Get to Know Your Media
Because I regularly cover new paper options for trade publications and have an intense interest in printing for personal and professional reasons, I’m excited about the number of new surfaces we have to print on. It seems that every month brings one or more new options, all of which are promoted as the best thing since ink was invented.
This embarrassment of riches isn’t without its drawbacks. We’re all striving for the ultimate in quality with our prints, whether they’re going on our own walls or will be hanging in a prestigious gallery for thousands to enjoy. Just as with your camera or your printer, it takes time to learn how to get the most from a particular paper. Some papers are better for black-and-white than color work; some hold ink better and can produce denser blacks. And then there is the issue of paper white: Do you want a warm, cool or neutral tone?
Just as in the emulsion film world, it takes time to really know how the paper will respond to your needs. You might carry around a couple of different films, but you probably wouldn’t keep 10 or 12 choices in your bag. It would just be too much work to really know them all well.
If you’re constantly switching to new media at every opportunity, you’ll never have the time to really learn how each paper responds to different subject matter and display conditions.
I’m not suggesting that you should find a single paper and use only that. But I am recommending that you find one paper in each type of surface that you use, then try to really learn how your work presents itself on that paper.
For example, I love the baryta papers for black-and-white work. The traditional darkroom look and feel is ideal for many of my prints. Quite a few choices exist in baryta papers, and to be honest, any one of them would be just fine.
But, I don’t want to mix them up and print randomly. Nor do I want to invest the time to learn how a dozen different papers react to my printing.
My approach is to use a standard test image for each new paper I test, so I can have a baseline for comparison. From this, I’ve narrowed down my baryta printing to two surfaces – HP Baryte Satin Art Paper and Hahnemuhle FineArt Baryta, giving me warm and bright-white papers.
Of course, I still look at new media when it comes out. If it looks promising, I’ll do the test printing and then try more in-depth printing to compare against my current standards. If I find one that I like better, I’ll take the time to learn the ins and outs before replacing one of my current choices. After all, experimenting is part of the fun. But in the end, we simply want perfection.
Get to Know Your Media
Because I regularly cover new paper options for trade publications and have an intense interest in printing for personal and professional reasons, I’m excited about the number of new surfaces we have to print on. It seems that every month brings one or more new options, all of which are promoted as the best thing since ink was invented.
This embarrassment of riches isn’t without its drawbacks. We’re all striving for the ultimate in quality with our prints, whether they’re going on our own walls or will be hanging in a prestigious gallery for thousands to enjoy. Just as with your camera or your printer, it takes time to learn how to get the most from a particular paper.
Some papers are better for black-and-white than color work; some hold ink better and can produce denser blacks. And then there is the issue of paper white: Do you want a warm, cool or neutral tone?
Just as in the emulsion film world, it takes time to really know how the paper will respond to your needs. You might carry around a couple of different films, but you probably wouldn’t keep 10 or 12 choices in your bag. It would just be too much work to really know them all well.If you’re constantly switching to new media at every opportunity, you’ll never have the time to really learn how each paper responds to different subject matter and display conditions.
I’m not suggesting that you should find a single paper and use only that. But I am recommending that you find one paper in each type of surface that you use, then try to really learn how your work presents itself on that paper.
For example, I love the baryta papers for black-and-white work. The traditional darkroom look and feel is ideal for many of my prints. Quite a few choices exist in baryta papers though, and to be honest, any one of them would be just fine. But, I don’t want to mix them up and print randomly. Nor do I want to invest the time to learn how a dozen different papers react to my printing. My approach is to use a standard test image for each new paper I test, so I can have a baseline for comparison.
From this, I’ve narrowed down my baryta printing to two surfaces – HP Baryte Satin Art Paper and Hahnemuhle FineArt Baryta, giving me warm and bright-white papers.
Of course, I still look at new media when it comes out. If it looks promising, I’ll do the test printing and then try more in-depth printing to compare against my current standards. If I find one that I like better, I’ll take the time to learn the ins and outs before replacing one of my current choices. After all, experimenting is part of the fun. But in the end, we simply want perfection.
To Boldly Print Where You Haven't Printed Before
We all have at least one inkjet printer around the house or studio. Many of us have several. But do we take advantage of all the possible printing options they give us? Probably not.Modern inkjet printers come in two types: those that use dye inks and those that use pigment inks. For example, I have two large-format printers: an HP Designjet 130 that uses dye inks and an HP Designjet Z3100 that uses pigment inks. I also have a number of smaller-size dye and pigment-ink printers from a variety of manufacturers. I imagine that many photographers have a mix of both types of printers as well.
