Printing Slide Film

[danny_rowton]

<p>I need to print quite a lot of slide film images and wondered which paper to use. I wondered if I I could ask your experiences of this - which paper worked well, and which didn't. All I know (or think I do) is that I dont think something remotely glossy will work. <br>

The images will all be printed from digital files, are all shot on expired Fuji Tungsten 64 (well stored. Any that weren't simply wont make the cut) The whole project has been night time exterior urban landscapes so there is a relatively large amount of dark areas involved and this can be a challenge in itself to get right. All images were shot on Medium Format and Im going to be printing various sizes, A2 down to A4 size.<br>

I do not have a printer at the moment, so this will have to be taken on by a reputable company (I have one in mind already that I used before with excellent results, but that wasn't from slide film images)<br>

Thanks for reading.</p>

 

[larrydressler]

<p>once you have a good balanced and sharpened digital file there will really be no difference between Negative and slide film other than the compressed tonal range and when making the digital file eve that can be somewhat corrected. As for paper it depends on how you are to display them. </p>

[glen_h]

<p>Printing on light sensitive photographic paper, using scanning laser beams, is fairly common for production printing. </p>

<p>I believe, for example, that Shutterfly does it for its prints. Smaller ones say "Fuji Crystal Archive" on the back, which you can look up. Last 16x20 I got from them didn't say anything on the back, but maybe that is a feature. (Every few months, they offer me a free 16x20, just pay shipping.) For some reason I don't know, Shutterfly doesn't print the really large ones on glossy paper.</p>

<p>Even though the printing process is digital, and not analog, I still have some preference for the use of light sensitive photographic paper. </p>

<p>Other technologies, such as ink-jet and dye-sublimation, deposit ink directly on the paper. It is likely that these inks are more permanent, especially ones that use pigment instead of dye. </p>

<p>Seems to me that once it is in digital form, the choice of paper depends on how it will be used, and not on the source of the image. I suppose there could be some preference for Fuji paper, in printing from Fuji film, but that should be small. But as noted, Fuji paper is often used.</p>

<p>I have another thought, which I will put into a new post.</p>

<p> </p>

[danny_rowton]

Thanks for the responses so far

guys. Interesting. I should

clarify the prints are being

produced for my first solo

exhibition. I will be

purposefully using anti

reflective glass in the frames

as, on some images featured, if

not most, there is scope for the

'look' to be almost painting-like

which is something I have been

keen to accomplish succesfully.

[john_shriver]

<p>There's really only three RA-4 papers that matter. Fuji Crystal Archive, Kodak Supra Endura, and Kodak Metallic. The latter is a rather unique look.<br>

Send your digital files to be printed on each type of paper (will take more than one vendor), ideally with no color correction (if you have an accurate workflow), and see what you like.<br>

For instance, mpix.com uses Kodak papers for color prints. </p>

[danny_rowton]

<p>Thats great John. Thanks for your advice, which I think I have to take!<br>

I am in England and mpix are American but I can start making enquiries over here. Thanks.</p>

[david_henderson]

<p>Just picking up on something in Mr Rowton's second post; if you are actually searching for something of a stylised effect, you might find more possibilities available in inkjets, where there are a vast number of different papers available some of which orientate themselves towards delivering a painterly effect.</p>

<p>The RA4 processes - generally offered on LightJet/Chromira/Burst Lambdas and other machines, tend towards a realistic approach and the sort of look tou might have got from an enlarger. There are more than three papers though, for Fuji Crystal Archive is available in at least three forms- a super glossy ( Fujiflex) a regular gloss and a regular matte which is in fact low gloss rather than absolutely no gloss to my eye. Saturation and contrast vary across the range.</p>

<p>I had some work printed on Endura, inadvertently, by a lab some years ago and wasn't a fan of its look. I have no experience with metallic, though I have seemn prints from it that struck me as being quite unusual, and strident. If you're in the UK and can make your own files well enough, take a look at The Printspace <a href="http://www.theprintspace.co.uk">www.theprintspace.co.uk</a> who have been my print lab of choice these last five years or so. </p>

[danny_rowton]

<p>Hi David. This too is really valuable information to me. I was impressed by the print space's site. Alas, for a first ever solo, I wont have yet garnered the requisite momentum to be charging clients the price necessary for me to profit from sales if I used the print space's services. I'm not based in London! (perhaps you aren't either, but as beautiful a job as your contact appear to do, I have to find something more cost effective) <br>

However, my overriding feeling upon reading your contribution to this thread is one of sincere gratitude because I have learned something, as I did with the other posts. </p>

[david_henderson]

<p>Are you sure you're reading the prices right? I mean £12.85 plus VAT for a 20" x 16" print on a Chromira /Fuji Crystal Archive looks pretty good value to me!</p>

[danny_rowton]

<p>Hi David. Oh I assumed they provide only an all in one service where you have to have their £130 frames as part of the package. Oh, well thats great! I think I only clicked on the link where they were showing the 4 stage service of print, mount, frame etc...</p>

[david_henderson]

You buy into what you want on a modular basis. I would not get them to mount or frame photographs, albeit that some

people plainly do. For me, I buy those things more cheaply elsewhere and mount and frame up myself . But their printing

is good IMO -so long as the file is of course-and they have a good choice of machines and papers. So take a look at their

prices for prints alone. You upload your files online so no need to travel to East London unless you want to. Just bear in

mind that they print what you send them, so I'd advise loading their profiles for your chosen papers and soft proof before

you upload.

[danny_rowton]

<p>Excellent David. Thanks so much. </p>