Rossmann: Prints negatives.

baachitraka · Aug 15, 2014

I wonder how do they print the negatives in drug store.

For testing I shot a roll of Rossmann HR 200 film and gave it for development and printing them in Rossmann(drug store). They came some what good but for me it all looked like they were printed using inkjet printer.

Do they use RA-4 or just scan them and print using inkjet printer?

darkosaric · Aug 15, 2014

On top of this question - another: is there some test that can be made to see if print is RA4 or inkjet, even if it is needed to destroy the print? To run the print thru some chemicals...?

baachitraka · Aug 15, 2014

Yeah, that will be handy.

fotch · Aug 15, 2014

baachitraka said:
I wonder how do they print the negatives in drug store.

For testing I shot a roll of Rossmann HR 200 film and gave it for development and printing them in Rossmann(drug store). They came some what good but for me it all looked like they were printed using inkjet printer.

Do they use RA-4 or just scan them and print using inkjet printer?

Ask them.

Truzi · Aug 15, 2014

At Fotch said, ask them.

I recently tried a Drugmart. They do the ink prints, but the guy in charge of it knows his stuff, and used to (perhaps still does) film. He keeps the chemicals well balanced, and can answer questions about the equipment that people Walgreen's with the same machine cannot. Our Walgreen's has both ink and RA-4 printing.

So, for the first time, I had some snapshots ink-printed. They were okay, not terrible, but I did not like them. They do seem to have a different texture/feel to them. I've not compared enough to identify by touch yet, and this is the only time I've done it, so other's may disagree, but your sense of touch may help you.

AgX · Aug 15, 2014

baachitraka said:
I wonder how do they print the negatives in drug store.

For testing I shot a roll of Rossmann HR 200 film and gave it for development and printing them in Rossmann(drug store). They came some what good but for me it all looked like they were printed using inkjet printer.

Do they use RA-4 or just scan them and print using inkjet printer?

I can't speak for Rossmann, but ALL sheet photographs printed out via competitor DM drugstore-chain (sent out not processed at the in-shop kiosks) are RA-4 based.

EDIT:
RA-4 based, though scanned and line- not optically-exposed.

baachitraka · Aug 15, 2014

I look close those prints and I kind of like them. Red-Orange skin tones for Indian skin...
Saree's look beautiful and so are jewels.

chrisaisenbrey · Aug 15, 2014

I was assuming that RA-4 is cheaper on a large scale than inkjet simply because it is much faster.
But I could imagine (as AgX mentioned) that big labs scan negatives and use then the workflow for printing digital photos.

MartinP · Aug 15, 2014

Most of the RA4 materials used these days are printed via laser, not directly as optical enlargements. Things like the Fuji Frontier type machines scan the neg and print from the scan -- the common preview-print of an entire roll is produced from those digital files of the roll. There are also similar machines from Fuji and Epson which can print 'dry' and these are supposed to be the future way of doing things. Both types of system can also work from digital files from digital cameras of course, so to some extent we are riding on the coat-tails of the majority when we use the 'traditional' Develop-and-Print type of service.

AgX · Aug 15, 2014

chrisaisenbrey said:
I was assuming that RA-4 is cheaper on a large scale than inkjet simply because it is much faster.
But I could imagine (as AgX mentioned) that big labs scan negatives and use then the workflow for printing digital photos.

Films are scanned anyway. The all print only digital files.

Though the situation is mixed:

There is a finisher who only uses inkjet printing. Another who uses both, inkjet and laser-exposing RA-4, depending on final product.
Both state to have installed the most economical solutiion...

MattKing · Aug 15, 2014

The inkjet based systems don't require darkness, nor do they require staff trained to load paper in the dark.

They also work at room temperature, and can be turned off at night and on in the morning with virtually no warm up time.

Labs need consistent volume and trained staff to get profitable, high quality results out of RA-4 systems. When they have it, I greatly prefer the results.

AgX · Aug 16, 2014

From what I know from the major European finisher I assume the inkjet printing is done by skilled printers not some in-house trained persons.

mnemosyne · Aug 16, 2014

First, I don't think that in-house development exists at any of the major drugstore chains in Germany like DM, Rossmann etc. As a rule, film dev/prints and print orders from digital files are sent out to the major labs like CEWE, Allcop or Fujicolor, where industrial scale printing on silver halide papers (RA4) is the rule. It would be surprising for me me to hear that any of this big labs use injekt systems for standard prints, maybe they do for specialized services like photo books etc. Of course there are "picture kiosk" style printers at most of the drugstore chain stores for self service printing from digital files. IIRC these systems use thermal dye sublimation as printing technology. Results look kind of crappy and are inferior to both inkjet and silver halide prints, IMO.

AgX · Aug 16, 2014

In Germany there is a long history of industrial photo-finishers serving small and large shops. I do not remember a drugstore-chain shop with a minilab.

mnemosyne · Aug 16, 2014

AgX said:
In Germany there is a long history of industrial photo-finishers serving small and large shops. I do not remember a drugstore-chain shop with a minilab.

Exactly.

AgX · Aug 16, 2014

However when the minilabs came up there were photo-shops installing them, and photo-shops just set up around a minilab.

baachitraka · Aug 16, 2014

Next roll may go to D&M. Let's see how it goes...

MartinP · Aug 16, 2014

There is still one lab in my town in NL (population 160k) which has C41 dev and print on the premises. They have a wet C41 and a dry printing system, plus also a wide inkjet and various mounting systems etc. They are always fairly busy. Other than that, the local shops just send things of to Fujifilm (a huge lab in Tilburg) or over the border to a big lab in Germany, but there are dozens of outlets doing the hand-in-and-send-away thing - no shortage of options.

mnemosyne · Aug 17, 2014

baachitraka said:
Next roll may go to D&M. Let's see how it goes...

May end up at the same big photo finisher lab, but give it a try, why not. Qualitywise you may be better off with a local C41 minilab service that is run by a skilled person (unfortunately more the exception than the rule) or a pro lab. Specifically in Bremen a google search turned up a guy called Dieter Hergeth who is reportedly running a pro c print service, still offering analog printing. Unfortunately his website is not working properly, maybe you give him a call, send an email or just visit him in person. Of course be prepared to pay more than at a drugstore chain. Contact info can be found here.

Rossmann: Prints negatives.

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