The Digital B&W Fine Print

Venues and 2012 dates to be announced

This intermediate weekend course explores the B&W fine print in the age of digital reproduction. Specialized digital photographic processes, materials and techniques combine to significantly expand the range of the B&W fine print and its creative tradition. The course addresses questions such as: Can an inkjet print rival the qualities of a fine silver gelatin print? How essential are traditional controls, such as large format negatives, to digital print quality? How do you increase the maximum density (black) in a pigment print? Can ink jet technology successfully replace traditional non-silver printing processes? Topics covered include:

Evaluating the quality of a B&W Fine Print
• Evaluating inkjet print quality against fine silver gelatin prints
• Optical, mechanical, chemical and digital controls in fine printing
• Capturing B&W images with a digital camera
• Creating and refining B&W printer profiles
• Reducing image posterization, print banding, and metamerism failure

Selecting the Printing Process
• Narrow gamut inkjet printing: software and hardware controls
• Printing B&W images on digital photographic printers
• Printing digitally remastered halftone negatives in the darkroom
• Combining 19th, 20th and 21st century printing processes
• Printer drivers versus BW RIPS (ImagePrint, QuadTone, Bowhaus)

B&W Ink and Paper Combinations
• Printing with black ink (only) versus dithered CMYK/CMY inksets
• Testing fine art and photographic papers for BW printing
• Evaluating mono/duo/tri/quadtone BW inksets
• Alternative inksets: Lyson, MIS, Media Street, & Piezotone
• Ink inconstancy, fluorescence and archival stability of BW prints

Advanced Digital Editing and Toning
• Converting LAB, RGB and CMYK to Greyscale
• Refining and expanding print luminosity
• Variable edge sharpening masks
• Split toning and multi-layered toning techniques
• Subtractive and proportional digital intensification and reduction

The course is conducted as a series of integrated studio demonstrations. The analogue and digital fine print is discussed in detail and illustrated with numerous practical examples. Its historical and philosophical traditions are developed and refined through digital technologies. Advanced processes and techniques are developed to produce stunningly beautiful BW prints of the highest quality. Detailed course notes are provided.