I found the following statement on a web site selling B&W prints:

"The print is made with professional digital fine art photography inks, which render the most subtle variations and tonal gradations possible. Our inks differentiate between 100 shades of gray, a much larger range than conventional films and photographic papers can produce. In other words, our digital photographs are not just every bit as beautiful as traditional photographic prints, they are superior."

Doesn't a print on photographic paper made in a conventional darkroom have a wider ranges of grays than a digital print?

Thanks, John

-- John Cline (john@timefreezephotos.com), April 29, 2002

Answers

I've seen what is supposed to be the best of the best and it still isn't as good as traditional...what website was this?

-- mark lindsey (mark@mark-lindsey.com), May 01, 2002.

In theory, they both have the same range of gray, although a silver gelatin print yields a better black. In practice, it is "usually" easier to manipulate the contrast in digital printing to achieve more subtle mid-tone separations.

-- Michael Feldman (mfeldman@qwest.net), May 02, 2002.

the range of grays for both processes is the same: everything between black and paper-base white. The contrast range is the same as well: 1:100 under ideal lighting and reflecting conditions. Since the photo image will not be pixilated, it will have the better gradation between values of gray. perhaps?

-- r (ricardospanks1@yahoo.com), May 02, 2002.

100 shades of gray isn't much. An 8-bit B&W file should have 256 shades of gray.

-- Ken burns (kenburns@twave.net), May 02, 2002.

Not 100 shades of gray. That's the contrast ratio. There is a continuous range of grays from pure black to pure white. Can't get any more than that!

-- r (ricardospanks1@yahoo.com), May 03, 2002.

"There is a continuous range of grays from pure black to pure white. Can't get any more than that!"

Depends on the paper used as well as the optical brighteners that may be incorporated in them. Pure Black and pure white are dependant on a number of factors. Paper surface, developer & toner choice being only a few.

Few photographers producing fine work get to maximum paper black very often. It is not needed for most images to look their best just as the maximum white is not, depending on the print & interpretation as one produces the 'best image'.

-- Dan Smith (shooter@brigham.net), May 03, 2002.

John, The difference is obvious to the trained eye. A twenty dollar bottle of wine tastes pretty good (so I am told). A one-hundred dollar bottle of wine supposedly tastes better (5 times?) - I probably couldn't tell (especially after one glass). However, to the trained conoisseur (why did I have to try and spell tht word?) - there is a marked difference. I truly believe there is a big difference between the best silver print and the best digital print. The silver print has more light, roundness and depth of tone. Intangiles but definetly there. Digital prints appear to lay flat on the paper like an illustration in a book. A magnifing glass will further reveal the flaws of a digital print. There is also something lost - an emperhal realness - when comparing digital to silver. Hi-ho Silver! Peter

-- Peter Bosco (peterboscoprivate@attbi.com), May 14, 2002.