Advantages of Creating Silver Prints From Digital Negatives

[IanBarber]

During the last 6 months, I have been creating a wide selection of Silver prints ranging from 7x5 up to 8x10 from some digital negatives which I created from 4x5 sheet film. On the whole, I am very pleased with the results.

My process for creating the negative from what I understand is the standard process...

1. Scan the negative
2. Edit the file in Photoshop
3. Create a correction curve
4. Print onto the digital negative
5. Print the contact print in the darkroom onto RC Paper

As an experiment, I printed one of files onto some Canson Photographique Baryta paper to compare it with the contact print I made in the darkroom.
To me, apart from the paper surface, I saw virtually no difference in quality.

I am curious to here if other people are experiencing this and therefore wondering what are the advantages of printing the contact print in the darkroom rather than printing the edited file directly through the printer.

I see the advantages of another process like PD but I am referring to Silver printing digital negatives.

[Alan9940]

Advantages? Hmm, that seems like a loaded question to me, but I'll dive in a bit... If you don't see any difference in the result, then I guess it comes down to the more tactile experience of crafting a print in the darkroom vs pushing the "Print" button. How do you feel about the look of silver on paper vs ink on paper? Toning will toss an entire different variable into the mix. Personally, even though I've been working with digitally generated prints (both from digital capture and scanned B&W film) I've only made a few prints from the desktop that I'm satisfied with. Overall, I'd say I simply enjoy the whole process of crafting B&W prints in the darkroom better than sitting at my computer. Horses for courses, of course!

[CreationBear]

I find all of these "hybrid" approaches very intriguing (even if they introduce an intimidating suite of technical issues.) I'm curious: at the "prosumer" level (i.e., starting, say, with Epson v850's and 3880's) what are the largest DNG's people are regularly contact printing these days?

[Alan9940]

I find all of these "hybrid" approaches very intriguing (even if they introduce an intimidating suite of technical issues.) I'm curious: at the "prosumer" level (i.e., starting, say, with Epson v850's and 3880's) what are the largest DNG's people are regularly contact printing these days?

My use of digital negatives is strictly for pt/pd printing and large for me is roughly 10x12" and that's rare. I mostly make about 5x7" prints.

[IanBarber]

How do you feel about the look of silver on paper vs ink on paper? Toning will toss an entire different variable into the mix

In all fairness, I have only printed on RC paper with a pearl finish in the darkroom. This is why I chose Canson for the inkjet print because its a close match to the surface. Maybe fibre based paper would open up a new world.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the process of creating the contact print in the darkroom but was surprised to see just how close both looked to my eye.

[IanBarber]

I find all of these "hybrid" approaches very intriguing (even if they introduce an intimidating suite of technical issues.) I'm curious: at the "prosumer" level (i.e., starting, say, with Epson v850's and 3880's) what are the largest DNG's people are regularly contact printing these days?

10x8 is the largest I have done so far mainly because my darkroom is so small, I don't think I could easily accommodate any larger trays. I scan all my negatives on the V800 and print everything on the 3880 printer with the ABW driver. If I print toned images, then I will use QTR.

[CreationBear]

large for me is roughly 10x12"

Alan, Ian--thanks for elaborating, I'll definitely be interested in your insights over time. FWIW, I'll be curious what formats benefit from the hybrid approach--it seems to me that 5x7 might be an optimal platform for leveraging near-ULF output.

[bob carnie]

There is another thread going on created by Sandy King on this very topic, maybe the two can be merged by the moderators.??

[Paul Cunningham]

I'm curious: at the "prosumer" level (i.e., starting, say, with Epson v850's and 3880's) what are the largest DNG's people are regularly contact printing these days?

For platinum palladium, I print 16x16” and 16x20 on my Epson 3880.

[Chester McCheeserton]

I am curious to here if other people are experiencing this and therefore wondering what are the advantages of printing the contact print in the darkroom rather than printing the edited file directly through the printer.

you can sell the contact print for more because it touched liquid photographic chemistry and is now a precious handmade object. )

I would think printing the edited file would be more direct on a number of levels though.

Of course making digital inkjet negatives you are limited to 360 ppi resolution, where your original 4x5 had at least 2000 ppi resolution (obv some would debate those numbers, but let's leave that aside for the moment)

This is not really what you're asking, but in terms of someone explaining what is so unique about contact prints, I've never heard it explained more profoundly than by Hilla Becher, in this interview with her and Bernd Becher, done by Heinz Liesbrock in the 1980s where they are discussing the work of Stephen Shore. (although I would never advocate for color contact prints today!)

the full title of the interview is called "His pictures have the quality of a first encounter"