B&W negatives from digtal files

Hi,

Has anybody had experience with prints made from B&W (wet) prints from
digital made into negatives? Do know of any labs that output B&W negatives
from digital files? I have some old B&W negatives are very scratched but can
be corrected with PhotoShop, but want conventional photographic prints.

Sheldon Strauss
www.shel.focalfix.com

On 24-Feb-2004, "Sheldon Strauss" wrote:

Has anybody had experience with prints made from B&W (wet) prints from
digital made into negatives? Do know of any labs that output B&W negatives
from digital files? I have some old B&W negatives are very scratched but
can
be corrected with PhotoShop, but want conventional photographic prints.

http://www.danburkholder.com/

--
Tom Thackrey
www.creative-light.com
tom (at) creative (dash) light (dot) com
do NOT send email to (it's reserved for spammers)

"Tom Thackrey" wrote in message .com...
On 24-Feb-2004, "Sheldon Strauss" wrote:

Has anybody had experience with prints made from B&W (wet) prints from
digital made into negatives? Do know of any labs that output B&W negatives
from digital files? I have some old B&W negatives are very scratched but
can
be corrected with PhotoShop, but want conventional photographic prints.

http://www.danburkholder.com/

Well, while Dan does his work for platinum, I don't think thats what
the original poster was inquiring about. I have done extensive
testing on this and here's what I came up with:
First of all, most if not all film recorders (the things that produce
the B&W neg) are calibrated for TMX film, whith IMHO is the worst film
you culd possible use for this particular process. So, you will first
need to ask the place doing the output if they will do some testing
for you, or are they stuck on TMX. If they are stuck, either keep
walking and do searching on labs that will use something other than
TMX or just live with the results you will get with it.
IF you can find a place which will do tests for you, I'd suggest
starting with Berggers 200 speed film, and processing more on the flat
side, i.e. decrease time and agitation from recommended times for that
film. The other film to test woud be Agfa 100, again, developed a
little flatter than you normally would (but not as much as the
Bergger).
THe point to all this is that the process adds a LOT of extra contrast
to the subject/original, AND TMX especially has a tendency to "band"
the tones, i.e. show distinct breaks in the tonal seperations.
It is a tricky process to get optimum results, and depending on your
needs, expectations, can vary quite a lot. I always strive for the
best, and know what that is, so I might have too critical of an eye
and opinion, so take what I say with that in mind.

I hope this rambling helps

Alexis

www.alexisneel.com

"Alexis Neel" wrote in message
om...
"Tom Thackrey" wrote in message
.com...
On 24-Feb-2004, "Sheldon Strauss" wrote:

Has anybody had experience with prints made from B&W (wet) prints
from
digital made into negatives? Do know of any labs that output B&W
negatives
from digital files? I have some old B&W negatives are very scratched
but
can
be corrected with PhotoShop, but want conventional photographic
prints.

http://www.danburkholder.com/

Well, while Dan does his work for platinum, I don't think thats what
the original poster was inquiring about. I have done extensive
testing on this and here's what I came up with:
First of all, most if not all film recorders (the things that produce
the B&W neg) are calibrated for TMX film, whith IMHO is the worst film
you culd possible use for this particular process. So, you will first
need to ask the place doing the output if they will do some testing
for you, or are they stuck on TMX. If they are stuck, either keep
walking and do searching on labs that will use something other than
TMX or just live with the results you will get with it.
IF you can find a place which will do tests for you, I'd suggest
starting with Berggers 200 speed film, and processing more on the flat
side, i.e. decrease time and agitation from recommended times for that
film. The other film to test woud be Agfa 100, again, developed a
little flatter than you normally would (but not as much as the
Bergger).
THe point to all this is that the process adds a LOT of extra contrast
to the subject/original, AND TMX especially has a tendency to "band"
the tones, i.e. show distinct breaks in the tonal seperations.
It is a tricky process to get optimum results, and depending on your
needs, expectations, can vary quite a lot. I always strive for the
best, and know what that is, so I might have too critical of an eye
and opinion, so take what I say with that in mind.

I hope this rambling helps

Alexis

www.alexisneel.com

There isn't anything that says one can't apply Dan Burkholder's techniques
to silver gelatin prints. I've been doing it for a couple of years and it
works well.

Just make a print you are happy with in Photoshop. Once you have the print
the way you want it, flip it horizontally (the reason becomes clear when you
make the print). Then select all and reverse it to a negative. Print this
on Pictorico Overhead Transparency film at the final size of your intended
print.

Now use the digital negative you just made to make a contract print. Put
the digital negative on the paper ink side down (this is why you flip it
horizontally, so it is reversed left to right the same as a negative).
Process the print just the way you would any other b&w print.

If you are making the print on regular silver-gelatin paper rather than
doing a platinum or other alternative process you probably won't have to
adjust the contrast of the negative much to get a nice print. Most
alternative processes require a higher contrast, denser negative than
silver.

Sherman
http://www.dunnamphoto.com

In article ,
(Alexis Neel) wrote:

"Tom Thackrey" wrote in message
.com...

http://www.danburkholder.com/

Well, while Dan does his work for platinum, I don't think thats what
the original poster was inquiring about. I have done extensive
testing on this and here's what I came up with:
First of all, most if not all film recorders (the things that produce
the B&W neg) are calibrated for TMX film,

You didn't read Dan Burkholder's book, did you. You really should. He
covers a lot of territory, and none of it concerns the "film recorders". A
great deal of the book is about producing images ready to be made as
half-tones by a printing facility. He covers a lot of other territory,
too. It's one hell of a good book.