[Ted Harris]

Rider, not sure what sort of answer you are searching for but I scan and print color negs all the time scanning on a high end scanner (either a Kodak Creo IQSmart3 or a Screen Cezanne) and print on a Canon iPF 5000 printer. Previously I used an Epson 4800 printer. In both cases my output is almost always better than what I was used to getting in the wet darkroom. I use a number of different paper types depending on the subject matter and the effect I am seeking. My most used papers are Hahnemuhle Photo Rag, Crane Museo II and Red River Aurora Natural. I know, you said printed commercially, and I was just giving you some of the choices if you choose to go the inkjet route. You can also have a scan output to Chromira as noted above. Finally, there are still several fine printers who can and do produce very fine prints of all the classic, traditional types.

[Rider]

Thanks Ted. Have laser printers like the Lightjet been surpassed by the inkjets?

I am sort of familiar with inkjets (I use an Epson 4000); my question was for a friend who wanted to have her negatives printed commercially by a lab. They're part of an art project she is working on; she is quite handy with many art materials and techniques, but doesn't know much about photography.

[Bruce Watson]

Thanks Ted. Have laser printers like the Lightjet been surpassed by the inkjets?

I am sort of familiar with inkjets (I use an Epson 4000); my question was for a friend who wanted to have her negatives printed commercially by a lab. They're part of an art project she is working on; she is quite handy with many art materials and techniques, but doesn't know much about photography.

From what I can tell, inkjet surpassed the LightJets and Chromiras in sharpness several years ago. The Epson x6xx series.

I'm in the processes of comparing a LightJet print and a print from an Epson 9800 for gamut. Not much of a test as the inkjet print has considerably wider gamut than the LightJet print (which is printed on Kodak Endura semi-gloss paper, using the lab's current ICC profile for that paper).

OTOH, the LightJet output still looks like what it is -- a photopaper. It's still got the surface properties which make darkroom prints so enduringly popular.

The inkjet prints are on matte fine art paper which has a considerably different heft and feel. The surfaces are much more fragile (scratch and scuff easily). But I personally find this aesthetic more pleasing.

As the man said: "You pays your money and makes your choice."

[roteague]

I did one of my images on both a Chromira and an Epson. The Chromira just blows away the Epson for sharpness and color depth.

[Brian Ellis]

I did one of my images on both a Chromira and an Epson. The Chromira just blows away the Epson for sharpness and color depth.

Which Epson?

[Ted Harris]

Bruce, I agree on th aesthetic of the matte fine art papers. Two additional points: 1) If you compare some of the newer glossy papers (e.g. Innova's) and even some of the semit gloss/pearl surfaces I'm not sure you have as much of a difference, if any .... and 2) the differences shrink dramatically when you view the print under glass.

[Lazybones]

Which Epson?

Any Epson.:D :D :D :D

I have an R1800. It is neat, but it doesn't do it to it like lazzzers on Crystal Archive.