Inkjet negatives on transparencies: curves required?

[reinier_de_vlaam]

Hi

I'm trying to make digital negatives for contact printing. Sofar I

used Epson backlight paper and used the palladium curves from Dan

Burkholder. Though the backlight paper requires quire some exposure

time, sofar the results were very good.

 

Now I want to change to the inkjet transparencies. However when I

make a print it doens't have the detail I'm used to from backlight

paper, certainly in brighter area's it seems that after the print

most of the detail dissapears. Anyone knows why this is? I also tried

not applying the palladium curves but that didn't help.

[joseph_wisniewski]

Reinier,

 

A curve that worked well for backlight film probably won't work well for transparency media. You normally need a different curve for each combination of medium and printer that you use.

 

I've found that, for the best results, it's even best to build a curve for a particular triad of printer, media, and platimun solution/paper combo.

 

If you're using the Epson transparency paper, I don't think anyone has bothered making a decent curve for it. I've found the resolution on that particular medium to be disappointingly low, and its ink holding ability to be too low to get decent highlight detail without spread. Hence your disappearing detail.

 

Dan has curves for the Pictorico transparency material and several popular printers on his site. The Pictorico holds up much better.

 

Exactly what printer, media, and curves are you using?

[reinier_de_vlaam]

I'm using an Epson R200. I don't exactly know the slides, it's something linke donho (local brand). Sofar I used the curves that were supplied with an earlier version of his book, which performed fine for backlight paper.

 

What I found was that the deepnes of black that is possible on backlight paper is not reached on transparancies. More or less you can say the dynamic range is less. So the images tens to be softer. Also in the bright area's teh detail are completely gone. E.g from clouded sky al details are gone...

[kymtman]

I have been printing on transparencies (Apollo, 3M) for some time now. I do not know anything about curves or how to use them. I have developed a system of my own where I use 10% positive with my negative layer to get the tone that I need after I desaturate the image, the combine the layers and check to see what the positive looks like then invert back and print the negative image in the RGB mode on my HP1220c and get fairly good results. It is tricky! take a look at my postings. I have a detailed instructions on my site www.lakeviewstudios.biz that you are welcome to. I am going to modify soon.

[kymtman]

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