Tag: printing

Agfa Multicontrast Classic fibre paper to be reissued by ADOX!

Nicolai Grossman 1 Comment

It’s coming back, maybe in August [2008]! ADOX says:

The Emulsions for this paper are being produced on the original Agfa machinery which ADOX purchased together with former Agfa engineers from the liquidator of AgfaPhoto in Leverkusen.

They are identical in all measurable parameters with the papers formerly sold by Agfa under the “Agfa Multicontrast Classic” name.

This paper is among the technologically most advanced papers in the world. With its four separately made emulsions which are coated together it yields a range of achievable contrasts from 0 to 5,5. Other variable contrast papers, especially those with only one emulsion layer, reach at the outermost grade 4…

Continue reading at ADOX’s product page

Via Tom Persinger

Solarizing developer

Nicolai Grossman Leave a comment

Solarization is overexposure to the point of tonal reversal, where areas on the film that would be totally black (the sun, for example) start to get lighter again. You can achieve the same thing printing in the darkroom by turning on the lights during developing. (Technically doing it in camera is called soliarization and in the darkroom it’s the Sabatier Effect, but the terms are used more or less interchangeably.)

I thought that was it, until Tom Persinger of f295 pointed me to this article by Ed Buffaloe at Freestyle—it turns out you can do it chemically with thiosulfate developer.

Includes recipe and examples.

ZINK inkless printing

Nicolai Grossman 4 Comments

A company called ZINK have just introduced a photo printing system that doesn’t use ink or ribbons. It’s basically a colour thermal printer that activates heat-reactive crystals in their paper.

ZINK Imaging Press Release:

Enabling Printing Where It Has Never Before Been Possible

ZINK Imaging has unveiled a new way for consumers to print and experience full color digital images without the need for ink cartridges or ribbons. ZINK Imaging’s patented technology, being shown for the first time at the DEMO 07 conference, shifts the printing paradigm from an ink cartridge or ink ribbon, to a totally inkless system. Images magically appear on the ZINK paper without a drop of ink.

The key to the ZINK process is the ZINK paper, which is protected by more than 100 patents and patents pending. Dye crystals are embedded in the ZINK paper and are activated by heat from a ZINK printer. The crystals then colorize, producing high quality, long-lasting, durable, and affordable images.

"At ZINK Imaging, we are insisting on the impossible to deliver a revolutionary digital printing experience to the world. ZINK technology does not require ink to print, provides a magical user experience, can transform any device into a printer, is good to the environment and most importantly, makes people smile," said Wendy Caswell, president and CEO, ZINK Imaging.

"Our unveiling at DEMO marks the completion of a long and intense road of research and development that has resulted in a patented, innovative printing technology that we are quite proud to deliver this year."

ZINK Enables a New Mobile Printing Market
The ZINK printing technology will enable a new mobile printing market. Later this year, ZINK Imaging’s partners will launch the first products using ZINK technology. These products are designed to take printing where it has never before been possible – into the pocket of every camera phone and digital camera user. With ZINK, printing in the moment becomes possible.

"Each year, millions of pictures are taken by camera phones and other devices but are never printed because consumers just don’t know how or the process is too difficult. ZINK Imaging has invented a whole new way of printing digital images through the simple process of just adding paper. With this new inkless technology, consumers can print anywhere they take a picture," said Chris Shipley, executive producer, DEMO. "DEMO has made its reputation by introducing disruptive technology to the marketplace and ZINK is definitely one of the most exciting new technologies we have ever had at DEMO."

ZINK Imaging is the technology inventor and the manufacturer of the ZINK paper. It is creating the future of digital printing with a network of the world’s most innovative companies and global brands to commercialize ZINK enabled products. ZINK Imaging will be announcing several partnerships in the coming months.

To learn more about ZINK Imaging, please visit www.ZINK.com. Or visit them at the DEMO Pavilion, #61.

While I’m not familiar with any of the specifics beyond this press release, the patents thing kind of gets me. I’m sure there are new and cool techniques involved here, but monochromatic thermal printing has been around for quite some time—most non-laser faxes and many shop and credit card receipts are printed thermally. Hell, you can make your own: coat a piece of paper with milk or lemon juice, let it dry, and write on it with something hot.

