Paschke Online
Designs
Ink Publishing Article Archive and Reference Library
Articles
by Chris A. Paschke, CPF GCF CMG
"Digital
Hoopla"
September 2003
A six year
old child is sitting on the sofa with his Mother looking through a family photo
album… "Where’s my picture,
Mommy?" "We bought the digital camera right after you were born,
Sweetheart." she says. Wow, the
world of digital cameras has taken the social aspect of strolling down memory
lane to a whole new level. Flipping through old family photos on the
overstuffed sofa in the living room has been altered to an activity that
requires sitting on straight backed chairs around a computer monitor in the
home office.
THE TIMES, THEY ARE A CHANGIN’
The current
digital photo revolution all began with computers. With the onset of digital
photography we have been allowed the pleasure of taking photos then viewing
them immediately. Historically, we were prisoners of rolled analog film that
required dropping at the local drugstore and waiting days for developing, only
to find our limited photo skills had captured out of focus images and closed
eyes. We were thrilled with the onset of one hour developing, though to many
that was even too long a wait. Now we
can do it all ourselves. Shoot the image, download it, manipulate it, alter its
size, tweak its color, edit its content, open closed eyes, and then email it to Grandma all in the
same day. What a deal!
We all agree
technology is not a bad thing. Just
ten short years ago I was able to relocate my office without the stresses of
moving bulky computer equipment at all. Although that equipment was a major
pain in the frame when relocating last year to California, in turn, that very
technology is what allows me to live high in the Tehachapi Mountains, photograph
digital images for my column, and email them directly to my editor for your
next article. The digital revolution is here to stay and getting more powerful
by the day.
THE HOOPLA OVER DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
I came
across an interesting article earlier this year, originally published in
November 2002 by Durst-Pro-USA, Inc. (durst.com) which discussed potential
reasons behind the origin of digital photography during this technological
age.
From a
commercial point of view, a photo image of a product is only needed for a
limited period of time. It is produced specifically for the promotion and sale
of a product, and not designed for long term display, documentation or as an
emotional keepsake. In that venue, digital photography is perfect. It is
immediate, cost effective and may turn from the shot of a product to an
oversized vinyl banner for a store window by that afternoon.
Although
perfect for commercial applications, digital photography was never really meant
for long term fine art applications. There in lies the problem. In our
immediate and disposable society we want to see the photos right away, not even
being patient enough to wait two hours when one hour developing is the
promise.
THE BIRTH OF DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Digital
photography was not developed to make photography better, but rather to make
photography more interactive and customer friendly. It appears to have been
developed by a group of companies like Samsung, Intel, Epson, and Hewlett
Packard to take over market share from the traditional photo companies like
Polaroid, Kodak, Agfa and Ilford. Use of
digital photos also breeds the purchase of all affiliated products, including
printing papers, inks, printers, CD and hopefully picture frames or preservation
scrapbooks.
Ironically,
it took the scrapbook industry to awaken public awareness and in turn their
need for preservation framing, UV glazing, lightfast
felt pens and digital photos. Yes, the public prints out many of their images,
but they may not be using pigmented inks or even digital photo papers. And even
when not on high quality photo papers these prints may still end up in
scrapbooks and framed.
COST AND PERMANENCE
Digital
imaging was not invented to save the customer money, nor was consideration
taken for its lighfastness, longevity or permanence. It is wonderful to be able
to scan and save digital images and files to CD-ROM, but CDs are currently only
guaranteed for a lifespan of 20 years. Hence that six year old at the opening
of my article will not have images of himself for his grandchildren id saved to
a vintage 2000 CD. Digital photos are evolving, experiencing the same growing
pains of early RC photos. Fading, reactions to environmental conditions,
framing intolerances are all common issues.
It is
rumored that Sony is working on a whole new CD-ROM format that will be able to
hold 4 Gigabytes in the same space that currently holds 600MB today. The new
format is thought to be replacing all other formats including CD-ROM and DVD,
which have already replaced 5-1/4”, 4”, and 3” floppies and ZIP drives. Digital
software has a lifespan of three to five years before being considered
outdated. Even if you have your digital images saved to CD or DVD and they
survive twenty years without digital dust and deterioration…will your new
computer in 2020 even be able to read it?
DIGITAL TO IMAGE
In the late
1990s, consumers repeatedly stated the only reason for having a digital camera
was to send email photos. By 2000, 63%
of consumer digital images were being saved to computer hard drives. In 2001 it
was up to 68%; in 2002 it was thought to be 71%. Then during late 2002 it was
reported by PMA Market Research in The
Path From Pixels to Print
that 78% of digital camera users were now using
their cameras for the preservation of
memories. This means that the previously computer locked images (previously
only on hard drive) were finally being printed for viewing away from the
computer monitor.
