Done With Inkjets, Done with Dektol for B&W Printing - Winkflash, A Review

[RayPA]

Simply put, as a hobbiest who likes black and white prints, it makes zero sense to futz around with finicky inkjet technology and expensive inks and not use this service.

So it's the cost of inkjet that turns you off, and what's the problem with "wet" (Dektol) prints?

Of course, it's a YMMV thing, but if that were the end of it for me (4x6 prints made by someone else), I'd just as soon not do it. The best part of all of this is the hands-on BS--the futzing, the mixing, the tweaking, the researching. It's a hobby for me, so yes it's a money and time sinkhole, but so what?

BTW, what are the winkflash prints? Dye sub?



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[NickTrop]

@RayPA - I love Dektol/wet prints. But it's just not practical for volume small prints IMO. When you work with film, the "flow" is to make contact prints, choose a few, and "work" those prints. Well, deal is I want all my prints, don't like to look at little contact prints through a loupe. For this, wet process is too slow and impractical. I made 50+ small black and white prints. That would have taken a long, long time with wet process. I've kinda "outgrown" the whole wet print process thing - or have gotten a bit bored with it. It's fun to wonk around with for pleasure, but if you simply want a bunch of prints?... The anal tweaking component we all have (not a slur, include self in description...) is done in Photoshop prior to sending out to the service. The pictures I got back look close enough to the highly tweaked files I sent out. Bear in mind, I got over small prints just "to have" for around $6.00 - a trivial expense.

 

[Pherdinand]

Do they deliver to europe.
No, i guess not. dammit.

 

[aad]

Well, Nick, you sure do get a fellow to thinking. After the last thread I near pitched in a camera to fund a G11 purchase, then changed my mind.

I may give these folk a try.

 

[Roma]

I use winkflash from time to time also and so far so good. I just got back 8x12 inch B&W prints that I originally scanned from 8x10 inch darkroom RC prints (just for test purposes) and on matte paper they look OK.
There is still no comparison with real fiber wet print, but that's a whole different ballgame.
I think for the money, it's a good deal.

 

[PKR]

Nick; It sounds like a great service. And, if I can remind you, I think your PS skill is much better than mine. I would love to try these folks out, but I have some reservations, I’ll pass along. I make comp prints here from scanned negs, printed on an older Ink jet. The prints are okay. I’m a much better darkroom printer. But, as I’ve mentioned, darkrooms are no longer legal for pros (business license) in my city. I have a Printer who has been doing my work for years. He is now in another state, but we work without any problem. He’s the best printer I’ve found over the years, he’s a friend, and he’s expensive. I use him for work that is profitable. I can’t afford him for run-of-the-mill prints. Years ago I used a big lab in my neighborhood to do my comp printing. I would take the comps to this same printer (my friend) for finals. This worked well in the old days of type C comps, and Dye-Transfer Finals.

One day I got a call from a pal who worked at the lab that was printing the Type C comps. I had a big job in the lab for a local gallery. My pal had come to work to find many of the (lab employees) printers printing my stuff in larger than the ordered size (Kodachrome to 4 x 5 inter-neg to 8 x10 comp) and taking the stuff home with them. I pulled all my work. The same thing happened to a friend. When he confronted the lab owner, the guy told him: “ I printed a 30 x 40 of your image and plan to hang it in my kids room.. sue me!”

When things got digital, a local separation house, that made color separations for lithography, bought a Scitex scanner and began archiving all the work that went through their doors. They built a library of work over a couple of years and began selling slightly altered files of contracted scans. They were taken to court and they won.

It’s a problem for any image of any value. If it’s a reprint of an image that can be found on “art net” and a sale price is attached, the want of theft is increased.

Finding a lab I could trust would be really great. The one you found sounds pretty cool. But it’s like putting a fancy meal in front of someone who’s on a diet. Very tempting.

In the short time I’ve been on this form, I’ve seen many photos I would buy to hang on my wall. Some of you who read this are in this category. Don’t sell your self short.. you may be hanging in a NY gallery next week..

With the event of digital imagery, labs that were once across the street can be across the country, or world. It’s harder than ever to grab your stuff, if there’s a problem.

I thought when writing this, I would be considered paranoid. Well, maybe, but I’ve had problems with lab theft and so have friends. Today, people have less regard for intellectual property than in the past.