Digital negatives to Film?

[menglert]

Hello,

Currently I'm working with PDN and making negatives for silver gelatin printing with Pictorico White Film. After doing some test prints, I notice that they are slightly less sharp than the original digital files (and digital negatives).

So, I was wondering if I would perhaps get better prints (sharper) if I were to contact print the digital negative onto Ortho Litho Film? Perhaps some of you who have experience printing with traditional enlarged negatives could provide some insights, and let me know if its even worth my time to try this venture, or if the improvements will be nil.

I'm not sure if the loss of sharpness is due to the White Film or perhaps the density of the inks. My thinking was, perhaps the digital negative on White Film is sharper, but perhaps edge density (in fine details) isn't enough to produce sharp contact prints (maybe the density of Ortho Film will give finer details?).

PDN
Epson R2400
Vacuum Frame

Regards,
Martin

 

[Bob Carnie]

Martin

This is what I would like to do with Lambda printer to FP4 film,
I am working on this with Sandy King,Mark Nelson and would like to use Ilfords film.
The processing of the large film is my hold up point. I am trying to figure out how to consistantly produce exacting results on the processing side.
Once this aspect is nailed We will try film this summer.
In a perfect world I would like to be able to have a drum which would be able to hold 30inch by 40inch film sheet * the long side should be able to move from about 20inches to 44inches. I would be buying the film in 30inch rolls which would always be a static size.
Without the repeatability of process I cannot use Marks system for defining the negative shape.
Anyones thought on a practical film processing solution would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Joe Lipka]

Making silver prints from digital negatives using an image setter is the only way I now how to go about doing this. Brooks Jensen at LensWork used this process for several years in making his special edition prints. Silver prints made from these negatives were indistinguishable to the naked eye from original film negative prints.

It seems to me that in going from a OHP negative to film you will either lose something by creating another copy generation, or the resolution of the film will pick up surface texture from the OHP media. But you won't know until you actually experiment with it.

 

[Nathan Jones]

I saw some interesting prints last month at Photo-Eye in Sante Fe by Raymond Meeks. Several of the prints were done on Ortho Litho film. But, as I understood it, they were printed on the film substrate and then the actual transparency was displayed over paper. It was an interesting effect. ---Tonal gradations and "texture" were wonderful. ---But a different animal perhaps than the one being pursued here.

 

[menglert]

Thanks for all the input. I think I'll have to pursue some testing on my own in order to answer my question more completely. So next order from FreeStyle I'll pick up some Ortho film. Once I complete test I'll report back.

Regards,
Martin