The vast majority of photographers limit the exploitation of their printers to the complex decision between using glossy and semi-glossy photo papers. A significantly smaller group sees the benefit of using matte papers. But that is generally as far as many photographers go.
On the other hand, a small subset of digital artists push their printers further, in some cases much further. In my opinion, all photographers would benefit from thinking a bit more like this group.
An image is what we capture with our cameras, but at that point, the creative possibilities are only just starting. When we decide to turn an image into a physical object (hopefully, an art object), we also can choose how to construct the object in a way that will say so much more than just the image itself.
We can present the image in ways that will either enhance some of its inherent characteristics or conflict with those characteristics to create tension. Or, we can use the print to tease out a deeper and perhaps more subtle meaning from the image.
Even the simplest of inkjet printers can print on a variety of materials other than glossy, semi-gloss or matte photo papers. Your printer can also probably print on canvas, overhead transparency film, and normal art, craft, or note card papers thin enough to pass through the machine.
With a bit of ingenuity we can also print images on: incredibly thin papers, such as Japanese Washi papers (see tip below); completely clear or backlit films; fabric of all thicknesses; sheets of aluminum, copper, brass, or steel; sandpaper; slabs of plaster; textured surfaces, and more. Imaging on some of these materials may entail elaborate processes, some of which may require special transfer papers, decal materials, or an inkjet-receptive base coating applied to the substrate.
But printing on all of these different materials is doable. Some processes will be easier to do with dye inks and others with pigment inks, and a few may be impossible with one type of printer or the other.
The thing is, when we look at our images, we should think about ways we can present or enhance them that might turn them into something really special. For example, a semi-abstract and minimalist architectural image might look great printed on a sheet of brass. A flower macro might look stunning on handmade Nepalese paper that incorporates flower petals. And that great shot of your dog might look great printed on a T-shirt.
Of course, many online and local labs will do some of these things for you, and it might be worth exploring these services. But you may want to try printing on materials other than photo papers yourself.
So the next time you’re working on a particularly great image, think about all of the different ways you might present it. It might just change what you do with it.
Suppose you’re planning to use transparency to combine a number of images as layers in Photoshop. Why not print the individual images on clear film and then, physically stack them with a small separation between each layer? Just imagine what a striking presentation this might be. Now, rather than the static blending of the images as you would get in Photoshop, you have a dynamic and interactive piece that looks entirely different each time the viewer moves his or her head. Plus, the image may (or may not) look even better when you backlight it. The possibilities are endless.
Just as most photographers use only 10% of the capability of their camera gear, many people only use 10% of the capabilities or their printers. Are you going to expand your limits?
Tip for Using Thin Material: Here’s how to print on very thin materials (such as Japanese Washi papers) that might not otherwise feed through your printer correctly. Use a can of spray contact adhesive to lightly affix your thin material to a sheet of normal printer paper that can act as a temporary backing sheet. Cut your thin material to size and give the back a very light spray with the contact adhesive, paying particular attention to the edge areas. Adhered to the normal-paper backing sheet, the thin sheet will transport through your printer without problem, unless the edges lift while the sheet in the printer. After the thin paper has been printed, simply peel it off from the backing sheet.
Photokina Report 1: The Designjet Z3200
I had the good fortune to attend Photokina 2008 in Cologne Germany. As always, it is held on such a large scale that it defies description. Take it from me, the whole thing seems bigger than Rhode Island. According to a final report issued by the Photokina Press Office, this year’s show featured 1,523 exhibiting companies from 49 countries. The show was attended by 169,000 people (including 6,000 journalists) from 161 countries. Attending Photokina has reinforced what I posted previously: We truly are in a golden age of photography, with more choices and tools available at more reasonable costs than ever before. New photography products were everywhere, ranging from cameras and lighting systems to printers, inkjet papers, and more. For example, Nikon’s lineup of cameras now includes the D90, which features over 12 MP and video recording, plus some new lenses including Perspective Control models.
Plus, in addition to announcing new products of interest to photo labs and retailers, HP introduced the new Designjet Z3200 and HP Artist system for fine-art reproduction. I have also had a chance to test the Nikon D3 combined with the new 105mm Macro VR lens, along with the HP Artist system. This lens is very sharp, with great technical characteristics, and superb color and contrast.
The Designjet Z3200 is a new model in many ways, but primarily it builds on the success of its predecessor, the Z3100. Technical changes and upgrades include:
· easier loading of sheet media;
· direct user control of the paper feed; and
· improvements in the user interface in the software HP supplies to run the printer.
The speed of the printer has increased significantly, which should make this machine even more attractive for those who need higher-volume output. Most interestingly, the printer now incorporates a new ink formulation for the red channel, called Chromatic Red. It provides a wider overall color gamut. In images that include a range of red tones, you can definitely see improvements in saturation and color vibrance, along with increased detail throughout highlights, shadows, and transition areas.
