Printing a photographic image- exposure of the phonographic layer of the positive photographic material through the negative image, as a result of which a latent positive image of the subject is formed in it.

Printing of a photographic image can be carried out by contact or projection methods.

Contact print. In contact printing, the negative is brought into contact with the surface of the photographic layer of the positive photographic material. To do this, use a copy frame or copy machine.

The copy frame consists of a wooden or metal frame with grooves, designed for the contact placement of negative and photographic paper into it, which are fixed by two transverse springs. The inner plane of the lid is pasted over with a soft cloth or porous rubber, which ensures good pressure of the photographic paper against the negative.

The copy machine consists of an opaque box, at the bottom of which there is a red lamp and one or more white lamps. A copy frame with transparent glass is fixed in the upper part of the machine, to which a cover is attached tightly, pressing the photographic paper to the negative. Frosted glass is installed between the copy frame and the lamps for uniform illumination of the copy frame.

Projection printing. The negative image is projected onto the emulsion layer of the positive photographic material using a lens. This method allows you to change the scale of the printed image, adjust the gradation of tones, combine several images into one, transform the image.

For projection printing, a special device is used - photo enlarger(Fig. VI. 1). The projection part of the photo enlarger moves along the rod to change the distance between the lens and the screen, which allows you to set the required size of the photo print. The photographic enlarger has various devices that ensure the stability of illumination, determine and count exposures for printing, etc.

Photo enlargers are produced according to the size of the frame: small format - 24 × 36 mm, medium format - 6 × 9 cm and large format - 9 × 12 cm and more.

There are universal photo enlargers designed for negatives of different formats. In this case, the devices have several lenses with different focal lengths and sometimes several condensers of different diameters. In a number of devices there is a slit device that facilitates focusing the lens. In addition to photographic enlargers with manual aiming, devices with automatic sharpening are made.

Printing in black and white. To get a high-quality positive, depending on the properties of the negative, photographic paper is selected for contrast and color tone, exposure is determined and the image format is selected.

When selecting photographic paper for negative contrast, you should be guided by Table. VI. 1.

The choice of photo paper also depends on the artistic intent to give the positive the necessary tone and pattern. For example, for a portrait, textured photo paper with a brown image tone is used, for a landscape - glossy with an olive-greenish color, etc.

The optimal shutter speed for printing is best determined by stepwise sampling of the scene-important part of the image (Fig. VI.2). When choosing an exposure, you should create such an illumination of photographic paper at which the shutter speed will last 5 - 8 s. This is convenient for counting. If the image requires intra-frame exposure adjustment, this should also be determined by an additional step test. Intra-frame exposure adjustment when printing a positive is carried out using masks.

The step sample and the positive must be treated in solutions in exactly the same way.

In projection printing, simultaneously with focusing the lens, the frame format is selected by changing the distance between the lens and the screen and the framing frame.

Printing a color image. In addition to the operations performed when printing a black-and-white image, when printing a color image, using corrective light filters, color is corrected - color correction.

Color distortion is caused by an incorrect balance of the emulsion layers of negative or positive photographic material, inaccuracy in the spectral composition of light when shooting or printing, and modes of processing photographic materials.

Corrective filters are placed in the path of the printing light to control its spectral composition. Correction filter- a colored gelatin film placed between two glasses, or a separate film in the form of a small square. Corrective filters come in three colors: yellow, magenta and cyan. They are completed by 33 or 60 pieces. On each of 11 or 20 filters of the same color, the density is indicated in relative percentages. The first two digits indicate the density of the yellow filter, the second - magenta, the third - cyan. For example: 05 00 00 - yellow 5%, 002000 - magenta 20%, 00 00 40 - cyan 40%. Three light filters of different colors, having the same relative percentages, increase only the shutter speed during printing, without changing the color balance of the positive photographic material. Filter sizes: 6×6; 13×13 cm, etc.

Prior to the selection of corrective filters from the negative, a step test is made on color photographic paper, according to which the shutter speed is set for printing the positive. Then, corrective light filters are selected, guided by the rule that their color must match the excess (harmful) color on the step sample. The more excess color in the image, the denser the corrective color filter of the same color should be (Table VI.2).

