I make digital transparancies (re 'negatives) for different types of photo and printing processes - including cyanotypes and photogravure.
What are people’s experiences using GIMP for this? And can I print directly from GIMP to my Epson printer, as I do with Photoshop? And other thoughts, tips, concerns …
Thanks, David
I am unsure what you mean by digital transparencies/negatives? Maybe others will understand. As for printing, I personally prefer to export the image from PS, GIMP or what ever software and open the file in the Epson software where I take full control of the printing process. I just presume that they know what is best for their own printer and in the past had problems when printing directly from PS giving unexpected results for color, contrast or saturation. That just my experience so take it with a pinch of salt as you seem happy with printing from PS and GIMP should handle it equally as well.
A ‘digital negative’ simply means printing on transparency film (instead of onto paper). People use them instead of film negatives, or a variety of photo and etching processes - cyanotypes use a ‘negative’ whereas, photo- polymer gravure uses a ‘postive’ transparencty, but the printing is the same for both.
Right now I create them in Photoshop (a very old version), then via PS send it to my Epson printer. I don’t know if this involves the Epson software or not, so one question is can or does GIMP act as printer ‘software’. It sounds like you prefer to print via the printers software.
I hope that gives you more of an idea of what I’m talking about. Best, David
Yes you can print from Gimp. My preference would still be the software supplied by Epson.
Digital negatives sounds cool for the purpose you are using. There was a time when I owned a film based lab and while we never got into it some people in the industry were making digital negatives onto 35mm film so photo restorations could be printed through normal photolabs. I suspect you are printing on to transparency and doing contact prints. The work would be monochrome so PS or GIMP would be fine for printing from. My preference for Epson software is more about fine control of the color output.
Digital transarancies or negatives, can be used for a number of different photo and printing processes. For example, you can make negatives for contact printing, say for ‘silver’ prnts or cyanotypes, etc. I’ve used digital transparency ‘positives’ for making plates for the photogravure process which is a prntmaking pricess usng etching inks and an etching press.