Listener Eric wrote to me and asked the following question. “When you had guest speaker Andrew Darlow he mentioned during the interview that his friend was able to put his digital images on film and then print them.  He also noted that he was able to get huge prints by doing this.  I checked the show notes but wasn’t able to find any information on how this was done.  Would you be able to provide any information about this.”

Well of course I went to Andrew Darlow, award-winning author, photographer and editor of imagingbuffet.com, and he offers this answer:

Regarding the question of sending images to film and then making prints, there are a few ways to do that:

1. The first option is by creating a new high resolution negative or positive, which can be output from a digital file at a very high quality on a film recorder. You can then print from those new negatives/positives just like you would make prints in a conventional darkroom using a negative from a roll of film. For example, an enlarger made for 35mm film can be used with a digitally output 35mm negative. It’s often cost effective to gang up multiple images on a single sheet of 4×5 inch or 8×10 inch film (note that the sizes for 4×5 and 8×10 are not exactly 4×5 and 8×10 inches). I can highly recommend one company for help with prepping your files and for outputting the film. I’ve visited their location and it is impressive. The company is Tech Photo & Imaging, based in NJ, and their website is:http://www.technicalphoto.com. Ask for John Castronovo.

2. Another option is to use a high quality inkjet printer or film recorder to make a “contact negative” from a digital file that matches the size of the image on paper. That negative is usually contact printed using a contact print frame. A friend of mine, Dan Burkholder, has taught many how to do this process. You can find out more here on his website: www.danburkholder.com (Click on the “Digital Negatives” link on the right side of Dan’s site for valuable resources. Interestingly, HP recently came out with software for one of their printers that helps people make digital negatives. The press release is here: http://tinyurl.com/39mml5g.

And for a great overview and slideshow of the Platinum/Palladium printing process, visit this page: http://tinyurl.com/36kjous . Even though many prefer to do Platinum/Palladium printing with these negatives, you can also do traditional silver halide contact prints or just about any other darkroom process using this approach.

For many more links to articles by Andrew Darlow and photo/imaging tips by others who he links to, visit his Facebook Fan Page here: http://www.Facebook.com/andrewdarlow . The companion sites for his two books have free chapter downloads and hundreds of links to more information: 301 Inkjet Tips and Techniques: An Essential Printing Resource for Photographers - http://www.inkjettips.com and Pet Photography 101: Tips for Taking Better Photos of Your Dog or Cat -http://www.PhotoPetTips.com.

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