Originally Posted by
bob carnie
Stone -
A Lambda/Lightjet can indeed expose most kinds of light sensitive material. Yes I compare it to an enlarger all the time, same colour density curve controls, just using a digital file.
Also the 400 ppi print is so well defined that if you are looking at a print with loop you actually see the grain of the film rather than dots, or pixels. When I saw this feature I immediately went into a life long debt to get one of these machines.
In 2001 I put Agfa Classic fibre paper in a Durst Lambda and the prints are hanging in my space.
Ilford Galerie works in a Lambda and it is the paper all of the other labs and myself are using - this paper was introduced in 2006.
In 2005 three of the owners of Ilford made a surprise visit to my shop , they actually came from UK unannounced because they had just coated a master
roll of paper to use in a digital device like mine, and they were surprised to here a lab in Toronto was already doing it. At that point they had no real proof that the idea would work, and
at that point they did not have a machine, now they have a Lightjet and funny enough they are offering these prints online, ??bit of a headscratcher that a manufacturer will compete with their own clients. Not sure how the other labs feel,I know how I feel about it.
Lucky for me the day that they showed up I was printing Agfa Classic Murals and the beauty part was that I could use safe light with this paper, and when they walked
into the darkroom I had Dylan Ellis pick up a print in the fix and one of the directors almost passed out in joy, so it seemed, since they had just coated a master roll and did not have
proof it would work. They sent me a roll and it worked, lots of good Karma from them to me at that time, didn't pan out though for me because if you google digital fibre paper you will see credit
to Metro Imaging and Ilford 2006 for being the innovators, this kind of pisses me off as I was five years ahead of the loop. But today I am launching it back in batch runs for clients and as long as they make the paper I will buy. I think the Adox paper will work as it is the Agfa Classic emulsion which I know works.
RC Black and white was going through these machines, but nobody though a fiber paper would work as well the name (FIBRE) kind of scared the owners of Durst Lambda;s as they did not want to screw up their investments.. A lambda is the price of a home in Toronto during this period and the thought was the paper would shred and screw up the system. It does not btw.
Ilford Warmtone does not work by the way so its a bit of a dilemma as the sensitivity of the emulsions have a very big impact on the lasers and you basically have to test. I will always test
different papers as our photo-world is shrinking and the need for good material sources is important to have options.
Film recorders like LVT do make high resolution for enlargers.
Lambdas like mine do make high resolution for contact.
Both methods are viable I just happen to have the second version.
With a negative - the door is open to any process, any paper, silver, pt pt, gum, cyanotype the list is endless and this is where great strides will show themselves over the years.
Bob
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