Digital enlarger for BW prints on standard photo paper

Joined: 24 Aug 2006 Posts: 2

I need a recommendation for an enlarger to use in my darkroom that will take digital images and project them onto photographic paper for printing in my darkroom using standard darkroom technique

Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 28

Sounds expensive yet very interesting and would love to see that.

Joined: 07 Apr 2006 Posts: 64 Location: Rockton, Illinois

LKS wrote:

I need a recommendation for an enlarger to use in my darkroom that will take digital images and project them onto photographic paper for printing in my darkroom using standard darkroom technique

I am currently doing what you are asking...kinda.
What I am doing is opening a picture on the computer (in your favorite photo editor) converting that image to Black and White, then inverting that image to negative image. When all that is good, I size it for the print size I want, then I print (inkjet) that image onto a sheet of overhead transparency film. I trim the transparency and contact print onto the photographic paper and develop. I cannot believe the sharpness.
Then I thought "hey, I'll print that image the size of a 35mm negative and enlarge it onto the paper. It worked but the transparency has some texture on it and that texture was way too much.

Best to All,
AltLars

Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:08 am

The problem with the current digital technology available most add-on equipmnet has a resolution of about 150 dpi. This arrangement is good for 4x6 prints and is mainly available only in minilab systems. The kind that you find in one-hour labs and at a premium price to boot.

There is one sytem that yse seperate LEDs to project the image to paper at about 300+ dpi and is from KIS-ME Photo Group from France. The average retail price for the equipment is $40,000.00 (US)

The link to that system is http://www.kis.fr/english/produits/43.htm

I do not know of any system add-ons for home use as of yet.

I hope the info is useful

Premium Member Joined: 17 May 2005 Posts: 950

DeVere 504 DS Digital Enlarger
http://www.benboardman.com.au/bb/devere/dv504d.shtml

Is it any good? I have no clue.

Google "digital enlarger"

I like AltLars idea. I think I'll try that.

Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2006 6:10 am

Wow,

Based o the spec's provided it seems like a dream come true. Please remember that the "average" image printed in a magazinne is at 300 dpi. This seems to cover that resolution.

Nut, I would be a little concenred when creating images larger than 4x5. The reason I for my concern is that you are projectiing a 1 MP LCD image. As you print larger images, the LCD pixels that create the image become larger as well because they are projected and enlarged.

A good analogy of this would be creating a 24x36 image form a 35mm negative. The grain pattern that composes the 35mm negative image become more pronounced as you create large prints.

Joined: 27 Aug 2005 Posts: 389 Location: Sydney, Australia

If I'm not mistaken there is a guy in Germany that uses a machine called a Variochromat (don't ask how I remember that) to do something like this.

Now that I look it up - http://www.variochromat.de/ or for the non-German speakers - http://www.polycolor.de/Fotolabor/digital%20fiber%20base%20prints.html

Joined: 09 Sep 2006 Posts: 114 Location: Boston, MA

There is a process for doing it at home which is sort of the equiv. or burning a half tone plate in CMYK printing. called digital negative. I dont know it. But any good Pro Lab should have either a Chromira printer or a Frontier printer which used LED light to expose your digital file on Color photo paper and then runs it through and RA4 processor.