Digital Photography Hacks [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Hack 53 Pro-Quality Prints from Your Digicam

Home printing solutions have their advantages,
but working with a commercial printer can elevate your images and
help them last for a very long time.

Two of the premises of digital photography are
that things are easier and cheaper. When it comes to printing digital
photos, however, neither of these premises is necessarily true. While
having an inkjet printer at home affords you the ability to print
when you want, the digital darkroom, as many of us have discovered,
takes a lot of time and money. Between buying the printer, expensive
refills, photo-quality paper, and color calibration, home printing
can be a pain. This hack will explore the many alternatives to home
printing.

The first place to look is your local pharmacy or photo store. You
can take in your flash cards and plug them into kiosks that allow you
a lot of variation and control over the final output. Many of the
kiosks let you remove red eye and adjust color right before you
print. The printing mechanism that is used is usually dye
sublimation, which strongly resembles the look
of a traditional photo print and lasts about as long. You can take
your flash cards in, plug them into the kiosk, and be on your way.
Some photo stores even let you upload your images and pick them up
later.

5.8.1 Professional Photofinishers for Fine-Art Photography

But what if you want larger prints for fine-art photography? To take things
to the next level, there are a number of options for larger output
from your digital files. These options include inkjet printers (similar in technology to
the ones we have at home), Iris prints (fine-art inkjet printing
using a large drum to apply the ink), and Lambda/lightjet/chromira
prints (using lasers to transfer the image to photographic paper).

To access these options, you should look up professional
photofinishers
in your area or check out http://www.westcoastimaging.com and
http://www.singereditions.com.
Because digital photography is the confluence of many technologies
and disciplines, you might find large-format printing available at a
variety of businesses; look up digital prepress, print makers, and
photofinishers to find someone who provides large-format digital
output.

Print resolution requirements are
similar regardless of the specific output you choose. Your image
usually needs to be at least 200 dpi at its 100% size [Hack #62] . I say usually
because some service bureaus might require higher or lower
resolution and some might use proprietary tools to get more out of
your image. Also, resolution is always a subjective thing. Someone
might be perfectly happy with a 16 20 print from a three-megapixel
camera, while another person might be mortified by the results.

One of the major benefits of working with a service bureau, apart
from getting access to super-large printers, is working with people.
That's right, people! Even in this digital day and
age, working with someone who works with digital images day in and
day out is a significant advantage. At its best, working with a
service bureau should be a collaborative process. You bring your
artistic vision to the table, and the person at the service bureau
brings his technical knowledge of what is possible. Often,
professional photofinishers provide a proof print (which usually
costs extra, but not as much as the final print). This lets you do
some color correction before the final print is madevery handy
indeed.

5.8.2 Different Types of Output

Now, let's take a look at the differences between
inkjet, Iris, and Lambda/lightjet/chromira printers:

Inkjet

Large-format inkjet printers are simply larger versions of the ones
we have on our desks at home. Epson is the market leader in this
space, but other manufacturers also offer printers capable of making
great prints. The larger inkjet printers can give a look and feel
that is similar to a traditional photographic print. There are a
number of options for common paper types, including glossy, matte,
and watercolor. Ask the photofinisher for samples.

Iris

Iris printers have less of a traditional photographic look and feel
and more of a lithographic look and feel. They are popular in graphic
design prepress work because of their ability to match color closely.
Iris prints can also be made on a wide variety of stock and can give
your photographs a unique, painterly look. If you want to experiment
with printing your photographs on thick, watercolor stock, Iris
prints can't be beat.

Lambda/lightjet/chromira

The next category of printers is what I call
Lambda/lightjet/chromira. Why so many names? Well, because the
marketplace is continually shifting in this space, and the
differences between the three are quite minimal. However, you will
see this kind of technology offered under a variety of names.
Lambda/lightjet/chromira prints are interesting because they use the
same chemicals and paper as the traditional C41 process. Your digital
print is literally a photograph. Instead of using the light from an
enlarger to expose the image, a Lambda/lightjet/chromira printer
projects your digital file onto the paper. Combine this with the
popular Fuji-Crystal archive paper and you'll have a
print that can be hung on any museum or gallery wall.

Speaking of archival images, one of the reasons photographers get
their prints printed professionally is the potential archival
limitations of home printing. Done correctly, professional inkjet,
Iris, and Lambda/lightjet/chromira prints can provide archival
images. See Wilhelm Imaging Research's
excellent web site (http://www.wilhelm-research.com) for
information on the longevity of the various digital printing methods.

Professional digital output is a great way to print your digital
images, and many film photographers are now using it to print
negatives and slide film. You read that right; because of the
advanced optics of scanners and the fact that the image is digitally
exposed directly to paper, film photographers are discovering that
their images can be sharper and clearer, even though the source is
film. Another advantage of digital printing for film photographers is
that they have access to Photoshop, a far more capable editing tool
than your typical analog enlarger. So, you too can consider using
digital printing for your negatives and chromes.

5.8.3 Final Thoughts

Using either scanned film or digital camera files, a service bureau
can take your images to the next level in professional presentation.
Ask photographers in your town for recommendations on bureaus they
use, and start building a relationship with a service bureau. Your
prints will thank you.

Hadley Stern