>In a private post, I noted the capabilities of the ALPS MD-2010 dry pigment
>printer, as it can transfer flawlessly any image to any surface. In my
My own tests have shown that the MD-2010 will produce wonderful prints, but not necessarily "flawlessly...to any surface". Yes, I believe that it will print on a wide variety of materials, but the surface must be smooth - if the print is to look like a more or less conventional photograph. I have been printing mostly on a paper intended for general usage in inkjet or laser printers, and it does just fine. But, on the paper we've been using for letterhead, it will not print photographic images without missing spots that correspond with the texture of the paper. Sometimes, I'm sure this will be useful; after all, drawing with conté crayon on a rough surface will miss spots too, and that is one of the characteristic features of that medium.
It does seem that participants in this particular group may have an unusually broad acceptance for different ideas of what photography is, or what a photograph looks like. The fact that the quality of the paper one uses will influence what the print looks like doesn't seem too much of a problem to me. The archive will show that there is an intense awareness of paper qualities within the Alt-Photo community.
I've been quite happy with the MD-2010 (if not slightly euphoric). I learned today (from a reliable source in the rumor mill, so I await confirmation) that Alps has licensed its technology to some other manufacturer(s). Alps has made really good printers for a long time, but they have never caught the attention of the market. Maybe we'll be seeing some interesting developments.
It does seem to me that this particular printer offers some unusual possibilities for Alt-Photo that others cannot. For one thing, its medium is closely related to encaustic. For another, I suspect it may have some uses in the intaglio processes. If anybody else gets one, I will be very interested in hearing about your experiences.
Larry Bullis
Skagit Valley College