Yesterday I printed my first successful digital desktop negative. - thanks to Dan Burkholder's 'Making Digital Negatives for Contact Printing.'

Even though I only made a paper negative [on Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper], and used an old Epson Stylus Color 600, the result was astounding.

I printed on Ilford MG IV RC , MG IV FB, and MG FB Warmtone.

With a current Epson printer the results should be absolutely fantastic - So, I would strongly encourage those of you making contact prints to take a look at this process. It opens up vast possibilities.

Cheers!!! chris

-- Christian Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), March 16, 2001

Answers

I'm curious to know how big your final negative was and how big your file was. What resolution did you print your negative at? How much RAM do you have in your computer?

-- Ed Buffaloe (edb@unblinkingeye.com), March 16, 2001.

Hi Ed, here are the stats:

Image file size: 2.97M 3.2 x 7.5 inches 360 dpi

Printed at: 1440 dpi

RAM: 96K

Photoshop: 4.01

Hope this helps - this stuff is great!

chris

-- Christian Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), March 16, 2001.

Christian...You left me hanging here! How do I get the information on Dan's technique, etc., etc.? I don't know what you're talking about. Any links or sources you can give so I can try this? How about a visual sample?

-- Todd Frederick (fredrick@hotcity.com), March 17, 2001.

Hi Todd, it just so happens I worked on a 'visual' last night. Here it is:

http://christianharkness.tripod.com/digitalnegative.html

Dan Burkholder's web site is here:

http://www.danburkholder.com/Pages/main_pages/page1_main.htm

I think that this will get you going!

Cheers - chris

-- Christian Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), March 17, 2001.

Chris: It looks good! I've been hung up on thinking I need to make BIG negatives, but now I see I'd be better off to start small until I learn what I'm doing. Guess I better get to work.

-- Ed Buffaloe (edb@unblinkingeye.com), March 17, 2001.

I used to work for a pro lab here in AK and started up their digital department. March-June 1998 is when I set it up, but it was a very nice setup- Management Graphics makes a film recorderl that will use 35 or 120 rolls and produce an 8k file for both formats. That's 8000 pixels across the long end of either format. Negs were handled in the normal fashion from that point on. Tied to a good mac w/photoshop, the amount of control you have over your image is incredible, and has archivability identical to traditional methods because it is primarily the same. If anything, technology has improved the already close to perfect(image-control-wise/archivability) process. The only downside I see is the 40k+ price of entry. Thank god you can use a lab to do it though, and I would advise on very meticulous color- control and/or density calibration. If a lab is not available locally, consider mail-order, as this process is truly exceptional.

-- Mike DeVoe (karma77@att.net), March 17, 2001.