Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/09/02

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] Mounting inkjet prints
From: bdcolen at earthlink.net (B. D. Colen)
Date: Thu Sep 2 08:13:44 2004

I agree with you entirely, Mark, on the issue of the inkjet matte
papers. What I'm referring to are all the 'art' papers, from water color
paper to stuff that looks like grass table mats. ;-)

-----Original Message-----
From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of
Mark Rabiner
Sent: Thursday, September 02, 2004 11:00 AM
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: Re: [Leica] Mounting inkjet prints



>snippet<
> makes sense to make them in a way that is closest to 'traditional' 
>media  in appearance. Yes, there are a zillion photo papers, but the 
>vast  majority of them produce prints that look like what people expect

>photo  prints to look like; some are warmer, some are cooler, some are 
>glossy,  pearl, or matte. But generally, that's about it.
> 
> 
Except that we expect darkroom fine prints to be dried down F fiber
paper which is semi gloss in the end. Its right in between gloss and
matt. You not really call it gloss. Unless you ferrotyped it. Hence the
"F". Ferrotyped prints are not considered gallery worthy and are
generally a retro pain in the ass. Retro as in 60's retro. And same with
matt. But now with the burgeoning amount of fine quality fine art
whatever work done in inkjet the majority of it is matt. Never in a
million years would you print mat in the darkroom. The stuff is death.
Its dries down at least a full shade flatter (less contrast) and a full
f shop darker. Also you totally loose the nice black you see when the
print is wet. I guess you don't loose your whites that's the only thing
you DON'T loose. The blacks go to middle grey to separation in the mid
tones goes to hell. That said I know an art director who is into
photography who does only mat in the darkroom and he's really got a
handle on it.

But with inkjet we don't loose our black when we wake up in the morning
to check out our nights "take". There is no dry down. It looks really
great.

I'm not sure what percentage of "fine art" work is done glossy or even
semi glossy but my guess would be 20. Lots of fine commercial
photography done with the shiny papers though. But not by me. Some art
directors think the slight increase in contrast you get with the gloss a
big deal. I don't see it myself. And I think behind a plastic page or
glass you cant tell the diff.

Mark Rabiner
Photography
Portland Oregon
http://rabinergroup.com/




_______________________________________________
Leica Users Group.
See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information


Replies: Reply from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] Mounting inkjet prints)
In reply to: Message from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] Mounting inkjet prints)