Corrective filters, by absorbing some of the print light, reduce the exposure of the photo paper. In order for the shutter speed to be correct, it is increased; for yellow filters with a density of 30 and 40% - by 5% with a density of 50% and above - by 10%; for magenta and cyan filters, for every 10% color density, shutter speed is increased by 10%. To compensate for the absorption of light by corrective filters, when each of them is installed in a photographic enlarger, the shutter speed is increased by another 10%. You can more accurately calculate the shutter speed for printing a positive with corrective filters according to Table. VI.3, drawn up according to the rules of compound interest.

For example, the initial shutter speed was 10 s; filters 00 40 50 are installed for the second print; the sum of the percentage of filters: 40% + 50% = 90%; correction: 10%+10%=20%; total interest: 90%+20%=110%. To print with corrective filters, you need to find the number 110 in the left vertical column, and 10 in the horizontal column. At the intersection of the vertical and horizontal columns, the number 28.5 will appear - the shutter speed at which you should print positive.

For faster and more accurate color correction, use mosaic filters(Fig. VI.3), which are a set of colored small squares-films glued between two glasses. Mosaic filters are produced in sets: yellow-cyan, yellow-magenta and purple-cyan. Each of them has 25 cells. The upper left cell is colorless, to the right of it are cells with a consistently increasing density (for example, yellow), and below it are cells with an increasing density of magenta. All other cells contain films of two colors (yellow and magenta) in various density combinations.

The films used in the mosaic light filter differ from each other in density by 25%. The colorless cell of the yellow-magenta mosaic light filter is indicated by 00 00 00, the next vertically - 25 00 00, then - 50 00 00, 75 00 00, 99 00 00, etc.

Mosaic light filters of other color combinations are also built. When printing test positives from a color negative under mosaic light filters, they choose those images that most realistically reproduce the subject. Initially, a stepwise test determines which of the mosaic light filters is needed for color correction. If magenta predominates in the step sample, then a mosaic filter having a magenta filter is used (Table VI.4).

A mosaic light filter is placed on a light-sensitive layer of color photographic paper so that it covers the plot-important part of the image, and a sample is printed. According to the processed color proof, corrective filters are selected for the final printing of the positive, guided by the table. VI.2.

The color filters in the mosaics must match the density of the corrective filters used during the printing of positives.

Printing modes, processing of color proofs and positives must be strictly the same.

From a color transparencies, you can make a positive by contact or projection method on color reversible photographic paper. The technique for printing step proofs, color proofs and positives is similar to the previous process.

The color of the corrective filter should be complementary to the color of the sample. Typically, a color proof is viewed through different corrective filters. The filter (or combination of filters) that provides the most accurate reproduction of neutral gray details is optimal. When choosing corrective filters, one should not be guided by bright saturated color details and assume that the selected light filter has less effect on bright details than on dark ones, compared to visual perception. Corrective filters should be selected according to the table. VI.5.

With excessive exposure when printing an image on reversible photographic paper, the positive will be of low density, and with insufficient exposure - increased density.

Evaluation of color positives on plain and reversible photographic paper should be done in good light, preferably in daylight. This rule must also be observed when selecting corrective filters for printing positives.

Hello dear readers! Recently, photo printing on glass has received special recognition, what it is, and also where it is used, you will learn from this article!

So, how can photo printing on glass be used in interior decor? Photo printing technology is used to create decor for furniture, kitchen aprons, countertops, glass cabinet doors, interior doors, room partitions. Amazing, isn't it?! Almost all the main details of the interior can be decorated, for example, I am most attracted to kitchen aprons (examples of such aprons will be presented in the photo below), which in an instant will make the kitchen not only stylish, but also exclusive!

This technology allows you to apply any image on the glass surface: animals, flowers, nature, people, cars, equipment, objects, abstractions, various patterns, and so on. With a strong desire, professionals can apply a family photo! Imagine what a flight of fancy?

Benefits of photo printing on glass

The surface with photo printing has an attractive appearance, besides it is considered practical and durable. The material is not afraid of exposure to moisture, sunlight and chemical compounds. The product using photo printing is easily cleaned with simple polishing agents. It is impossible not to mention that absolutely any image can be applied to the surface of the glass, whether it is just a picture you like or a favorite family photo.

Types of photo printing on glass.

There are several types of photo printing: the use of a finished drawing (applied to a thin film) and printing on the glass itself (UV photo printing and UV photo printing using nanoinks).

