Re: Digital Negative Etiology

From: Dave Soemarko ^lt;fotodave@dsoemarko.us>
Date: 02/28/05-06:40:43 AM Z
Message-id: <002101c51d93$279ce980$0602a8c0@wds>

It went long long time back, so I don't think we can really trace it back.

When people use halftone screen to make negative and contact prints to make
plates for printing, they were using digital negatives. Although they did
not use computer or imagesetter to produce the negatives, the negatives were
in fact digital (or more accurately, binary). The use of computers make the
process simpler and quicker, but there is nothing really new about it. Just
like when people created computer software to do accounting, they did not
invent anything new in the field of accounting itself, but they did make
accouting simpler and faster, of course.

One might say that is not alternative process as we are discussing, but the
principle is the same. Note that in platemaking (in the earlier type and
some current ones too), the plates were coated with gum arabic, you expose
it with UV light, then you wash out the unexposed area, etc. If instead of
using metal plates, you use paper as the base, you have gum bichromate
prints, in principle.

Digital color separation, however, can be considered something new. This is
because in the traditional 4-mask or 12-mask system, you still cannot
completely color correct the whole gamut. In digital color separation, the
process is not simply speeding up the 12-mask system, for example. It is
actually using numerical analysis and interpolation algorithm to do color
characterization and to create the separation, so technically it can be
considered different or new.

Dave S

----- Original Message -----
From: "PhotoGecko Austin" <gecko@photogecko.com>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
Sent: Monday, February 28, 2005 3:02 AM
Subject: Digital Negative Etiology

> Greetings all,
>
> Just a late night rambling curiosity (. . . but these things matter, don't
> they? -- otherwise there would be no OED): Who first (according to
> reliable objective sources) came up with the idea of making digital
> negatives for contact printing on whatever strata? Can anyone on the
> list trace it back. . . . ?
>
> (Note to D.B.: If you claim this you'll need LOTS of witnesses.)
>
> It just occurred to me (while politely cajoling a few transparencies) that
> I should know. But I don't have a clue.
>
> Curious minds want to throw.
>
> I hope you are all well and prosperous,
> John
> __________________________
> John Campbell
> PhotoGecko Studios & Gallery
> 1413 South First Street
> Austin, Tx 78704
> (512) 797-9375
>
> www.photogecko.com
>
>
>
Received on Mon Feb 28 06:44:41 2005

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