This is my first posting to the list; I've been observing for a couple of weeks
just getting up to speed and seeing how it all works, now is the time to dip a
toe in.
I've been experimenting with using the Epson Stylus to create digital negs for a
couple of months as part of my final year thesis at college here in England and
the results seem encouraging.
I have a few pointers that might help anyone interested:
i) the useful density range is about 1.50 by measurement with a densitometer
from a photoshop generated greyscale, the lightest areas of the neg have too
little dot and are useless, reducing the range a little more.
ii) the paper has a transmission density of about 0.6 therefore increasing
exposure time X4. This can be reduced by waxing or oiliing the neg, I used
vegetable oil becuase it was in the cupboard at the time.
iii) the paper is very flimsy, registration and good contact are a problem with
papers that buckle when coated, weight on the glass could help as could placing
acetate between the neg and the print-this would also prevent contamination of
the print with oil or wax from the neg.
iv) The Stylus only prints in low resolution onto acetate so I don't think that
would help; however Kodak is planning to launch a range of ink jet films and
papers which may work at high res, when I spoke to someone there they didn't
know the answer.
v) the results I've obtained for gum, pigment, pigment transfer and salt
printing show no visible dot, a good greyscale and an interesting "feel"- the
only way I can describe it.
Hope this helps somewhat towards a good result.
As an aside someone in England has just recieved a Fellowship from the British
Institute of Professional Photographers with a body of work output onto
cartridge paper using a Stylus Pro XL, they were forced to use the Stylus
becuase the lab couldn't output successfully from an IRIS.