Let's analyze each type separately:

1. Film with finished image glued on the back side of the glass, in this case the front part remains smooth and unchanged. This method is the most popular and affordable. But this does not mean at all that the entire process of applying a film image is simple, often several layers of a specialized film with different color transitions are used to obtain a finished and effective image, which makes the gluing process time-consuming, since it takes about one day to glue one layer. . In addition, the process itself is very responsible, because you need to constantly monitor that "bubbles" - air cavities - do not appear on the surface.

2. Photo printing directly on the glass, also called full-color photo printing. The image is applied using special machines (printers for UV photo printing) - ultraviolet rays.

UV photo printing is divided into two ways. 1. A thin layer of the base is applied to the prepared glass, namely a transparent varnish, on which the image is actually applied. 2. Printing directly on the glass by firing paints with ultraviolet light.

UV photo printing using nano-inks. Due to their composition, such paints penetrate the micropores of even the most ideally smooth glass, and such paints are not at all afraid of exposure to high temperatures, they eat into the glass surface to such an extent that they make the image resistant to various mechanical influences! Unlike film printing, the drawing is more realistic and rich. In addition, the product does not exfoliate at the corners, does not roll down and does not lag behind the surface. Therefore, this type of photo printing can be used even outside the home.

From the video you will learn how to manually apply photo printing on glass from the back:

In conclusion, I would like to say that photo printing will look good not only on matte surfaces, but also on mirror, glossy and even transparent materials. Such glass elements will help decorate and even transform the interior of the premises, and, if necessary, be used in the design of the external facade of the building. There are simply no restrictions on the choice of image, you can use regular graphics or apply your own photo. Among other things, the drawing on the glass looks very stylish, fashionable and extraordinary.

Dear readers, the interior industry does not stand still, but is constantly improving and developing, a few years ago we did not know about photo printing on glass, and now we are already actively using it in the interior. In order not to miss the release of new, interesting articles, I recommend that you subscribe to receive news from the site "Comfort in the House".

More and more people when finishing the ceiling prefer tension structures. They have many benefits. First of all, stretch ceilings have a rich range of colors. They may have different textures. However, stretch ceilings with photo printing attract special attention.

Application in the interior

Less and less often, the ceilings of residential premises are trimmed with white materials. Increasingly, instead of the usual wallpaper, paints, whitewash and ceiling tiles, fabric canvases are used, on which the image is applied. This method of decoration allows designers to complement the style of the room, to give the necessary emphasis in the design.

For photo printing, in principle, any image is suitable. However, high-resolution sketches will look most impressive. Sometimes on sale you can find paintings on which a drawing has already been applied. However, in this case, the seller must be well versed in the tastes of consumers. Therefore, most often buyers order printing individually.

It should be noted that painting a film or fabric coating does not reduce its service life. The colors themselves do not fade over time, therefore, the image will not lose its clarity and brightness, it will always attract attention.

About types of photo printing

There are different types of photo printing. This is both monosyllabic printing and 3D printing. Let's take a closer look at how they differ.

Monosyllabic standard printing means that the pattern will be printed on one layer of the canvas. In this case, the image will be two-dimensional. The quality of the color transfer depends on the type of paint chosen, on the equipment and material. The color of the latter should be either white or milky. However, the base color can be any, if we are talking about a monochromatic ornament.

3D printing is done in two ways. The first method implies that a three-dimensional type drawing will be created from several layers of photographic film. In this case, it means:

1. Using one layer of canvas.
2. The drawing is selected so that it looks three-dimensional.
3. The image can be applied to any surface. Invoice is irrelevant in this case.

The second method involves the use of several layers of film. In this case:

1. Several layers of transparent film are used.
2. A separate fragment of the image is printed on each of the layers.
3. At the same time, the ceiling level is significantly reduced due to the fact that several canvases are mounted at once.

How the image will be visually perceived depends on the quality of the picture. When comparing these two methods, it becomes clear that the second method has obvious advantages. After all, it guarantees that the image will turn out to be deeper and more realistic.

About equipment

To perform photo printing on a stretch ceiling, the following equipment is used:

1. Roll printers.
2. Tablet plotters.

The first type of equipment is convenient in that it can be used to apply a pattern to a rolled web. Such a device can easily cope with the material, the width of which is equal to five meters.

