RE: solarplate images up on my website
Dear Susan and Christina (and all), Why can't you make your own 1800 dpi 80% stochastic screen file yourself in Photoshop (*1), save it in .eps format and give it to a printshop running an imagesetter (whether they have the special software or not) to print it directly (without applying rasterization in their RIP)? Steps for (*1): 1. Create an empty image (Mode: grayscale, resolution = 225 dpi, size = according to your need) 2. Fill it with the appropiate gray tone (20% Luminosity) 3. Change the mode to bitmap (Output: 1800dpi, Method: Diffusion Dither) 4. Save it to an .eps file (they should open it at 1800dpi, size exactly the same is in step 1) See: http://www.loris.medici.name/susanv_1800dpi_screen.jpg Don't you think that the generated pattern looks like original aquatint pattern? This is a 8x10" file that I processed as listed above (original pixel dimensions: 1800x2250, bitmap pixel dimensions: 14400x18000). Left side the original tone, right side the stochastic pattern at 100% magnification. When you scale the file on the right to "print size", the tone is identical to the left side... If that works somehow, you won't have to be extra careful - to not damage the screen - when printing; you're going to have your file printed again if your aquating screen gets damaged (somehow). What do you think? Am I talking nonsense - or do you think this is worth to try? (I can send you a sample negative if you like - here in Istanbul, imagesetter printing fees are very very low...) Regards, Loris. -----Original Message----- From: Christina Z. Anderson [mailto:zphoto@montana.net] Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2007 4:03 PM To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca Subject: Re: solarplate images up on my website I second this, Susan, Yesterday I called all around. No one has imagesetters anymore. One place has one up in northern Montana, but the other problem is the software capable of doing stochastic is $50,000. He can do a stochastic right to PLATE but not to film. But what do we do when the last imagesetter goes out of biz? I mean, would it be the same if we did a digital one and projected/enlarged it onto film ourselves, I wonder... Also, the notes I have on screens so far: 1800 dpi, 80% density; from Ross 20 or 40 microns and that stochastic is 2 different diameter dot sizes of diamond shape. I don't even know what all this means, what a micron is--I assume the 20 micron is a finer dot... I printed out Jon's entire website and keep referring to it. Especially the little jpg of the different exposures and dots--very helpful, Jon. Chris ----- Original Message ----- From: "SusanV" <susanvoss3@gmail.com> To: <alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca> Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2007 6:45 AM Subject: Re: solarplate images up on my website > Dear gravure folks... I got an email last night from Copygraphics, and > they believe they have the problem with the stochastic screens sorted > out. Yay! > > I have tried to find someone around here to make me one (a stochastic > screen), and came up empty. it seems that even long established > printing shops have gone digital. One place told me he gave his > imagesetter away a few months ago! (and those things are lot of $$$$$ > ) Another problem is that they aren't used to making stochastic > screens... that's a random dot pattern rendered by special software > that not all places even have available. > > so... I highly advise getting a screen now from copygraphics and > taking good care of it. > > susan > > gravure blog http://susanvossgravures.blogspot.com > www.dalyvoss.com >
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