Is there a digital equivalent to a contact print

[Bob McCarthy]

Is there a way to approach the ultimate output quality w/o any compromise.

For example I want to scan 8x10 and get a print of 8x10 of contact print quality.

Can it be done?

If not how close?

Scan at 300 dpi, 360 dpi, 600.720 1200/1440 0r 2400/2880.........

Do I need to bypass the print driver with a rip or other dedicated printing app?

I have a Cezanne, is there an optimal approach to get the illusive

"Digital Contact Print"

bob

[Ken Lee]

It's subjective.

[Gem Singer]

Prints contact printed from negatives, on photo sensitive paper, are "wet "prints.

Prints made from scanned and digitally printed negatives are "dry" prints".

The challenge is to make them look as close as possible.

So far, "close, but no cigar".

[Bob McCarthy]

But is there a path that optimizes the print quality (sharpness and tone) w/o issue like viewing difference (240 dpi vs 300 for big prints) or driver limitations?

For example, would the very best B&W print would be on ???? paper with Cone ?????? ink set, printed on my Epson 7600 at 2880 dpi using a rip.

I can see lots of room for subjective choices,

What this is all leading to is: what ink/print system will give me what I want.

I've got wonderful lenses, sharp fine grained film, B&W development nailed, a scanner that never ceases to amaze (screen), software that is capable and I know how to use.

I'm not getting on paper the equivalent to what I've done chemically. But on a calibrated screen I occasionally see magic, just not on inkjet paper.

bob

[jp]

If you've got the computer part down, the next big difference is the paper choice.

Many people use course or textured paper for their artsy inkjet prints. I like the Epson enhanced matte because it's smooth, but it won't show as much detail as a glossy surface probably. If I wanted glossy B&W, I'd go the darkroom route.

I've got a 7600 which I use for color; haven't done any B&W on it as I am pleased with darkroom processes and results for B&W. (I shoot no color film). I don't see much difference between 1440dpi and better output choices. For many things like tradeshow displays and other large unframed output, 720 and "high speed" are more than adequate.

If it's important, and you don't want to mess around too much, I'm sure Inkjetmall/Cone editions could provide some tutoring/training if you were willing to travel there. They seem to be real gurus, and if I did more inkjet printing, I'd be considering it.

[Struan Gray]

Digital Contact Print --> "Laptopogram"

[sanking]

Is there a way to approach the ultimate output quality w/o any compromise.

For example I want to scan 8x10 and get a print of 8x10 of contact print quality.

Can it be done?

If not how close?

bob

If you want the very best image quality in terms of information/detail on the final print you should scan at a resolution that will capture all of the information on the film. That will require about 2000-2500 spi with 8X10 film. Correct the image file as required and then have an LVT negative of the same size, i.e. 8X10, printed. Contact the LVT negative on a silver gelatin paper.

Sandy King

[Bob McCarthy]

I'm not sure I follow Sandy, why not directly contact print the original....

My original thought was to scan at the same resolution as the printer would output at maximum.

ie. scan at 2880 and output at 2880 on an Epson.

But something is lost in translation.

Either I'm not using the best ink/paper print system...

or Something is lost in the scan process and that 2880 is not really happening..

bob

[sanking]

I'm not sure I follow Sandy, why not directly contact print the original....

bob

Your thread asks the question, Is there a digital equivalent to a contact print?

If you contact print the original negative you have an analogue print.

If you scan the negative, correct it in Photoshop, print an LVT negative, and make a contact print from that, you have a digital print. Or a hybrid print as some might prefer.

If you simply scan the negative and make a print from this file with an inkjet printer you will be limited to the resolution of the output device, which would be somewhere between 360 dpi - 480 spi. That is good enough, in fact better than most eyes can see, but still well below the 2000 spi or so in the original negative.

Sandy King

[Bob McCarthy]

Your thread asks the question, Is there a digital equivalent to a contact print?

If you contact print the original negative you have an analogue print.

If you scan the negative, correct it in Photoshop, print an LVT negative, and make a contact print from that, you have a digital print. Or a hybrid print as some might prefer.

If you simply scan the negative and make a print from this file with an inkjet printer you will be limited to the resolution of the output device, which would be somewhere between 360 dpi - 480 spi. That is good enough, in fact better than most eyes can see, but still well below the 2000 spi or so in the original negative.

Sandy King

I'm sorry for the confusion, what I intended to say; is there a scanned/injet print process which at 1:1 scan to print resolution that would creat the absolute optimal digital (inkjet) print.

Maybe I'm now understanding that with the current output technology there is no reason to scan over 480 dpi leaving much detail which can not be put on paper.

What is the maximum resolution of a wet print - greater than 480 dpi??

bob