Need Advise of how to make a print

[rover]

A friend at work wants a print of one of my photos to hang in her kitchen.

So, now I have to figure out how to get this thing on paper.

I think I will try to get myself organized and exercise my feeble darkroom skills, but in the mean time I have a ton of questions about scanning, printing and the like.

This is a 35mm negative, TriX I bet, 50 Summicron or Summilux, I forget which one. She wants big, to hang on the wall.

So, I know my flat bed scanner won't work. But, I don't know what the standard print sizes are, and more importantly, what DPI I need to scan to to get a decent print. Once I figure that out, then I have to worry about monitor and printer calibration. I will probably use an internet based printer like White House Printing for the final produce.

But HELP!!!!!

Let's start with two basics,

Realistically, how big can I get this thing and what DPI do I need?

Thank you

 

[Sparrow]

I use these chaps up to 12x18, once one has got the colour management sorted out it's easy to control the look of the print accurately, and they are very good value.



the drawback unfortunately is their location here in the UK, but the site may give you some insight to the process if you can find a similar service over there



http://www.proamimaging.com/index.html

 

[rover]

OK, I think I am talking 11x14

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Realistically, how big can I get this thing and what DPI do I need?

That is really up to the capabilities of your scanner. But if you're going to hand over a digital file for a lab to use and print with, I strongly recommend that no matter what dimensions you'll be printing on, that the resolution be set to 300 dpi; you could get away with 200 dpi.

The alternative, of course, is to bring your negative over to a lab and have them print from it. Go to a good lab, not one of those 1-hr. places; you don't want your negative scratched, and of course, you want somebody who knows the difference between silver halide and C-41.

 

[rover]

I am thinking of buying a Nikon film scanner, because of course I sold my Minolta scanner last month.

If I can get myself set up to order my own prints from my own processing then that would be cool. This is incentive for me to make some of my own prints for myself. Something that has been in the back of my mind.

I will investigate too a good pro lab and the options like the chomogenic print Fred mentioned.

 

[dfoo]

Personally, I don't think you'll get a good print from a color printer. I picked up an Epson 1400 and black and white ink set from MIS, and the quality on good matte paper is simply outstanding. With this setup you can print up to 13x19. There is really no comparison to a print from a color printer.

 

[rover]

I am going to use a professional printer for the final product. My question is more what I need to do to produce and prepare the file I send to them.

 

[maddoc]

If it would be me I would look for a lab having a Fuji Frontier 2500 or better and have them scanned the frame at 4800dpi or 6400dpi. A good print using an ink-jet needs 300dpi so scanning at 6400 gives you 21x enlargement without to much loss.

 

[Shok]

The only reason I stay with deviantart is for their print service. I've printed off some huge images through them and the quality is near on spot on.
Plus you have many different options through them. They have a help section which outlines the dimensions and dpi etc.

A friend of mine keeps recommending redbubble, but the interface there is a tad confusing to get my head around.
I also have an account with boardpusher so I can get my images on skateboards. I've had 3 done to date without any problems.

 

[dfoo]

I am going to use a professional printer for the final product. My question is more what I need to do to produce and prepare the file I send to them.

What I'm telling you is that if the professional printer uses a color printer to print your black and white print what you will likely find is that your print is not very good. The typical problem is that a color printer cannot print black and white without strange color casts. One easy way around this is to give your negative to a traditional printer for a real silver gelatin 11x14.

 

[rover]

What I'm telling you is that if the professional printer uses a color printer to print your black and white print what you will likely find is that your print is not very good. The typical problem is that a color printer cannot print black and white without strange color casts. One easy way around this is to give your negative to a traditional printer for a real silver gelatin 11x14.

Gotcha, thank you

 

[Sparrow]

What I'm telling you is that if the professional printer uses a color printer to print your black and white print what you will likely find is that your print is not very good. The typical problem is that a color printer cannot print black and white without strange color casts. One easy way around this is to give your negative to a traditional printer for a real silver gelatin 11x14.

or one of these 😀



A calibrated monitor, the correct colour profile, and 10min in Photoshop = a silver print without the tears

 

[Al Kaplan]

That's all good advice and I'm sure that you can get a print made that she'll love. At some point though, you might want to get a high grade digital print made from a scanned negative AND a conventional silver gelatin print by someone who is a good printer, and compare the results, then decide whch look you prefer.

 

[dfoo]

or one of these 😀

...

A calibrated monitor, the correct colour profile, and 10min in Photoshop = a silver print without the tears

I did all of the above. I used the costco printing service, with their color profile on a calibrated monitor, and my black and white prints (that are gray scale, btw NOT color) had a purplish cast. It isn't noticeable under all lights, and at all angles but it IS there.

Real silver prints that I do with my enlarger, or prints I do with a black & white inkset on my Epson 1400 do not have this problem.

 

[russianRF]

I did all of the above. I used the costco printing service, with their color profile on a calibrated monitor, and my black and white prints (that are gray scale, btw NOT color) had a purplish cast. It isn't noticeable under all lights, and at all angles but it IS there.

This might be a stupid question, but did you remember to check the box on the Costco website saying to turn their in-house color correction OFF? Their color correction is good for helping tame amateur blown out prints, but will screw up your carefully calibrated image. Also, you can download printer profiles from the Costco website to help maintain the calibrations you made...

I know it's a pain to find a darkroom, but once you do it's not so bad. Are you still considering printing them up traditionally?

 

[dfoo]

I downloaded the printer profile from costco, and yes, I told them not to color correct. I get good color prints from costco, but black and white? Not so much... especially when compared with a black and white inkjet, or a real silver print.

 

[Sparrow]

I downloaded the printer profile from costco, and yes, I told them not to color correct. I get good color prints from costco, but black and white? Not so much... especially when compared with a black and white inkjet, or a real silver print.

try someone who knows what they are doing, the lab in my photo calibrate each of their three machines to a grey-scale twice a day, like the zone thing


that's one of the test strip at the top

 

[sojournerphoto]

What I'm telling you is that if the professional printer uses a color printer to print your black and white print what you will likely find is that your print is not very good. The typical problem is that a color printer cannot print black and white without strange color casts. One easy way around this is to give your negative to a traditional printer for a real silver gelatin 11x14.

That's not entirely true. I can print using grayscale inks only on my HP Z and get perfectly neutral prints that don't exhibit metamerism. Or I can print using the full inkset and a decent profile and get an indistinguishable print - then I can tone it. It depends on printer, profiling and (as ever) user ability (read commitment to get it right!).

Al's advice is good. If you can get a good inkjet and a good silver print do so for comparison purposes. I would love to do this with one of mine sometime, as all my (old) silver prints are inferior to my inkjet prints. Probably my skill level and the cheapenlarger I had...

Mike