 |
Photographic prints from your digital files |
|
Get Started (set up a new directory) Example of an on-line directory |
Preparing files in Photoshop: Starting and Finishing Tradeoffs between using Photoshop (or other editing software) and on-line editing Stitching images together to increase the pixel count and/or the field of view. Tradeoffs between high quality ink jet (the kind we use) and traditional photography |
Tradeoffs between high quality ink jet (the kind we use) and traditional photography. Traditional photography is the same as Silver Halide (RA4 process). RA4 prints may be made via either digital or conventional analog techniques. Nearly all RA4 prints made today are done with digital imagers. Obviously, all ink jet prints are digital. The type of high quality ink jet prints we provide are made with HP Designjet 5000 printers. As we see it, here are the advantages and disadvantages of each:
|
| Production cost | Silver Halide costs about 1/2 that of High Quality Ink Jet. However, ink jet prints are often sold for less than the price of Silver Halide prints. |
| Color Fidelity | Ink jet has a wider gamut, i.e., the range of all colors which can be printed. Silver Halide paper is quite complicated in nature -- being 7 layers of dyes and filters. Ink jet is inherently much simpler; the final result is just ink and paper. |
| Graininess | Ink jet does have some graininess to it. For that reason, high quality ink jet prints are usually used for 5 x 7 and larger prints. |
| Durability | Silver halide is more durable. Ink jet prints can be damaged by water. To some extent, water drops will also cause some damage to silver halide prints (leaving a change in surface glossiness). |
| Lifetime | Sooner or later, both types of
prints will fade. Washed silver halide prints (as are obtained from
most commercial labs) will last longer (e.g., about 20 years in bright
indoor illumination) than stabilized silver halide prints (as are obtained
from all one-hour labs and many other labs). Stabilized prints will
start to fade, in bright indoor illumination, in about 5-10 years. The
stabilized process has a big advantage to photofinishers in that it is
easier to comply with environmental regulations. Environmental
regulators often restrict or prohibit the chemicals used in the washed
silver halide processors.
Ink jet prints fade due to (a) UV light and (b) gas oxidation. We use dye inks. The use of pigment inks reduces fading due to UV, but does not reduce the fading due to gas oxidation. Inasmuch as pigment inks have a poorer color gamut, and provide only marginal fading resistance, we have chosen to use the dyes. The type of ink jet prints we provide will last longer than the stabilized silver halide prints, or about the same as the washed silver halide prints. Lamination will extend the lifetime and durability of both silver halide and ink jet prints, at the expense of cost and appearance. We do not provide lamination of prints. |
| Acceptance | When publishers want proofs, they almost always choose ink jet prints. Ink jet prints have gained acceptance in demanding applications. The trend in photofinishing is towards ink jet, at the expense of silver halide. |