Anyone working with Mark Nelson's PDN?

[Daniel Balfour]

After what seems like forever (about a week and half), sleepless nights, wasted inks/paper and this without mention of my own time, I finally decided to throw in the Quadtone RIP towel. Pointed in the direction of Mark Nelson's PDN system, I was curious to learn more about it. I checked out the site but little is offered by way of technical information on the process itself.

Before I shell out (yet another) $75.00, I'd like to have at the very least, a cursory understanding of the method. Would someone who uses/understands this method be kind enough to respond with a short paragraph outlining the basic principles and how they are applied?

The intention here is to use Pictorico/Inkpress white film in the production of digital negatives for silver-gelatin printing specifically.

I read somewhere that local dodging/burning is used to compliment other aspects of this method, I'm not sure how that works exactly. Isn't a DN method supposed to simply replicate the image using ink deposits to match a paper's DR?

Any information would be useful here.

 

[sdivot]

Basically, using Mark's software, and his custom palette's, you derive a colorized negative with a proper curve for your printing method of choice.
It work's great. I highly recommend it.
Steve

 

[Daniel Balfour]

Basically, using Mark's software, and his custom palette's, you derive a colorized negative with a proper curve for your printing method of choice.
Steve

Steve,

From what I've been told (or the "little" I've been told) it sounds similar to Burkholder's method. Using an inkjet print driver to print an image that's had a curve applied to it. Is this accurate?

Is his software mac-compatible? (OSX 10.5 Leopard)

How much tweaking control do you have over you tones? I just wasted more then a week fiddling around in the dark with Quadtone Rip. The negs were pretty lousy. Poor highlights, muddy high-mids, questionable shadows. How does Mark's PDN system address these issues?

If you don't mind elaborating..

 

[sdivot]

Daniel,
I suppose it's similar to Burkholder's method. I don't know for sure about that, other than he uses colorized negs as well.

I can't answer your question about Mac compatibility. Go to his website and it should say. Or e-mail him. He's good about responding to questions.

You have quite a bit of control over the neg. I haven't got very deep into his new stand alone software (I'm just used to the older method), but I think that once you derive the initial curve, it generates one or more other curve options. And of course, you can always tweak the curve based on results.

I highly recommend you e-mail Mark directly. He is a nice guy and very responsive to inquiries. At least that has been my experience.

Good luck,
Steve

 

[wilsonneal]

Steve:
Are you using PDN for each separation negative you're doing in tri-color gum? Each sep neg has its own unique curve?
Thanks,
Neal

 

[donbga]

Steve:
Are you using PDN for each separation negative you're doing in tri-color gum?

I'm not Steve but that's how I print tri-color gum.

Each sep neg has its own unique curve?

Thanks,
Neal[/quote]

Yes.

Don Bryant

 

[sdivot]

Neal,
What Don said. Yep, every color uses a seperate negative. I have limited experience with various colors, but I've found the curves for cyan and magenta are very similar. The curve for yellow is quite different.
I highly recommend getting Chris Anderson's book on alternate processes. Everyone does things a bit different, it seems. But her book is close to definitive on gum printing. If not, it's a great starting point.
I hear she's writing another one that is exclusive to gum printing.
Steve

 

[Daniel Balfour]

I just ordered Mark Nelson's PDN system. Weird... It's an "eBook" but it's not available for immediate download. Kind of ironic. I realize there's some other stuff that comes along with it but in this day and age, Photoshop is available for download!

It should definitely be an option.

 

[keffs]

...Weird... It's an "eBook" but it's not available for immediate download.....

It should definitely be an option.

I am sure that if you offered to pay for Mark's web hosting, I would expect that he would consider it. I think you might find that Adobe is a slightly larger organisation than Mark's, with higher turn over, and hence a slightly different business model.

Steve

 

[Daniel Balfour]

I am sure that if you offered to pay for Mark's web hosting, I would expect that he would consider it. I think you might find that Adobe is a slightly larger organisation than Mark's, with higher turn over, and hence a slightly different business model.

Steve

Steve,

Webhosting costs are virtually "irrelevant" today, certainly when you consider the scale we'd be talking about. I don't know how big the files are that come bundled with the PDN ebook, but taking say... 100mb for example, could easily be hosted on a gmail account for free. Hence, I really don't see your point.

Furthermore, if you consider "shipping costs" of $5.00 on a cd, that should be more then enough to cover pretty much anything associated with electronic delivery, and would probably save the guy the PITA of having to mail each individual CD.

My understanding is that the reason for "hardcopy delivery" is that most people will buy a step wedge with their order, which requires physical delivery. However, quite a few people already own a Stoufer wedge and so there's no reason to deprive these folks of immediate delivery for an antiquated "business model", as you put it.

 

[Ron-san]

Steve,

I just wasted more then a week fiddling around in the dark with Quadtone Rip. The negs were pretty lousy. Poor highlights, muddy high-mids, questionable shadows.

Daniel-- I have tried several times to contact you off site using the email you gave me-- with no results (messages bounce back). If you still need some help, try emailing me at rreeder@fhcrc.org Maybe if I reply to your email I will get through. Cheers, Ron Reeder

 

[Daniel Balfour]

Daniel-- I have tried several times to contact you off site using the email you gave me-- with no results (messages bounce back). If you still need some help, try emailing me at rreeder@fhcrc.org Maybe if I reply to your email I will get through. Cheers, Ron Reeder

Ron,

Got your message -

Email sent.