In an
additional report by Brian Longheier, Photo
Marketing Magazine, June 2003 he stated 20% of all digital images were
now being printed as viewable images away from the computer, over the 14% in
the previous year. These statistics are based on in-home printing. Digital
photo kiosks have been available since 2001, but only a tiny percentage of digital
images are being professionally printed for the consumer. Retail developed
digital prints still account for only 6% of the total retail photo prints in
2002, over the low 2% in 2001. We still have a long way to go.
The real
problem is that most digital camera users are not even aware of the printing
options available at a retail level for their digital images. So they continue
to print on their desktop home printer. New photo printers (see previous
article, PFM, Digital Technologies) and new technologies are capable of
printing either traditional film or digital photographs from cam, disk, or
chip, to traditional photo paper. In January 2003 Kodak recently released an ad
campaign promoting the developing of images from a digital camera card being
dropped off just as you would a roll of film. And Sony is in hot pursuit. It all boils down to the re-education of the
consumer…who knew?
The images
that are printed from these kiosks are often printed on traditional silver
halide photo paper, or one visually similar. For all intents and purposes the
look and feel of familiar photos we all have come to know and love. These may
or may not be heat tolerant, but are no doubt susceptible to traditional orange
peel issues just as an RC photo print.
A PRINT IS A PRINT IS A PRINT
In the art
world a print is
a work of art on paper using a planographic technique (etching, lithograph,
serigraph...), or a handmade multiple (wood block, monoprint…) which has been
created by or supervised by the artist.
An artist print may further be a limited
edition reproduction, which is a copy of an original piece of art
authorized by the artist as an edition of multiple copies, often signed and
numbered. Traditionally the original plate copy is then destroyed. An open
edition reproduction is a copy of an original with no set limit, and a poster is an open edition reproduction
with adjacent wording integrated as announcement or advertising.
The
operative word in this description is print. In the photographic world a
photograph is also called a print. The negative, slide, or film is the
original, and the resulting developed display image is the print, as the oil
painting or watercolor may be the artist original and the reproduction is its
print.
At the June International Standards Organization
(ISO) meetings there was an in depth conversation over the title of the current
standard we have been working on and whether the title should state photograph
or print. The issue and disagreement is over the description of traditional
photographs vs. electronic images. The word photograph comes from the Greek
words graphos meaning writing and photos meaning light, or writing with
light.
So are
traditional films and electronic images then photographs or prints? Electronic
images include electrophotographic, electrostatic, thermal transfer, dye
sublimation, inkjet, LED, and laser. But what about art prints, LEs and
giclees? Giclees are usually what a limited edition inkjet is called. The
original in this case may be an oil, watercolor or graphic which is scanned
into the computer for multiple printing.
What then is
a digital photograph? The current dispute is over whether a digital photo, one
that has always been made up of electronic data, is the same as a painting or
writing with light, as the definition of a traditional photograph. This is the
same argument as with computer generated art, in which there is no actual
original, but the electronic information in the computer. The computer is the
media, the brush, the tool, and paint used to create the image original. The
digital camera is the tool to create the photo image, the computer is the film.
The jury is still out on the correct answer.
EPILOGUE
New 21st
C technology requires 21st C definitions. Does any of this matter?
Of course it does! As much as any new media needs to be explained to be better
understood. In order for framers to be able to figure out what the limitations
are, and in turn how then to mount, mat and frame an image we must first be
able to understand what it is made of…and whether it is an original or a print.
Original art and LEs must be handled archivally, while open editions are free
to be more decoratively framed, and digital photographs are somewhere in
between regardless of whether called a photograph or a print.
As always
the digital hoopla continues, and future articles will address color shifting,
photo reactions, and heat tolerances of light, heat, pollution, moisture and
handling these new prints.
END
Additional information on digitals is found in The Mounting and Laminating Handbook,
Second Edition, 2002,
and The
Mounting And Laminating Handbook, Third Edition, 2008. Creative Mounting, Wrapping, And
Laminating, 2000 will
teach you everything you need to know about getting the most from your dry
mount equipment and materials as an innovative frame designer. All books are
available from Designs Ink Publishing
through this website.
Other articles on the Indexes that are not yet linked
from this site may be available as a .pdf from Designs Ink directly. Please
feel free to email if you would like the other format. For live consultations
with Chris Paschke, CPF GCF call Designs Ink,
661.821.2188. A flat fee of $25 will be charged for each new technical problem.
Unlimited calls or emails are allowed for each established mounting
problem.
Chris A Paschke, CPF GCF
Designs
Ink
Designs
Ink Publishing
785 Tucker Road, Suite G-183
Tehachapi, CA
93561
661.821.2188
info@designsinkart.com