Wax Coating Inkjet Prints

At Ken Allen Studios we are continuing to experiment with coating inkjet prints to protect them from surface abrasions. In particular are the fine art semi-gloss papers that can seemingly scratch if you look at them the wrong way. Current protection methods include lamination and spray varnishes but these have drawbacks of there own and do not work well with all paper surfaces. Typically smooth gloss papers work best for lamination and matte papers work best with the spray varnishes, hence trying to find a solution for the fine art semi-gloss papers. Of course the best protection is done by framing the print behind glass or acrylic but sometimes this is not desired and there can also be a lot of handling between the print coming off the printer and having it safely installed behind glass.

We have been experimenting using renaissance wax to coat inkjet prints and have been quite pleased with the results. We have seen beeswax used on inkjet prints to build texture but we really wanted a wax and application method that would provide protection while also being imperceptible, with little to no shift in the color and tone of the original print.

It is important that the prints be allowed to cure for at least 24 hrs. before applying wax or any other coatings. The wax is buffed on by hand using a soft cloth in a small circular motion.  It helps to have some raking light on the print so you can ensure you have applied the wax evenly, which takes less then 5 mins. for a 20×24 in. print. If done correctly you will not see the difference between a section that has been coated and an uncoated section. Actually the only way we can really tell is by sliding a fingernail across the surface; It glides across the wax coated section and drags and scratches pigment across the section with no wax. It clearly provides some surface protection especially from those hairline scratches. A scratch might make an indentation in the wax but this can be buffed out and its better then damaging the actual pigment.

The wax is practically imperceptible, offers scratch resistance, and additionally reduces bronzing. Also, while the coating is barely perceptible there is one area where a beneficial shift can be seen; By coating a large section of black one can see the waxed blacks read slightly richer to the eye then the unwaxed.

This observation of the blacks is echoed in an analysis done by Eric Chan, a color scientist, who we sent coated and uncoated targets to. “Each attached image is an L* slice (lightness slice). On the right side is a comparison of the color gamut for the uncoated (red) vs Renaissance Wax coated (green). In the very lightest tones (high L*) you can see that the uncoated has a slighter larger color range. Over most of the rest of the range, though (esp. darker tones), the coated version has the more extended range. In the middle lightness range, there is a wider green gamut from the coated targets. Gamut extension is increased in most hues in the darker tones.” It is important to note that while these shifts can be detected by equipment they are not really perceivable to the human eye except for a slight extension in the darker tones.

We have successfully applied renaissance wax to several semi-gloss papers including Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Baryta, Harman Gloss Baryta, Innova Warm Cotton Gloss, and Ilford Smooth Pearl. It does not apply well to matte papers or at least not with the application method we are using. In a more extended test, we have a print that we coated 2 years ago and it shows no signs of yellowing or other side effects that would be caused by the application of the renaissance wax. In conclusion, the benefits include: time and ease of application, increased surface protection, little perceivable shift in color and tone, reduced bronzing, and more extended range in darker tones while the main drawback is that it does not provide UV protection. For those photographers, artists, and printers looking for additional protection of their semi-gloss papers you may want to give the renaissance wax a try.

Introducing ultra-thin LED panels

The new ultra-thin light panels are a marvel of LED technology. They are thin enough that we are able to use high quality wood and metal frames (not included) instead of the bulky, snap-together frames used with other light boxes.

In this example we worked with our custom framer to create beautiful, solid wood frames for the finished piece which allow room for an AC power cord. Finally, to make sure the presentation is perfect we face-mounted the transparencies to PlexiGlas for a beautiful glowing presentation.

The fluorescent bulbs often used with Duratrans™ tend to fade the image quickly. We have been testing light panels over the last several months and are excited about the durability and color integrity of transparencies with these new ultra-thin LED panels.

These panels can also be displayed without a frame for a more pronounced effect. The light panel not only illuminates the transparency but also creates a nice wash effect on the wall which the piece is displayed.

To Giclee or Not To Giclee

…How about not Giclee pronounced (zhee-clay) and instead archival pigment ink print or more simply pigment ink print. Sure they do not roll off the tongue in the same way as the French Giclee does, but it is an honest and transparent way of identifying the process. Any internet search for the word Giclee will tell you that Jack Duganne appropriated the term in 1991 to classify digital prints made on inkjet printers. At the time words like inkjet and digital prints had negative connotations and Mr. Duganne thought that a better word may elevate them to high art and appeal more to gallerists. So he adapted the french word “gicler” meaning “to squirt, spurt, or spray” or as a noun “giclee.” At the time it may have been a good move on Mr. Duganne’s part and I am not going to argue that he was right or wrong, but 21 years later I think it is time to reassess his neologism.

One major problem with his word choice is that “giclee” in french is also slang for male ejaculation, which is enough of a reason to completely remove the word from any kind of photographic printing process and save photographers all over the world from the potential embarrassment. Another reason to move on to using “pigment ink print” (or some variation there of) is that inkjet printing does not have the same negative connotations as it did in 1991. Pigment ink prints are now available with a color gamut and subtlety that surpasses either Iris prints or c-prints while also offering the best lightfastness and overall archival stability. Museums and fine art galleries do not label these prints as giclees but as inkjet prints or pigment ink prints because they accept the digital technology and are not ashamed to make it transparent. We no longer need an inappropriate neologism of a french word to elevate inkjet printing in the eyes for the art world; It can now stand on its own as a beautiful printing process deserving of a place in the history of photography.

