Don't like computers but I guess I am going to have to make the leap.

That being said I know that if I am to continue photography it will need to be on a computer in the near future. I don't have a lot of fondness for computers, so what is the easiest to learn program to make digital negatives. I know there will be a learning curve no matter what I use but I would like the least learning curve possible. Heck I might even pay for ready made carbon curves, depending on the price.

I have a macbook pro to work on that is fast enough with enough memory, access to a printer, have photoshop, and lightroom. The plan is to make carbon prints.

Yes, if you look at my post history I have asked this question before but that was a while ago and everything I read shot right over the old noggin.. I was hoping things might have changed since then.

Dan,

You should check out Dan Burkholder. He has a plugin that converts a positive to digital negatives for different alternative processes and literature also. It is a starting point. i have used it but generally have to tweak a bit before printing the negatives. There are others but I like to keep things simple so it has worked for me. I still prefer enlarging negatives on to film for pt/pd printing but sometimes his software gives me more adjustments.

Hope it helps

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When making colorized (spectral) digital negatives, one color does not fit all. For achieving a full range of tones with good separation, it is critical to match the color to the chosen process and individual workflow, especially for carbon prints. Dan's work with digital negatives was groundbreaking -- I took a digital neg workshop from him about 12 years ago -- but unless he has changed his procedures, PDN or RNP arrays will probably yield a better negative. PDN is a structured approach that can yield results quickly, and the manual alone is worth the price as it's a well-written and fairly comprehensive discussion of digital negatives.
Making good digital negatives is still not a trivial undertaking, and choosing the wrong printer will doom you from the start. Trying to learn digital negative and carbon transfer basics at the same time is exponentially more difficult since there are so many variables at play. A workshop for one or both would be a good plan. Using Bostick & Sullivan carbon tissue instead of homemade, and using supports that don't need to be sized (like RC and fiber photo paper or Yupo) will eliminate a lot of complexity when learning carbon basics. Good luck!

I have LF negs to practice with but the cost of LF film is forcing me to digital for new photograps. Someday I will have enough to by film more than once in a great while. This just seemed like the logical alternative.

I think you will soon discover that digital negatives are not a "bargain alternative." Add up the cost of a good printer, ink, OHP film, a densitometer (not strictly required, but highly recommended), and calibration software and hardware for your monitor and you will see what I mean. Digital negatives offer a huge amount of control, but they are neither simple nor inexpensive to make. If you use a digital camera, at least you won't have the expense of a scanner

mark said:

I have LF negs to practice with but the cost of LF film is forcing me to digital for new photograps. Someday I will have enough to by film more than once in a great while. This just seemed like the logical alternative.

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Have you tried x-ray film? The cost is about 40 cents for each 8x10 inch negative.

http://www.cxsonline.com/text/subcatalog.tmpl?command=showpage&sn=8585&category=1001&cart=142730300738970&location=1001

I've never used x-ray film. I've read about people using it on APUG but not considered it for my self. Guess I have some research to do. Thanks for the pointer.

check out inkjetmall. Jon Cone's methods are about as plug-and-play as you will get...

re Cone ink (Piezography):
- You will need to dedicate a printer when using a monochrome inkset. Yes, you can swap b&w and color ink cartridges, but in practice this isn't really practical. Dedicating a printer is reasonable if you also want to make b&w prints, but the Cone profiles still require you to change a couple of ink channels when going from negatives to prints.
- I believe you will need to create your own profiles when using the Epson desktops for digital negatives, decidedly not plug and play. For example, the 1800 and 1400 makes excellent digital negatives, but there are no Piezography profiles for these.

mark said:

That being said I know that if I am to continue photography it will need to be on a computer in the near future. I don't have a lot of fondness for computers, so what is the easiest to learn program to make digital negatives. I know there will be a learning curve no matter what I use but I would like the least learning curve possible. Heck I might even pay for ready made carbon curves, depending on the price.

I have a macbook pro to work on that is fast enough with enough memory, access to a printer, have photoshop, and lightroom. The plan is to make carbon prints.

Yes, if you look at my post history I have asked this question before but that was a while ago and everything I read shot right over the old noggin.. I was hoping things might have changed since then.

Click to expand...

Dear Mark,making digital negatives is no big deal and regilar Photoshop is the best and only tool you need.Don't hesitate to contact me if you need help.rlambrec@ymail.com

Thanks Ralph. I'll do that. Give me a few days. Life just got real busy. Stupid responsibilities, always popping up when I want to play.

For now it looks like I will play with X-ray film. It keeps me away from the computer and reading about it piqued my curiosity. Thanks for the info.