Vintage digital print

[Sidney]

Can there ever be a 'digital vintage print'?

Sidney

[keithwms]

If we define a vintage print as an individual, one-of-a-kind print of a photograph, I think the answer is yes. Through traditional a.k.a. hybrid printing, it is certainly possible to obtain individually handcrafted prints that cannot be mass produced.

I think there are legitimate worries about the not-very-proprietary nature of digital files, which, unlike a negative, can be exactly copied down to the last bit and sent to every corner of the globe in a fraction of a second, and not necessarily with anyone's consent. People are considering encryption to tackle this issue. In spite of this issue, I think a final print can be completely individual.

[Don Bryant]

Can there ever be a 'digital vintage print'?

Sidney

Although there has always been a debate about what defines a vintage print, typically the strictest definition of what constitutes a vintage print is a print made by or commisioned by the photographer within one year of the making of the photograph. However this definition is frought with exceptions. For example photographers such as Henry Wessel or Lee Friedlander often print (or printed in the case of Friedlander) years after a photo was made.

So in the case of the vintage digital print, a similar definition would probably apply given that the provenance of the print can be established.

The proplem of counterfiet prints isn't restricted to digital prints but has also occured with traditional hand made prints, hence the importance of proof of ownership for vintage prints.

It may also be difficult to replicate the paper that the original digital print is printed on and this maybe one way to help id a digital vintage print.

I suspect for most of us this will never be an issue.

Don Bryant

[bob carnie]

In 2003 I think that I made the first digital fibre mural print 30x40inches, the paper was Agfa Classic that is now unfortunately gone,
These prints will never be matched unless the group in Europe can mimic the paper exactly to the previous specs.

I would consider these digital vintage prints Yes / No???

[lenny]

Can there ever be a 'digital vintage print'?

Sidney

I think this means you're dead.

As soon as people doing digital prints start dying, either by old age or by a plot by traditional and alternative folks to wipe them out, there will be plenty of them around.

Lenny
EigerStudios

[David A. Goldfarb]

I think the inksets are even more of a moving target than the papers, since the printers and inksets seem to be evolving every few years, while some of the papers have been made for a few hundred years for other purposes, the main difference being that they are now subbed for inkjet, and I don't know how much this subbing evolves.

[Daniel Balfour]

I think the inksets are even more of a moving target than the papers, since the printers and inksets seem to be evolving every few years, while some of the papers have been made for a few hundred years for other purposes, the main difference being that they are now subbed for inkjet, and I don't know how much this subbing evolves.

That isn't necessarily a good thing, everything considered. The inks are changing for the better, hence I'd think it'd be easier to replicate an older look and making it much more difficult to "authenticate" a vintage print. If that term is even correct.

As for paper, with the advent of technologies like Spyder3 and Colormunki, custom ICC's are well within the reach of the common man. Hence people can make use of their own resources (financial, proximity, connections, etc) to access papers less known (or less accessible) to the mainstream market. Take for instance some of the folks living in Japan. From what I hear, there are papers available locally that surpass anything on the shelves of B&H.

My $0.02

[Don Bryant]

That isn't necessarily a good thing, everything considered. The inks are changing for the better, hence I'd think it'd be easier to replicate an older look and making it much more difficult to "authenticate" a vintage print. If that term is even correct.

As for paper, with the advent of technologies like Spyder3 and Colormunki, custom ICC's are well within the reach of the common man. Hence people can make use of their own resources (financial, proximity, connections, etc) to access papers less known (or less accessible) to the mainstream market. Take for instance some of the folks living in Japan. From what I hear, there are papers available locally that surpass anything on the shelves of B&H.

My $0.02

I don't see what any of this has to do with vintage digital prints. Seems like the discussion has strayed from the original topic.

Don Bryant

[Daniel Balfour]

I don't see what any of this has to do with vintage digital prints. Seems like the discussion has strayed from the original topic.

Don Bryant

"vintage", as I understand it, relates in some way to a measure of age, uniqueness and authenticity in whatever respect. Reproduction, as in the case of inkjet printing, seems to undermine those characteristics by virtue of its inherent automation. Thus diminishing the perceived value of the print.

Some people mentioned that media (inks, papers, etc) might anchor a "vintage print" to a specific period where/when the inks/papers may have been in use.

Hopefully that puts my response in perspective.

[Sidney]

To my knowledge, a vintage print is a print made within the year of it's shooting (more or less).
This used to be the criteria for traditional silver printing, that is, hand printed darkroom prints; multiple prints of the same neg never being identical.

Will a digital Epson print have this same vintage uniqueness 20-30+ years from now?
Will technology be able to replace the 'hand made' character?

This was my initial thought.

Sidney