question: negative -to- digital transition

"stuseven" wrote in message

> +
> Several decades ago, I operated a small black and white darkroom,
> printing 5x7x and 8x10s from 35mm negatives.
> In recent years I have had several digital printers, which
> produced
> prints via inkjet... and so here is my question - when I get a print
> from
> the online services, they print on photographic paper, and their ads
> specify that they use Fuji paper and chemicals... so, it's an "old
> style"
> photographic print... but... how is a print, with paper and chemicals,
> produced from a digital image ?
> Here, I'm really just asking - how is the image "projected" onto
> the
> paper, like we used to do with the enlarger and lens ?

http://www.odyssey-sales.com/products/browse.asp?range=71
 >> Stay informed about: question: negative -to- digital transition 

Some printers use three (red, green and blue) lasers (or lasers with a
following frequency multiplier) that are modulated while they scan over the
paper line by line (usually at 300 dpi). Others use large LCD - panels and a
projection lens.

"stuseven" schrieb im Newsbeitrag

> +
> Several decades ago, I operated a small black and white darkroom,
> printing 5x7x and 8x10s from 35mm negatives.
> In recent years I have had several digital printers, which
> produced
> prints via inkjet... and so here is my question - when I get a print
> from
> the online services, they print on photographic paper, and their ads
> specify that they use Fuji paper and chemicals... so, it's an "old
> style"
> photographic print... but... how is a print, with paper and chemicals,
> produced from a digital image ?
> Here, I'm really just asking - how is the image "projected" onto
> the
> paper, like we used to do with the enlarger and lens ?
>
> Thanks
> .
>
 >> Stay informed about: question: negative -to- digital transition 

Mike Russell wrote:
>> "stuseven" wrote in message
>>
> ...
>>> Here, I'm really just asking - how is the image "projected" onto
>>> the
>>> paper, like we used to do with the enlarger and lens ?
>
> Most labs are based on the Fuji Frontier, which uses a color laser system to
> expose the print before conventional developing.
>
> The economics of printing at home are interesting right now, and I question
> whether it's worth having a printer at home any more. A modern pigment
> based inkjet image is very comparable in quality, and will last longer than
> a conventional photo print. Against that, there is the cost of ink and
> paper, and the up front cost of the printer itself would pay for a very
> large number of prints at the local drug store, or an online printing
> service.

Economics aside, the thing that is most important is convenience.

Pretty hard to beat the ability to produce a result in seconds, no
traveling, no mail or courier service involved. I will continue to do my
own printing regardless of any cost savings offered by other, more
remote means.

In the old days I set up my own lab, not to save money, but for the same
reason - convenience. Nothing has changed.

Regards

Salty
 >> Stay informed about: question: negative -to- digital transition 

On Sat, 06 Jan 2007 15:45:20 -0800, Mike Russell wrote:

>> "stuseven" wrote in message
>>
> ...
>>> Here, I'm really just asking - how is the image "projected" onto
>>> the
>>> paper, like we used to do with the enlarger and lens ?
>
> Most labs are based on the Fuji Frontier, which uses a color laser system to
> expose the print before conventional developing.
>
> The economics of printing at home are interesting right now, and I question
> whether it's worth having a printer at home any more. A modern pigment
> based inkjet image is very comparable in quality, and will last longer than
> a conventional photo print. Against that, there is the cost of ink and
> paper, and the up front cost of the printer itself would pay for a very
> large number of prints at the local drug store, or an online printing
> service.

If you didn't have a printer at home you would not be able to print things
like your bank statement, catalogue page et. al. For me a printer is a
must.

--
Neil
Reverse 'ra' and delete 'l'.
 >> Stay informed about: question: negative -to- digital transition 

stuseven wrote:
> +
> Several decades ago, I operated a small black and white darkroom,
> printing 5x7x and 8x10s from 35mm negatives.
> In recent years I have had several digital printers, which
> produced
> prints via inkjet... and so here is my question - when I get a print
> from
> the online services, they print on photographic paper, and their ads
> specify that they use Fuji paper and chemicals... so, it's an "old
> style"
> photographic print... but... how is a print, with paper and chemicals,
> produced from a digital image ?
> Here, I'm really just asking - how is the image "projected" onto
> the
> paper, like we used to do with the enlarger and lens ?
>
> Thanks
> .