By: Patrick Allen

August one day print for all

image by: Gary Noel • www.garynoel.com

We had a great turnout for our 60 Minutes of Printing for $60 event. Some very talented photographers/artists showed up to take advantage of the program. It was nice to make some BIG prints for artists/photographers projects that had great merit, but needed their own financial stimulus plan. Often times photographers are cost conscious and therefore limit the size of their prints even though they know a certain image will look better larger. By charging a flat rate for the hour most photographers opted for large prints and took full advantage of their one hour time slot; And in Karen Fuchs lucky position, where the appointment after her was a no show,  she had a 2 hour time slot in which she printed 6 30” x 40” prints! Some of the images we had the privilege of printing:

image by: Karen Fuchs • www.karenfuchs.com

“am in love with my prints, and so excited to finally have something for my own walls!”

image by: Erica Simone

image by: Erica Mcdonald • www.ericamcdonaldphoto.com

Ken Allen Digital completes exhibit for the House of the Americas centennial exhibit.

http://www.museum.oas.org/exhibitions.html
House of the Americas Turns 100: Paul Philippe Cret and the Architecture of Dialogue An exhibition on the Organization of American States (OAS) Headquarters Building

Ken Allen Digital located in Alexandria, VA recently completed the printing, fabrication and installation of the graphics for this centennial celebration. Working with Pure + Applied, a design firm in New York, the exhibit transformed the entire first floor of the Art Museum of the Americas located at 201 18th Street, NW Washington, DC.

12 foot by 25 foot wall graphic

Full-size wall graphics reproduce the original building plans on a large scale – 12 feet tall and up to 25 feet long – to dramatic effect.
This exhibit is one of the first using a new medium that has better density and color than the standard wall vinyls. Seams are more invisible and the polypropylene base is uniquely strong for its light weight, allowing for greater versatility and better installation results.
KAD began the project by digitizing and retouching almost 50 vintage photographs from the collections of OAS, setting up a temporary digitization system on-site in their library. Photographs were scanned at a very high resolution of up to 1200ppi to allow for extreme enlargement and rendering of all photographic details.

Scholarly Paper on modern aspects of the art book

This free access article is a good, thought provoking read for any of you photographers publishing art books:

Catherine M. Soussloff and William Tronso, The Aesthetics of Publishing: The Art Book as Object from Print to Digital

http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a791584676

Bamboo Paper

Bamboo

In a continuous effort to keep our studio green, we now stock:

Hahnemühle’s new Bamboo Paper 290gsm, 90% Bamboo Fiber, 10% Cotton Natural White

Bamboo is the world’s first digital fine art inkjet paper made from bamboo fibers with resource-saving paper production.

We are starting to test this paper and are very happy with the results.  Call us or stop by to give this paper a try.

All my best and keep it green.

Ken

Pigment Ink Prints vs. C-prints

For the past decade, digital c-prints have been accepted as the standard for color fine art prints. They produce a print with rich color and soft tones. C-prints have been used by the best fine art photographers, including Richard Prince, Andreas Gursky, and Cindy Sherman. With the rise of the fine art photography market, prices for fine art prints are soaring, but even the most recent Fuji c-prints only have a longevity of 40 years displayed under glass. When a collector has paid over $100,000 for a photograph, this is a problem.

In 1991, the first digital fine art photography printing company, Nash Editions in California, opened for business with an Iris 3047. Almost from the beginning, there was a concern about the lack of permanence in these prints. Dye-based inksets were soon developed with improved longevity. In 1999, beta testing was begun for the Epson Stylus Pro 9500 large-format printer which, unlike the Iris printers, were able to use archival pigment inks. Today, the best fine art photography printers, including Nash Editions, use pigment ink printers exclusively.

Depending on the support used, pigment ink prints can last for over 200 years* displayed in frames with a UV filter or in dark storage. Besides increased longevity over other forms of digital fine art printing, pigment ink printing also provides finer detail, smoother gradation, deeper blacks, and a wider color gamut than other formats. There is a wider selection of papers to choose from. With options ranging from bright white to natural, you can create perfectly neutral black and white as well as sepia-tone images.

The only remaining advantage of c-prints is that large photolabs can produce huge quantities of prints faster and more cheaply than most inkjet printers. For short-term commercial applications, c-prints are the best. For fine art photographers however, there is no advantage.

At PhotoPlus 2006, Joel Meyerowitz stated that digital pigment ink printing today has, “Greater capacity to reveal the subtlety of the color image, compared to c-prints …. Inkjet printing has truly arrived.”

– ken

* See http://wilhelm-research.com/epson/11880.html

Next up: Vernacular Photos

Pigment ink printing information

Here’s another great resource to learn about pigment ink printing. It’s rare to find an accurate resource, but so far everything I’ve read on this site conforms with my research:

http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/dp/Epson3800/faq.html

Eric Chan’s comments include, basic printing how to’s, color management and black and white printing information.

-ken

Initial Information On Canon Lucia® Pigment Ink Permanence

I was always looking for a good overview on inkjet printing to help explain how it’s come of age. Especially since many of the old technologies like the Iris prints have had fading and other issues that many of the new inkjet printers do not have.

Pay special attention to the last entries in the history, IE. the Epson Ultrachrome K3 and the Canon Lucia 12 ink printers. The print permanence is beyond previous color photographic processes:

http://www.wilhelm-research.com/ist/history2006.html