Re: [Leica] The digital darkroom

[Rick Floyd <rick_floyd@hotmail.com>]

Robert G. Stevens wrote:
> 
> Steve:
> 
> The digital printers say their process is very long lasting.  Create you
> picture, store the file to a CD rom and then when your electonic ouput that
> you printed fades in a year, pop the Cd in your computer and make another
> matching print.  

As long as you are the end user, that is fine.  The problem that I have
is that I don't have a single customer understanding enough when I tell
them they will have to replace their prints every year.  I've printed
alot of material for display/training programs that were framed and hung
on walls with just fluorescent light exposure.  Within six months they
had faded severely.  By the end of a year, the image was recognizeable,
but just barely. 

Another consideration is cost.  I've got a friend that does over
$50k/year in team sports photography alone.  It is not my cup of tea,
but makes up the bulk of his income.  His standard product is a 4x5
individual photo, 5x7 team photo and 2 to maybe 4 wallets.  He has his
business honed to a fine process.  Would he be a candidate for replacing
any step in his process with digital capability.  According to him, it
is not cost effective at any step in HIS process, whether it is camera,
darkroom/computer or print material.  Remember he shoots 2000 rolls of
film a year.  Literally hundreds of rolls on a weekend.  Then nothing
but processing and printing for weeks.  His window is 4-6 weeks before
the teams change and it starts again.

Me, I'm not so sure.  I'm pretty much of a computer geek so the digital
aspect of photography doesn't scare me.  However, at this stage, it
doesn't enthrall me either.

Best,
Rick











The same long term life can be said of negatives and
> Kodachromes.  There is probably a better chance of reprinting a negative or
> slide fifty years from now than there is finding a device to read a cd
> fifty years from now.
> 
> I on the other hand, have just orderd an Epson stylus Ex that will do 11X14
> prints.  The Nova Scotia Photoguild is just starting to allow  electronic
> prints into competition and a member just had on come back from an outside
> compitiion with high marks.  In this case, as long as the prints last a few
> months to see their way through the competitions, the fading is not an
> issue.  I still wait the day for the film recorder that will put the
> photoshop edited slides back onto slides with a high quality.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Robert
> 
> At 06:19 PM 2/7/99 -0500, you wrote:
> >B.D.,
> >
> >So what is the answer for archival short of the dark room? AGFA 15K film
> >printers? What is out there for the photodigitalist that gives longevity?
> >
> >Steve
> >
> >"B. D. Colen" wrote:
> >
> >"...But remember, they are far from
> >archival. Dye sublimation has some ability to last. Ordinary ink jet output
> >is pathetic for longevity. There are sprays that help. But two years from
> >now, that digital print you hung on the wall will be gone. That B&W or
> >color "darkroom" print you made will still be an infant in it's archival."
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >