Re: why inkjet. . .

[David Spellman <david@photopro.com>]

Dave King wrote:

> David,
>
> Alternatives to RC or plastic color photographic papers? The only
> alternatives I can think of are gum bichromates, dye transfers, and
> tri-color carbos. None of those historical processes are viable (in the
> practical sense) for one reason or the other.  C-print materials used to be
> made with fiber and gelatin many years ago, but now all Ciba and C's are RC
> and/or plastic.

    There are others, and I commend you for remembering these (you must be
nearly as old as me <G>).  Nobody's really called me on this in quite a while,
so I'm going to have to do a little digging around and find my sources again
if you're really interested, but there is/was a source of fiber-based color
paper. There are a couple of people doing color prints that are something like
dye transfers in that they use separation negs (done digitally, by the way)
and use automotive-type pigments placed separately onto a substrate. I know
there was one company that actually did this commercially in the northern half
of California, and they may or may not still be in business, but there are
other folks who have processes that are similar, but not widely advertised.
And if I dig a bit more, I think I'll find one or two other processes equally
arcane <G>.
    As for "viability" of the processes you mentioned... If we're talking
about a personal "art" process, then any of these can be done and the
materials are findable. I even have carbro material languishing in my studio
somewhere. If you're talking about a commercial viability, then you're
probably correct -- but this is largely because there simply isn't much demand
for it. Until recently, I'd begun to think that black and white fiber
photography was on its way to becoming a dinosaur, but the resurge in demand
for monochrome wedding photography seems to have reversed the trend slighly
and temporarily. There's even a tinier demand for palladium/platinum printing,
and yet it survives, as do its suppliers.
    All things are possible. Which is why I'm actually seriously considering
building an airplane myself <G>


    david



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