The Designjet Z3200 includes support for more than 50 types of HP large-format printing materials, including HP’s new Baryte Satin Art Paper.
In a case study HP’s site, photographer Albert Watson shares some of his observations about the Z3200. He notes that, “One of the most important things to a photographer is the translation from the eye to the film, the film to the screen, and the screen to the paper. The translation the HP Designjet Z3200 achieves is amazing.”
The Designjet Z3200 is at the heart of the remarkable HP Artist System, a breakthrough end-to-end digital fine art reproduction system that I’ll discuss in more detail in my next post.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Gloss Enhancer on HP's Designjet Z3100
Any time a pro-model inkjet printer comes out with features radically different from the status quo, questions inevitably arise from photographers anxious to fully understand the true capabilities and benefits of the new features. That’s certainly been the case with the Gloss Enhancer on HP’s Designjet Z3100. Here are just a few of the questions I’ve been asked at some of the trade shows and seminars I’ve attended.
What is the HP gloss enhancer?
It is a clear ink, which when mixed in correct proportions with the other inks on the page, provides a more uniform gloss on the surface of a print, effectively eliminating gloss differential on prints created on glossy or satin papers, and perceived “bronzing” in black and white prints.
Which media can the gloss enhancer be used with?
The gloss enhancer is intended for use on glossy and satin inkjet media. It has no perceptible impact on fine art, watercolor, and similar matte papers.
Is the gloss enhancer like a clear coat or varnish?
No, it is not a clear coat or varnish. The gloss enhancer’s main purpose is to improve the smoothness and gloss appearance of the final print. In my opinion, the gloss enhancer renders prints made on glossy or satin media as smooth and uniform as their darkroom cousins. Personally, I find
that the dimensionality and “pop” of the prints is improved, and I find it very pleasing.
Unlike a clearcoat, the gloss enhancer is applied like an ink, and is closely controlled by software. In fact, the gloss enhancer is controlled by its own screening algorithm and it is applied selectively where it is needed. The gloss enhancer is only applied to areas of an image that have an RGB color value of 254,254,254 or lower. Pure white (which has RGB values of 255 in each channel) will not receive the gloss enhancer. (As a practical matter, I set white and black points slightly under max values when using inkjet printers.)
How do I control the use of the gloss enhancer when printing?
The printer driver provides controls that allow you to either: (1) turn the gloss enhancer off; (2) use it only on the inked area (“econo mode”); or (3) use it on the entire page. I recommend turning the gloss enhancer off for making proofs, and using the econo mode for final prints. Applying it to the whole page is usually unnecessary, and wastes a small amount of the enhancer.
What effect does the gloss enhancer have on color?
That’s a good question! If you look closely at a print that has been made using the “whole page” setting for the gloss enhancer, you may perceive a slight change in the white point of the uninked paper. In other words, you will see the gloss enhancer on the unlinked portions of the page, and it seems to reduce the white point to a very small degree. I’m not certain, but I believe that this is the result of increased “glossiness” or reflectance.
In my conversations with HP color scientists and engineers, they indicated that the gloss enhancer has no effect on color rendering in a print. In my own experience, I have made prints from the same color image using gloss enhancer turned on, and turned off – and I can’t discern any significant difference in color between them. Gloss appearance and smoothness – yes; color change – no.
Does use of the gloss enhancer change the dry time for a print?
Not in any significant degree, at least on HP media. Some users tell me they have noticed increased dry times when using third-party media. I use many types of papers, but I haven’t had this problem. I suspect some of these issues may be related to using printer-managed color with third-party media, instead of creating a custom profile for the job at hand.
Does use of the gloss enhancer improve print durability?
I don’t have hard information on this topic. First, on HP media the prints are highly water and damage resistant --even without the gloss enhancer. Prints made with HP Vivera inks are highly water resistant, even under running water. Using the gloss enhancer, my personal impression is that prints seem to be more water and scratch-resistant, but I’m not sure how one would go about quantifiably measuring these properties.
Does it make sense for photographers to use the gloss enhancer?
In a word, yes. I see little or no downside, and the benefits in terms of print appearance are significant. I use it consistently. I recommend it to all of my printmaking customers, and so far, none have told me that they prefer not to use it.
In my opinion, the HP Professional Satin photo paper combined with the Z3100 Vivera inkset (including gloss enhancer) provide the best-quality pigment-based photographic prints I have ever seen.
If you have tried the gloss enhancer, I’d be interested in hearing more about your own experiences and observations. And if you have any other questions about it, please feel free to ask.