One of the best quality image printers is called a "screen printer" or
CRT printer. It is a CRT "monitor", a high quality lens, a shutter, and
a camera, packaged permanently together.

The digital image is displayed on the monitor, the shutter is opened,
exposing the film. Some use direct positive film, with others you get
a neg which must then be processed normally to make a positive print.

You can shoot a high res monitor with a 35 mm camera, but even the best
consumer monitors today are far lower resolution than even relatively
cheap cameras are capable of. But the professional "monitors" used in
such screen printers are something else!
 >> Stay informed about: question: negative -to- digital transition 

In article , Aaron
wrote:

> And lo, Cgiorgio emerged from the ether
> and spake thus:
> > Some printers use three (red, green and blue) lasers (or lasers with a
> > following frequency multiplier) that are modulated while they scan over the
> > paper line by line (usually at 300 dpi). Others use large LCD - panels and
> > a
> > projection lens.
> >
> > "stuseven" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
> >
> >> +
> >> Several decades ago, I operated a small black and white darkroom,
> >> printing 5x7x and 8x10s from 35mm negatives.
> >> In recent years I have had several digital printers, which
> >> produced
> >> prints via inkjet... and so here is my question - when I get a print
> >> from
> >> the online services, they print on photographic paper, and their ads
> >> specify that they use Fuji paper and chemicals... so, it's an "old
> >> style"
> >> photographic print... but... how is a print, with paper and chemicals,
> >> produced from a digital image ?
> >> Here, I'm really just asking - how is the image "projected" onto
> >> the
> >> paper, like we used to do with the enlarger and lens ?
> >>
> >> Thanks
>
> As a few others here have noted, typically what you describe is
> achieved using red, green, and blue colored lasers to expose the
> photographic paper. Although it is slang, this technology has been
> called "lightjet," and is the *primary* method for producing digital
> prints on photographic paper.
>
> Aside from the significant gain in longevity achieved by the
> traditional development process (as compared to inkjet),

I think you have that bass-ackwards. Current inkjet technology, using
archival papers and archival inks designed for use together, are being
rated at anywhere from 90-230 years fade resistance. Compare that to
standard photographic paper process (even using lasers) fade
resistance, and you'll see that inkjets have much greater longevity.

> so-called
> lightjet prints also seem to be able to achieve a continuous tone
> appearance, masking many of the artifacts of digital images that are
> visible (though subtle) on-screen. Among those artifacts are minor
> banding and/or posterization.
>
> I'm only speaking from my own experience here, I'm not a lightjet
> professional.

--
You need only reflect that one of the best ways to get yourself a
reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating
the very phrases which our founding fathers used in the struggle for
independence.
-- Charles A. Beard
 >> Stay informed about: question: negative -to- digital transition 

And lo, Cgiorgio emerged from the ether
and spake thus:
> Some printers use three (red, green and blue) lasers (or lasers with a
> following frequency multiplier) that are modulated while they scan over the
> paper line by line (usually at 300 dpi). Others use large LCD - panels and a
> projection lens.
>
> "stuseven" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
>
>> +
>> Several decades ago, I operated a small black and white darkroom,
>> printing 5x7x and 8x10s from 35mm negatives.
>> In recent years I have had several digital printers, which
>> produced
>> prints via inkjet... and so here is my question - when I get a print
>> from
>> the online services, they print on photographic paper, and their ads
>> specify that they use Fuji paper and chemicals... so, it's an "old
>> style"
>> photographic print... but... how is a print, with paper and chemicals,
>> produced from a digital image ?
>> Here, I'm really just asking - how is the image "projected" onto
>> the
>> paper, like we used to do with the enlarger and lens ?
>>
>> Thanks

As a few others here have noted, typically what you describe is
achieved using red, green, and blue colored lasers to expose the
photographic paper. Although it is slang, this technology has been
called "lightjet," and is the *primary* method for producing digital
prints on photographic paper.

Aside from the significant gain in longevity achieved by the
traditional development process (as compared to inkjet), so-called
lightjet prints also seem to be able to achieve a continuous tone
appearance, masking many of the artifacts of digital images that are
visible (though subtle) on-screen. Among those artifacts are minor
banding and/or posterization.

I'm only speaking from my own experience here, I'm not a lightjet
professional.

--
Aaron
http://www.fisheyegallery.com
http://www.singleservingphoto.com
 >> Stay informed about: question: negative -to- digital transition