| Common
Questions About Exhibition Prints and our Custom Print Studio
What is the Custom Print Studio?
The
Custom Print Studio is the realm of our Expert Printmakers. The
primary products of the Custom Print Studio are our Custom Exhibition
Prints and Reprints. Photographers
work with our Expert Printmakers to make everything from a single
beautiful print to a full museum show...or they prepare a perfect
set of files for a fine-art book. Our Expert Printmakers are
ready to help you with all of your digital imaging needs.
I
know you can make great prints from slides, but can
you scan prints?
We can scan prints up to 18x22 on our Tango drum scanner.
If your B&W print contains complex dodging, burning,
and bleaching, it may be easier to scan the print, instead
of the negative. Since prints have less resolution than film,
we suggest making prints up to one size larger than the original
print we scanned. Going any larger usually degrades the quality
of the final print. Please contact
us to discuss the unique nature of your project.
I'm
sending West Coast Imaging a negative to print. Should I
also send a guide print?
If you have previously printed an image, please provide a guide
print. It will be used at the time of scanning to help us interpret
your original. We can't match what we can't see. Sending us anything
you have, even if you don't like it (and tell us what you don't
like!) will help us reach the result you want more quickly.
Can
I make B&W prints from color originals?
Digital black-and-white printing offers us the unique ability to
make extraordinary prints from color originals. Photoshop allows
us to filter a color scan just as we would filter a scene in the
field with red, green, or other filters. By using the channel mixer,
we can use an infinitely variable mix of the three to produce effects
of other filters, or selectively combine the effects.
Original color image
|
Four-up proof shows black-and-white variations of this color
image. Click the image for a closer view. |
When
starting with a color original, we recommend a $25 8x10 four-up
proof (see illustration above). This proof has four small 4x5
proofs of the red, green, and blue channels, plus one channel-mixed
proof created by our Master Printers. After receiving your feedback,
we'll make a final proof for your approval.
When
do I incur the $125 hourly rate?
Rarely. We include most basic imaging work in Photoshop with all
Exhibition Prints. This includes dodging and burning, color correction,
sharpening, overall cloning for dust and hair, and other such adjustments.
We put a lot of care into each file, and have this built into the
cost of an Exhibition Print--you are getting our full effort every
single time. You will incur an hourly fee if you have us do more
extensive Photoshop work, such as removing a tree or an animal,
piecing together two images into a single print, or reconstructing
a damaged slide. We will let you know beforehand if your image
needs hourly work.
What's
the difference between the scan that is included with Exhibition
Prints, and an Archive Scan?
Let's start with what is similar. Both are Tango Drum Scans. Both
are done using ICC profiles for an accurate color match to your
film. The only difference is the SIZE of the scan.
Let's
say you order a 16x20 Exhibition print. We would scan the image
to the size required to make a 16x20 print (roughly 100MB 16-bit RGB). You would
be able to reprint the image in 16x20 or smaller. If you decide
you want to print the image at 24x30, we would need to rescan the
image and rework it in Photoshop. You would be charged for a 24x30
Exhibition print.
IF
YOU ORDER AN ARCHIVE SCAN, we'll scan the image to 200MB 16-bit RGB(35mm)
or 600MB 16-bit RGB(larger formats). This will allow you to reprint the image
in ANY SIZE in the future at our reprint price. This means you only
pay the Exhibition Print price once. IN ADDITION, the file will
be large enough to serve as a "digital dupe" of your transparency-, should you ever loose your original film.
So,
the two main questions you need to ask yourself are:
1. Do I want to print this image larger in the future?
2. Do I want a high-resolution digital copy of the film, in case
something happens to the film?
If
you answer "Yes" to either of these questions, you should
invest in an archive scan.
Should
I order a proof?
We recommend proofing. A proof gives us the opportunity to "dial
in" to your vision for your photograph. It provides a way to
communicate about the image, and allows you to give feedback on
how the final print will look. When we make prints for ourselves,
we always make proofs...So it's probably a good idea...
Do I get a copy of the master print
file with an Exhibition Print?
We archive every file that we print (except Preflighted Prints--prints
from files you provide) here at West Coast Imaging. To keep our
prices low, we do not include a copy of the master file with your
CD. If you need a copy of your master file, we can easily provide
it for you. View
our master file pricing.
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