In flatbed plotters, the entire web is fixed. The size of the web on such equipment is much smaller than when using the first type of equipment.

As for paint, in some types of roll printers, ink compositions containing solvent are used. Of course, such paints differ in brightness and quality. However, they are more suitable for outdoor decoration. The problem is that the composition of such paints contains harmful substances that will be released during operation. In addition, they may have an unpleasant odor.

For photo printing, it is better to use eco-solvent inks. They are more expensive, but give a better result, as they contain smaller pigment particles. Coloring compositions of this kind are environmentally friendly, so they will not have a harmful effect on the human body. However, good ventilation is still essential.

But the most suitable for the design of stretch ceilings in a residential area are UV inks. Such paints are absolutely non-toxic and allow you to create images in the highest resolution. When the image is applied to the canvas, it is dried under ultraviolet rays. It takes very little time to dry completely. It follows that the production time of the original canvas is also small. UV ink does not penetrate too deeply into the base material, so the color reproduction is as accurate as possible.

About choosing a picture

There are a few tips to keep in mind when choosing a pattern for decorating stretch ceilings.

1. If the interior of the room is classic, then it is better to use frescoes as an image.
2. Stained glass images are more suitable for finishing stretch ceilings in the hall or in the bathroom.
3. But the image of the sky and clouds is universal.
4. Images of space or the night sky will add charm and mystery to the room.
5. To decorate the ceiling in the children's room, it is better to use drawings with butterflies, flowers, cartoon characters, and so on.

If the ceiling is low, then it should be lighter than the walls. If it is necessary to divide the room into functional zones, then it would be wiser to create a two-level stretch ceiling with different colors.

If the ceiling area is small, then it is better that the image has single objects. Then the stretch ceiling will not weigh down the space. To create the effect of airiness and visually increase the volume of the room, it would be wiser to use a transparent canvas.

To make the image look harmonious, you must first create schematic options and choose the most suitable one:

1. On the entire surface - full filling.
2. Along the perimeter of the canvas is an image of individual ornaments.
3. Arbitrary image.
4. In the center of the canvas.
5. In one corner or in several corners.

In most cases, in order for the interior to be completely transformed, one ornament located in one corner will be enough. It is worth considering that the cost of printing directly depends on the area of ​​the fill. The smaller the area, the lower the price.

Material selection

You can install a stretch ceiling with photo printing in almost any room. The most important thing is to choose the right material from which the coating will be made. In addition, it is necessary to take into account not only the material itself, but also what kind of surface it will have. The texture of the coating will determine how good the finished illustration will look.

If the coating is glossy, then the image will look beautiful only if the lighting and backlighting are properly organized. At a certain angle, individual sections of the film may remain out of view. This is because glossy surfaces tend to reflect light.

The brightest and most realistic images are obtained on satin canvases. But such material can also reflect light. Because of this, the colors may be slightly distorted.

Matte finishes are ideal for photo printing. They perfectly emphasize the texture of the images. As a result, the picture is extremely clear.

Layout preparation

When an image is selected, it is prepared. This is done using a computer. The image is loaded into a special program with which a layout is created. Further, according to the finished layout, a test print of a separate element in full size is performed. In this case, the material used is the one from which the tension structure will be created.

This is necessary in order to check the quality of color reproduction and the clarity of the picture. If the outline of the image is not clear, then it is better to choose another photo with a higher resolution. Dull colors indicate that the image is too stretched. To fix this, you can reduce the scale of the drawing a little.

About printing and organizing additional illumination

So the drawing is done. Now the finished layout in electronic format is sent to the printing device. When the process of applying paints is completed, the finished product is dried, and then cut and packaged for further transportation.

To make photo printing look more impressive, it can be supplemented with special lighting. The backlight can be installed around the perimeter, then the central part of the ceiling will be least illuminated. To accentuate a single element, the backlight is placed where it is needed. Internal illumination will make the drawing deeper and more voluminous. Especially if it's 3D printed. You can also combine different types of lighting. This method will create an unusual and beautiful atmosphere.

Stages of creating a photo print

Any process is divided into technological stages. Stretch ceilings are also no exception. It all starts with the selection of a suitable drawing and the creation of a diagram. Next, a layout is prepared, after which the printing itself is performed using the selected technology. The finished canvas is thoroughly dried, but let's look at it in more detail.

