Digital Darkroom Basics, Part 1: The Printer
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The digital darkroom is here, whether we like it or not. Can a computer really produce photographic-quality prints? Is it really easier to color-correct an image, or dodge and burn selected areas? Can you select the right equipment from among the millions of components available? Once you've got your system, can you produce the actual results that you want? First the good news: Yes, it can be done. Now the bad news: It's not easy. You probably can't do it without the help of someone who is both a computer professional and a photographer. What Do I Know?Like you, I enjoy doing it in the dark. My Cibachromes are pretty darn good, too, although not up to show standards. Last year I decided to try digital printing. As a computer consultant, it is my job to sort out the facts and find the best solution for my client. Acting as my own client, I discovered many trade secrets. Keep reading, and you could save thousands of dollars! Start At The End (Output) Why do you have a darkroom? Why do you want a digital darkroom? You want to produce your own prints, that's why. Your first step is to select a printer capable of producing the size prints you need at the best quality that you can afford. We will focus on color printers. Some color laser printers produce superb prints, but they are in the $5000 to $10000 range. No inkjet printers produce superb prints, but some produce prints that are pretty darn good, which sounds about right for me. These inkjets are in the $400 to $2500 range. Trade secret: The quality of a print is limited by the printer's resolution and the printing method it employs. You already know that a photograph is a continuous-tone print. You also know that magazine and book printing presses cannot create continuous-tone prints. Photos must be screened before they can be printed. Some color laser printers produce continuous-tone prints, which is why they are so expensive. I was stunned by a recent demo of a Mitsubishi color laser printer. I was equally stunned by its price tag. Too rich for my blood. Both Epson and HP make great color inkjet printers. Canon does not, which surprised me. The HP printers are the most popular, because they are a standard in the business community. For photographic prints, however, the Epson Stylus Pro is the best available. The Epson employs "error diffusion" printing, which is a high-tech alternative to half-tone screening that yields better results. Printer resolution is 720 dpi x 720 dpi. It will accept paper up to 8.5 x 14. The Epson Stylus Pro XL will accept paper up to 13 x 19. I bought an Epson Stylus Pro and am 99% happy with it. If you would like to become a color printer specialist in order to make up your own mind, read "The Underground Guide To Color Printers," by M. David Stone (1996). [Next month we will learn the secret formula that a pro uses to help select a digital input device, such as a scanner or a digital camera.]
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