Will I get prints as good as my wet prints?

Rudgey · Mar 28, 2012

I photograph on B&W 5x4 film and use the zone system with push or pull developing to get the best negs I can.
I was wondering if I will get the same tonal range on art paper with my new Epson R3000 printer as my wet fiber prints?
I now have free access to a Flextight X5 scanner for my negs which can process them as RAW files.

Jim Jones · Mar 28, 2012

With careful processing, editing, and choice of media and ink, you should get prints that compete with wet prints in most ways. Also, digital editing has the potential for improvements that would be difficult or impossible in a darkroom. You are the primary judge of the results.

chuck94022 · Mar 28, 2012

Jim Jones said:
With careful processing, editing, and choice of media and ink, you should get prints that compete with wet prints in most ways. Also, digital editing has the potential for improvements that would be difficult or impossible in a darkroom. You are the primary judge of the results.

Difficult? Perhaps. Impossible? Please suggest a digital edit that is both impossible to do in the darkroom and will improve a well shot large format negative.

R Shaffer · Mar 28, 2012

You'll be able to print beautiful images, no doubt about it. There will be a learning curve and probably some frustration, but you will have a full tonal range and the ability to make very subtle adjustments to the color. You'll want to experiment with the various papers, but the epson exhibition fibre is pretty hard to beat.

Joe Lipka · Mar 28, 2012

Your biggest problem will be figuring out how to go from ten zones to two hundred fifty six zones. And then discovering that you have much more control over the final print than you have ever had before.

Rudgey · Mar 29, 2012

Sounds promising then. Would using the quad tone RIP help or is the drivers on the R3000 good enough?
Buy the way has anyone got a link to a good source of information about workflow of
large format film scanning to digital output

R Shaffer · Mar 29, 2012

You can use QTR, but I would probably start out with the Epson Advance B&W. Much easier, QTR has a big learning curve all by itself. As far as workflow goes, well you have access to a really fine scanner so that should help your efforts. After you scan you'll want to adjust the image in photoshop ( dodge, burn, sharpen, ect ) and remove any dust spots. Then you can print through photoshop. Each step, scanning, photoshop editing & printing has too many variables to address, but can be kept relatively simple. Just jump in and start trying it out and ask more questions as they come up.

Joe Lipka · Mar 29, 2012

I started out with QTR and found it to be a pretty good piece of software. With the later versions of adobe acrobat and Epson drivers, I have moved on to the Epson drivers that came with my venerable Epson R2400. I imagine the newer Epsons are better.

tkamiya · Mar 29, 2012

I'm sure you could.... a local photographer that I respect makes wonderful fiber print on his EPSON printer. Just be sure to consider the cost factor... I considered this for myself as well and the cost of the printer and the supplies basically put me back to reality. I couldn't believe how much a high quality fiber paper cost.... and a set of ink, yikes! I can make a wet print in my darkroom "just as good as a wet print" any day....

Jim Jones · Mar 29, 2012

chuck94022 said:
Difficult? Perhaps. Impossible? Please suggest a digital edit that is both impossible to do in the darkroom and will improve a well shot large format negative.

When I look at magnified scans of wet prints, the spotting is often appalling, even though it seemed satisfactory at a normal viewing distance. Spotting in a digital editor is faster, easier, and much better. It has to be done only once for an unlimited number of prints.

Will I get prints as good as my wet prints?

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