The Digital Print

The Centre for Contemporary Photography (Melbourne)
28-29 April 2012
04-05 August 2012
13-14 October 2012

This intermediate weekend course concentrates on printing digital files to the highest level of perfection. Specialized printing processes, materials and techniques combine to significantly expand the range of the fine print and its creative tradition. The aim is to promote, demystify, and facilitate the efficient production of prints of exquisite quality. It also provides a comprehensive overview and analysis of the latest printers, media and inksets. Topics covered include:

Creating a Digital Print
• Re-defining spatial and luminosity relationships in the print
• Optimizing printer driver settings
• Linearizing and profiling printers, inksets and media
• Softproofing and hardproofing digital images
• Output sharpening strategies and techniques

Digital and Analogue Printing Processes
• Working with professional labs, boutique labs, and ‘master’ printers
• Epson, HP and Canon wide gamut pigment inkjet printing
• Lightjet, Lambda and Pegasus digital photographic prints
• File size (ppi) and printer resolution (dpi) testing
• Printing with third party RIPS (MegaRIP, ImagePrint, QuadTone, GMG)

Ink and Paper Combinations
• Fine art, rag, baryta and resin-coated papers
• Aesthetic considerations: Depth, dimensionality and presence
• Evaluating inksets: Density, gamut and ink inconstancy
• Metamerism failure: Lighting and viewing digital prints
• Archival testing: Media, inksets and print coatings

The Digital BW Fine Print
• Converting RGB, CMYK and LAB images to greyscale
• Refining and expanding print luminosity
• Split toning and multi-layered toning techniques
• Digital intensification and reduction
• Evaluating quality: pigment inkjet versus silver gelatin prints

The course is conducted as a series of integrated studio demonstrations and discussions. Print making equipment, processes and materials are critically analysed and illustrated with numerous case-studies and finished prints. Professional labs, specialist printing services and artist’s studios provide real-world examples, while histories and theories of visual art are incorporated to expand creative practices and aesthetic outcomes. Detailed course notes are provided.