Via PhotographyBLOG

Sean Rohde’s darkroom experiments

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Chris by Sean Rohde

Photographer Sean Rohde dug up and scanned a bunch of his darkroom experiments from the late 80s and early 90s. There are heaps of images along with explanations of how each was done. He writes:

Way back when, from 1988 to around 1992, I actually had a full darkroom. I currently just develop my own film and scan the negs onto my computer. That’s fine for straight "prints", and photoshop does have some nice controls that are difficult to duplicate with an enlarger. On the other hand, there are tons of things I can do in the darkroom that are impossible to replicate on the computer…

Continue reading and see lots of images at Rohdes’ blog, moominstuff. You can check out more of his excellent experimental and toy camera photography in his Flickr photostream.

New Mike Ware alt process books: Gold in Photography and The Chrysotype Manual

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From the AlternativePhotography.com newsletter:

For all those of you who wants to know the ins and outs of the chrysotype process, here are two invaluable books from Dr. Mike Ware. As usual, thoroughly researched, they offer the first published monographs detailing the use of pure gold in photographic imaging. Gold in Photography and The Chrysotype Manual are the culmination of years of meticulous and methodical experimentation by Dr. Mike Ware, the leading researcher in the fields of iron-based photographic printing and conservation. And, don’t miss the interview!

Harman Professional photo inkjet paper

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HARMAN Technology Limited Press Release:

Harman, the leading professional imaging specialist has provided the first ever glimpse of its new professional photo inkjet paper, just days before officially unveiling the products to the industry at the Photokina exhibition in Cologne, Germany. This exclusive shot of the product and its packaging has only been distributed to selected online media and is the only picture to be made available before the Photokina show. The picture shows the first two products in the range, which incorporate a real photo Baryta layer within their coating – the only photographic inkjet media to do so. The matt finish product pictured, will incorporate instant-dry silica technology. Created primarily for the fine art and professional photography market, HARMAN wanted the real users to see the innovative products first.

Howard Hopwood, Marketing Director at HARMAN technology commented: "At HARMAN technology, we believe ourselves to be very much a part of the photographic community. We are very enthusiastic about the launch of our first professional photo inkjet products, and we wanted the people who will benefit most from using them to see the products first."

The black boxes will provide a strong presence on shelf, and colour coding has been used within the artwork to easily identify each individual product in the range. Product test packs will be distributed to the photographic media over the coming weeks, and detailed launch plans are due to be announced in the very near future.

Via PhotographyBLOG

Ilford Galerie FB digital paper

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Ilford Photo press release:

Having long established its reputation for the production of market-leading black-and-white photographic paper, ILFORD Photo has now taken the whole genre onto a new level of archival and presentational excellence with the fusion of modern digital technology and true silver gelatine printing.

ILFORD Photo has announced the addition of a new paper to its range of specialist black-and-white photo products, which not only represents a major step forward in the production of high quality images, but also utilises the latest advances in digital processing. Called ILFORD GALERIE FB DIGITAL, this 315gsm fibre base baryta paper has been created for printing with digital laser printers, and is compatible with digital printers such as the Durst Lambda and Océ Lightjet models. This is the only paper in the world which utilises ILFORD Photo’s renowned fibre base baryta material, made famous by such products as Ilfobrom Galerie FB and Multigrade IV FB papers, with the ability to be exposed in digital laser printers (Lightjet and Lambda) writing directly from digital files. 

The optimised spectral sensitivity of ILFORD GALERIE FB DIGITAL, combined with the proven long term archival benefits of traditional fibre base black-and-white papers, provides the opportunity to create genuine silver gelatine prints from digital images. This unique combination makes ILFORD GALERIE FB DIGITAL the ideal choice for exhibition and fine art prints.

Initially being supplied in 100ft (30.5m) rolls in 20, 30, 40 and 50ins (51, 77, 102 and 127cm) widths for high-end prolab use, ILFORD GALERIE FB DIGITAL has been undergoing rigorous testing by a select handful of labs in North America and Europe.

Each lab has been extremely impressed at the quality prints which have been achieved, and is already recommending this paper for clients such as fine art collectors, museums, art galleries, photographers producing limited edition prints, and graphic design agencies.

"For the first time, fine art photographers can benefit from the best of both worlds," says ILFORD Photo chairman Phil Harris. "This unique product brings together the added creative benefits offered by digital manipulation, with the long established aesthetic and archival properties of true baryta base black-and-white silver gelatin prints."

Being launched at Photokina, ILFORD GALERIE FB DIGITAL will also be demonstrated via a series of exhibitions in the UK, Europe and the USA later in the year through to early 2007.

For more detailed information on ILFORD GALERIE FB DIGITAL paper and other fine black-and-white products from ILFORD Photo, visit www.ilfordphoto.com

Via PhotographyBLOG