Digital Photo Prints

The days of creating photographic prints in the darkroom will soon be a thing of the past. Digital technology has taken over the field of photography in a big way, not only with digital cameras, but also with digital photo printers. Digital printers replace chemicals with electrical charges that transfer the toner or ink onto the paper, making the process quicker and cleaner.

While most people are still intimidated by digital technology, it has dramatically changed the process of photography. Digital cameras do away with traditional film, allowing images to be transferred onto the computer, where they can be endlessly manipulated. Since the viewfinder of a digital camera allows instant feedback, a photographer can alter his picture right away. He also has the option of deleting pictures that fail to please him, doing away with the necessity of first printing a contact sheet before he can choose which shots to print.

Digital prints are made either on a type of inkjet printer or on a digital enlarger. Inkjet printers make impressions on paper or other surfaces, and are preferred by photographers wanting to create prints that look like paintings. The choice of paper and ink affects the final look of the print. With the quality of paper improving everyday, it often becomes very difficult to distinguish a photograph from an inkjet print.

Digital enlargers or light jet prints are made in a digital darkroom. A photographer scans the image onto a computer and sends the file to a digital enlarger, which exposes photographic paper with lasers. The paper is then processed using the same chemistry used to make prints from film in a traditional darkroom. Since the images are made on photographic paper, light jet prints tend to look like photographs.

A good digital print has more vivid color and sharpness than a traditional print. Depending on the paper and inks used, it can last for up to 200 years, as long as it is stored away from direct sunlight. The advantage of digital prints is that they are repeatable. Once the image is saved as a digital file, it is possible to make any number of duplicate prints. Digital prints are also becoming more affordable, with prices starting at $2.

Related Articles of Interest :