1. The first step is to make a canvas. There are no differences from the usual process of creating a canvas for a stretch ceiling. The difference lies only in the fact that the canvas is adjusted in size.
2. The next step is to transfer the selected pattern to the prepared canvas. In this case, not the entire image is printed, but only a small element of it or a reduced copy. It was already mentioned above that this is required in order to determine how the printed colors will look in the end. If there are shortcomings, then you will have to make adjustments.
3. The prepared and approved layout with the corrections made is sent to the equipment that will perform photo printing. By equipment is meant a large unit, very reminiscent of a large inkjet printer. The process of printing on a stretch ceiling canvas is quite fast.
4. When the printing process is completed, the canvas is sent to dry. How long it takes depends on the brightness of the colors in the image.
5. At the last stage, the canvas with a pattern is cut out according to the given dimensions.

When the process is completed, the so-called harpoons are attached to the edges of the workpiece. It is for them that the film or fabric web will be stretched and fixed.

Video. Stretch ceiling installation | detailed instructions

This article will discuss the main methods of transferring (applying) images to paper. Currently, there are several ways to print photos. Let's look at their pros and cons in more detail.

Photo printing (printing on photo paper)

This is the traditional method of printing photographs. It is also called: analog or wet printing method. Of course, here the word “photo paper” should be understood as “real” classic photo paper, which is first exposed and then chemically treated, and not the “photo paper” that is sold in inkjet stores (it’s just thick cardboard and nothing to do with classic he does not have photographic paper). Since its foundation by the Frenchman L. Ducos du Auron in 1868, this printing method has undergone quite a lot of changes and is currently technically complex.

The photo printing process consists of the following steps:

1. Exposure or projection of images on photo paper. Traditionally, this process was done on a photographic enlarger from the negative. In modern photo labs, the exposure process is performed in several "digital" ways. The image on photographic paper can be created using a microshutter array or a cathode ray tube. In fact, there are many more ways to transfer an image to photo paper. Don't forget about the traditional way of exposure from the negative.
2. Next comes the process of chemical processing of photographic paper. Usually this:
   • development
   • Whitening and fixing
   • Stabilization and flushing
3. At the end of everything, the processes of drying and cutting the roll into separate prints usually follow (if this was not done at the very beginning).

Pros and cons of "Photo printing"

There are many advantages to this process:

• The highest "depth" of color, i.e. The ability to most widely convey the number of color shades.
• The highest wear resistance. Traditional photography is not subject to blurring with steam and water, and is less susceptible to various kinds of mechanical stress.
• The highest durability. A photograph on traditional photographic paper is very resistant to UV rays and, as a result, almost does not fade.

The disadvantages of traditional photo printing of photographs include only the relatively high cost of this method, the limited maximum print size and the very high cost of equipment (photo labs).

Printing photos with an inkjet printer (inkJet)

This method of printing photographs has recently become very widespread, mainly due to the relatively low cost of equipment.

This printing method consists in using water-dispersion ink to create an image on special paper - thick cardboard with a special coating. With the inkjet printing method, the image on paper is obtained by spraying ink from the nozzle of the print head with a piezoelectric pump. The distinguishing features that affect the quality of an inkjet print are the number of ink colors and the type of paper used. The number of ink colors used affects the light tones of an image. This problem is better handled by printers with 6 to 8 ink tanks.

Pros and cons of inkjet photo printing.

The main advantages of inkjet printing of photographs include, first of all, the relatively low cost of the resulting photograph and the low cost of printing equipment. The disadvantages of this method are:

• Very low moisture resistance of finished photos
• Low fade resistance
• Low wear resistance (ink shedding)

Thermal sublimation printing

The principle of sublimation printing is a very fast heating of solid pigments (dyes) into steam and solidification of it on paper. Dyes, as a rule, are on lavsan film and are refilled into the printer along with paper. With this method of printing, a rather large color depth is obtained - up to 24 bits. This is possible as a result of mixing pigments to obtain the desired shade.

Advantages and disadvantages of sublimation printing

The main advantages of this printing method include the breadth of coverage of color shades and the relatively low cost of equipment.

The disadvantages include the very high cost of the print (about $ 0.4 per 10 × 15 cm) and low resistance to ultraviolet rays.