Is it possible/practical to make digital negative for use in an enlarger?

[John Brady]

I hope you all don’t mind me starting this new thread, I know the subject has been touched on but I thought maybe time for a refresh.
I have read a lot about making digital negatives, as with QuadToneRIP, etc. Most of that seems to be for alt process or contact prints.

I would like to be able to make a negative from a digital file, as an example, from my digital or converted camera and make silver gelatin enlarged prints on my 8x10 enlarger.

Is there a good method for this or is it still not possible with todays technology.? I would like to do this in my own studio with an Epson 3880 printer.

Is Piezography or the QuadToneRIP method the best way to go, or do you know of other methods.

Thanks in advance,
John

[Michael R]

I started researching all of this stuff around a year ago so I’m far from an expert, but it seems to me when it comes to enlarging digital negatives, we’re not quite there with the equipment one can reasonably have at home (even if you implement Piezography etc.). Of course this may depend on personal standards/expectations, magnification factor etc.

I hope you all don’t mind me starting this new thread, I know the subject has been touched on but I thought maybe time for a refresh.
I have read a lot about making digital negatives, as with QuadToneRIP, etc. Most of that seems to be for alt process or contact prints.

I would like to be able to make a negative from a digital file, as an example, from my digital or converted camera and make silver gelatin enlarged prints on my 8x10 enlarger.

Is there a good method for this or is it still not possible with todays technology.? I would like to do this in my own studio with an Epson 3880 printer.

Is Piezography or the QuadToneRIP method the best way to go, or do you know of other methods.

Thanks in advance,
John

[Wheathins]

I've messed around with digital negatives, they don't enlarge well at all. They honestly barely hold up when contact printed. Inkjet just doesn't have the resolution.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

[domaz]

I've messed around with digital negatives, they don't enlarge well at all. They honestly barely hold up when contact printed. Inkjet just doesn't have the resolution.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

I've been contact printing silver gelatin with digital negatives and they are actually very good. You see some inkjet "grain" only very close up- kind of indistinguishable from anything but perhaps an 8x10 in-camera contact print. The key is to use the newer versions of Quadtone RIP that actually support the High DPI modes, and also a high dpi printer of course. Even better is to use the beta Piezography Driver which uses Gutenprint under the hood which as far better resolution and dithering algorithms than the kind of outdated QTR at this point.

[Pieter]

I've been contact printing silver gelatin with digital negatives and they are actually very good. You see some inkjet "grain" only very close up- kind of indistinguishable from anything but perhaps an 8x10 in-camera contact print. The key is to use the newer versions of Quadtone RIP that actually support the High DPI modes, and also a high dpi printer of course. Even better is to use the beta Piezography Driver which uses Gutenprint under the hood which as far better resolution and dithering algorithms than the kind of outdated QTR at this point.

I doubt this will work in an enlarger, as the OP intends to do.

[domaz]

I doubt this will work in an enlarger, as the OP intends to do.

Unlikely no- it's possible an 8x10 digital negative might enlarge to 11x14.. that's about my perception of the quality of it in general.

[xkaes]

Give us more details. Creating negatives from a ? format digital to print ? sized prints on an 8x10 enlarger?

What's the goal?

Making prints an a BIGGER enlarger does not makes them BETTER.

[John Brady]

Give us more details. Creating negatives from a ? format digital to print ? sized prints on an 8x10 enlarger?

What's the goal?

Making prints an a BIGGER enlarger does not makes them BETTER.

In this instance, the 8x10 negatives would be sourced from a sony a7rIV, 60mp. If I wanted just a large print, I could do that on a large digital printer.
I much prefer Silver Gelatin to inkjet for black and white. I make silver gelatin prints to 20x24 from 8x10 film negatives currently. With the lack of 8x10 IR film, my hope was to do some of this work with the sony and still get Silver Prints.

[Oren Grad]

In this instance, the 8x10 negatives would be sourced from a sony a7rIV, 60mp. If I wanted just a large print, I could do that on a large digital printer.
I much prefer Silver Gelatin to inkjet for black and white. I make silver gelatin prints to 20x24 from 8x10 film negatives currently. With the lack of 8x10 IR film, my hope was to do some of this work with the sony and still get Silver Prints.

You might try this service:

https://digitalsilverimaging.com/dsi...silver-prints/

The proprietor, Eric Luden, used to work for Ilford/Harman Technology.

[John Brady]

You might try this service:

https://digitalsilverimaging.com/dsi...silver-prints/

The proprietor, Eric Luden, used to work for Ilford/Harman Technology.

Yes, that looks interesting, I used a service like that years ago for an exhibit Ebony camera had at the Fuji Salon Gallery in Tokyo. Fuji wanted all film to be theirs and prints to be on Fuji Crystal Archive. If I am recalling that correctly, it was some type of a laser process and the paper was some type of RC.

For this project, I don’t mind sending out files to have negatives made, via the LVT method as many of you have recommended. I would like the ability to make the fiber prints as needed once I have the negatives.

Thank you all for the suggestions, now I need to find a US based company still doing this work. I see a couple from doing an internet search, such as Albumen Works in Massachusetts, they still have a website,but I’m not sure if they are still in business. I sent them an email inquiry and I’ll wait for a response.