Large Format Negatives Printing on E9900

[faq]

Hi, looking for some faq or article etc. about printing large format negatives on Epson 9900. We have client that is interested in dooing some negatives printing. We have negatives for scanning and... don't know what now to do. On what should we print the negatives and how is the calibration process for negatives dooing ??

Thanx for some help or links to interesting reading materials. We have 2-3 weeks for printing 12 big negatives and looking for some informations...

 

[Biker Scout]

Outsource to someone who has a Durst Lambda film printer. Client will be happier with the results over inkjet, plus they can print on actual film/negative like materials. The 9900 is an aqueous based printer and the materials available to print on are extremely narrow. Especially since you'll need to print on clear, and basically have to fight with filling up large areas with solids (black) to reduce light transmittance. I guess it depends on what your client is trying to do with the negatives. If they are just trying to make some t-shirt screens, then I suppose the printer will be fine for that. I've seen many t-shirt shops use inkjet to make their negatives.

 

[faq]

He want's to make platinum prints like here:

[video=youtube;S8HroH1Leio]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8HroH1Leio[/video]

I thought that if HP can do it that Epson also can...

 

[Biker Scout]

Seems simple enough. I see that they added green to the negative to increase tonality. In my experience, trying to get true black and white prints off an inkjet is impossible. All the colors are needed to make up the tonal range of "gray" and if looked at closely yields stippled dots. But when doing a negative, ink saturation is crucial. Which is why I'm sure that HP printer had a special setting for "Film Negative". I'd just play around with some photoshop duotone settings, then when you get a tonal range that you like, just hit "invert" and print on some clear transparency film. If you or your client has access to a vacuum UV exposure unit, then just give it a go.

I'd still send out the negative to a Durst Lambda or a LightJet printer so you can compare final output with the inkjet. With the lightwave printing machines, you won't ever end up mottled, or stippled areas that heavy inkjet can sometimes produce on transparency.

(I do tons of black and white photography, in fact my nudes are practically famous)

 

[faq]

I fotund QTR - Quad Tone Rip for Epsons and Epson 9900 is there. I also found some nice books about QTR Negatives how-to. I will give a try. Here is software: http://www.quadtonerip.com/html/QTRoverview.html

Now I have to find transparent film for printing and will look how it get's from there.

 

[d fleming]

Sihl makes a good clear film for inkjet. I use it for screen print positives.

 

[Ditchmiester]

I always bought my film for film positives from Tastar Supply. I used Kimoto UC5. Comes in a variety of sizes.

 

[petepaz]

we print negs out of our epson 4880 w/ accurip. we use them for silk screening. the printer right now has all black ink (black max)
we used to use the epson 4800 w/ the 4 c/p inks and it was ok we just had to bump up the black ink. you should be able to do it just have to make sure your blacks are opaque enough. and for clear film
try http://stuff4print.com/catalog/ we have been usning there film for years but not sure how big you can get it. we only use 17" x 100ft

 

[faq]

17" x 100ft is all we need. As for looking for making right now 8x10's... what did you mean about: "4800 w/ the 4 c/p inks and it was ok we just had to bump up the black ink."

And are You using the black photo or black matt for negatives print making ??

 

[knucklehead]

When I was printing screen negatives, I had an Epson 7000 dye printer, it made a better print than the pigment printer. According to the guy that was using them. He liked them so much, he paid top dollar for that old printer.

 

[petepaz]

17" x 100ft is all we need. As for looking for making right now 8x10's... what did you mean about: "4800 w/ the 4 c/p inks and it was ok we just had to bump up the black ink."

And are You using the black photo or black matt for negatives print making ??

we would raise the color levels in our artwork. also check you printer setting if you can raise the black level. i believe it was the photo black but we don't use that printer any more.
the 4880 we use now with the black max inks has been working great. also it came with accu-rip so you have more adjustments you can make. i really don't use it that much one of the other art guys here prints most of the films but i could get you info from him if you have more questions