Fancy names for conventional processes?

Marco Gilardetti · Dec 28, 2005

Hi there, and sorry if this topic will perhaps not fit the cathegory in the end.

The new fashion in this digital-all era is to rename the goodol' things everybody used to do every day with misterious and ascetic names, just to have something mean shine as if it was special. I have recently been to an exhibition in Torino where perfectly normal inkjet prints were renamed "ultrasonic something photocolor" and perfectly normal b/w photographs were named with the alchemic term "silver salts paper" instead of the usual "gelatine silver bromide etc.", perhaps to raise the suspect that the paper was handmade recreating the old salted paper process (it was an ordinary Ilford Multigrade in best case scenario). Well, among all, one name I really couldn't associate to anything I know was:

"True black fine-art glicee" (SIC, no italian to english translation)

with a tonic accent on the first "e", a la francaise. What is that? A coal inkjet print perhaps?

avandesande · Dec 28, 2005

I saw 'toned carbon pigment giclee' in the B&W last issue. Gives me a mouth full of marbles.
In the unlikely event I ever have my images hanging in a gallery somewhere I will call them 'prints'.

roteague · Dec 28, 2005

I don't know about traditional processes, but I dislike the term "dry" darkroom. What is wrong with calling it as it is? A computer workstation.

Andy K · Dec 28, 2005

roteague said:
I don't know about traditional processes, but I dislike the term "dry" darkroom. What is wrong with calling it as it is? A computer workstation.

This also gets right under my skin along with 'digital darkroom'. My personal opinion is that it stems from the user being too embarrassed to admit they do computer imaging.

Tom Hoskinson · Dec 28, 2005

To me, my Dry Darkroom is just that - no wet chemical processing in that darkroom - just film loading (into holders, tanks and reels) plus enlarging and contact printing. I do the wet processing in a completely separate lab - been doing it that way for 30 - 40 years.

roteague · Dec 28, 2005

Tom Hoskinson said:
To me, my Dry Darkroom is just that - no wet chemical processing in that darkroom - just film loading (into holders, tanks and reels) plus enlarging and contact printing. I do the wet processing in a completely separate lab - been doing it that way for 30 - 40 years.

True Tom, but the majority of those using this term really mean a computer and a printer.

David A. Goldfarb · Dec 28, 2005

So the next time someone says "dry darkroom," you can just ask, "is that where you load your holders?"

donbga · Dec 28, 2005

Marco Gilardetti said:
Hi there, and sorry if this topic will perhaps not fit the cathegory in the end.

The new fashion in this digital-all era is to rename the goodol' things everybody used to do every day with misterious and ascetic names, just to have something mean shine as if it was special. I have recently been to an exhibition in Torino where perfectly normal inkjet prints were renamed "ultrasonic something photocolor" and perfectly normal b/w photographs were named with the alchemic term "silver salts paper" instead of the usual "gelatine silver bromide etc.", perhaps to raise the suspect that the paper was handmade recreating the old salted paper process (it was an ordinary Ilford Multigrade in best case scenario). Well, among all, one name I really couldn't associate to anything I know was:

"True black fine-art glicee" (SIC, no italian to english translation)

with a tonic accent on the first "e", a la francaise. What is that? A coal inkjet print perhaps?

Why is this thread in the Alt Process section? In the context of the discussion this seems a bit ironic to me.

Don Bryant

Poptart · Dec 28, 2005

Glicee (zee-clay') is an old printing process, not digital. It is a variation on the offset litho, I believe, and was generally viewed as a cheap alternative to art litho, but lately it's gained a new following. I have a glicee print that I'll attach a part of for reference if I still have it scanned--to follow.

GregT. · Dec 28, 2005

Adolph Hitlers regime promoted the theory that if you repeat a lie loud enough and often enough the masses will believe it is true.

Digital imaging equipment is marketed to the masses.

Poptart · Dec 28, 2005

Here is a detail of the color glicee print I own but it'sjust a digicam pic and the detail isn't really visible, even enlarged. Nevertheless . . .

Marco Gilardetti · Dec 29, 2005

donbga said:
Why is this thread in the Alt Process section? In the context of the discussion this seems a bit ironic to me.

No, honestly, I thought that perhaps it was some kind of traditional process, just renamed in a fancy way. Now, that name is SO SO fancy that apparently nobody could get what the actual process was...

Today I would place it at least in the "grey area", most probably...

Marco Gilardetti · Dec 29, 2005

Poptart said:
Glicee (zee-clay') is an old printing process, not digital. It is a variation on the offset litho, I believe, and was generally viewed as a cheap alternative to art litho, but lately it's gained a new following. I have a glicee print that I'll attach a part of for reference if I still have it scanned--to follow.

Well, yes, perhaps some time ago. You know: as much as computer imaging is called "photography" these days.

It's mostly self-explanative the fact that if you just slap the words "True black fine-art glicée" in google, the first result is:

Inkjet News and Tips 01 June 05 :rolleyes:

Fancy names for conventional processes?

Marco Gilardetti

avandesande

roteague

Andy K

Tom Hoskinson

roteague

David A. Goldfarb

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donbga

Poptart

GregT.

Poptart

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Marco Gilardetti

Marco Gilardetti

Fancy names for conventional processes?

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