Shadow detail is really tough with B+W printed on 4 color printers. If the image is grayscale, it is going to be really hard as you are dealing with black dots only. For your work, its likely best to run them RGB -which will make use of CMYK and not just K. The best starting point is to set your output values to 10 and 245. This will limit the outer edges of the gamut and help to bring them more in line with the lesser gamut of the 4 color press. Running test prints would be next, and then adjusting the curves based on those. Of course, realistic expectations are important – no 4 color digital press will ever stand up to a well made silver gelatin print in the shadows. The goal is to get as close as possible given the limitations of the tool used.

BZ

i was really surprised by no mention of ‘shadow detail’

I’m nearing completion of a project shot entirely at night on black and white film. When i do darkroom prints of the images, the details come to life. This information is the information that is the first to clip in printing.

Are there any indication of how much better Shadow-detail might be handled over the others (blurb, etc).

thanks.

-Joe

Assuming they eventually hire you ;)

One note / correction regarding the 25% / $300 thing:

We’ll randomly select someone for this after the emails stop coming in regularly – perhaps a week from now or so. It is the only fair way to do it.

However, we will extend 10% off hard cover books and 15% off softbound books to anyone emailing with APE in the subject through the end of July.

Our average sale on softbound catalogs is 50-100 copies, and for hardcovers it is 30-50 copies. What this means is that 10% – 15% is actually quite a lot of money saved. One last note is that the minimum order with is is 5 copies – to do just one would cost so much (covers made to order, prints hand inspected etc.) that you might as well get 5.

Thanks to everyone for reading.

Ben Z. & Staff