Anything that can hold a film tightly to the plate and that radiates UV light at 365nm will work. A vacuum table is actually better than the unit I am using.

@@scottbarnes5963 thank you! i will come back when i am able to get into the studio.

I do not know if the correlations are static or relative to the gamma differences so cannot answer your question.

Stoufer makes step wedges with specific, predictable densities every time. If you have manufactured film negative, paper, or anything traditionally photographic, use the Stoufer. The process in this video is for those who are using their own printers to create digital negatives/positive on transparency film. By printing a step wedge on to the transparency film, you can use it to determine what densities are being printed by your printer/film combination. It's the first step towards making an adjustment curve with your equipment. 1. Make the step wedge as per the video. 2. Use the step wedge as your negative/positive in your photographic printing process. 3. Look at the resulting print and compare the differences between what densities you should be getting vs what you are getting in reality. 4. Scan your print and open in Photoshop. 5. Compare your scanned print to the digital version of your step wedge. The digital version is your target (where you want everything to be) and the scanned version is what you are really getting. The difference between the two is how you will build your compensation curve. (see other video)

@@scottbarnes5963 Thank you So Much Scott. This was truly helpful and informative. I'm comparing what I'm reading in some of my older books on Digital Negatives and Pt/Pd processes and printing. Can you recommend any current material that is as useful and practical as this video is? What did you read or find really useful on this subject?

@@divusiulius7539 I just made many experiments before figuring out a workflow that I liked. I wrote up my workflow in my book, but that is really just expanded notes to myself and has some errors that I would correct now. Honestly, the information is so spread out across the web that it's bit difficult to get one good one together (and some people are holding on to their own secrets about the process). If you are ready to make a bunch of experiments, that is the best thing to do. Otherwise, seek out a workshop where someone can walk you through it. I wish I could be more helpful. Good luck.

@@scottbarnes5963 Thank You! And you are right; experimentation is the best teacher. I should have expected that some are holding on to their secrets. That's ok too! In this weird economy anything that gives anyone an edge is an opportunity to earn good money. And I don't fault people for holding on to their well earned secrets from the time and hard work! This is the fruits of their honest labor. That's what hard work is for. Advancement. And I do want to thank you for your insights and the information you shared. Cheers! Divus Iulius

For that, you would need to purchase one of the manufactured step wedges in which the density of the film and steps is controlled and predictable.

It is a range. Too little exposure and nothing is hardened (therefore it all washes out and will not hold ink). Too much exposure and everything is hardened (therefore no texture to hold ink). Buy a stoufer step wedge (most easily found these days on screen printing supply shops). The KM-73 plates tech data sheet tells you which number on the Stoufer wedge you should see hard and which ones should wash away. Cut your plate into strips. Use the step wedge to expose the strips. Do one for 1 minute, another for 2 minutes, another for 3, etc. That will get you close. When you are close, then move on to the process in this video to fine tune.

Thank you. The price for presses ranges depending on quality. A quality press big enough to print that size in the U.S. can range from $2,000 to $10,000. Etching presses can easily increase in price, depending on the precision of the machinery and the extras that make printing easier. Do a search for an "etching press" or "intaglio press" to see what you find. I have access at a school, and many people here can gain access through a printmaking society or association. That might be an avenue for you to explore. Owning your own press can be expensive.

Yes, you can. For many people, just getting the idea of the default layers set up takes a while, so I chose to ignore the more sophisticated settings while making this tutorial for my class.

The first exposure uses a transparency with a random dot pattern (stochastic) to create an initial matrix that will hold ink. The second one is the image. I tend to use inkjet transparency film from the screen printing industry, and my favorite is Fixxons. fixxons.com/1Silk/main.html

+Thibaud The process shown above uses a steel-backed polymer plate, and not steel or copper. The printing process is the same once the matrix is made. The difference is that metal plates require carbon printing and an etching process with acid to create the matrix, while polymer requires a transparency (film or inkjet) and a water etching process. Both must be exposed to UV light. There are many books and helpful resources online that can answer some of your questions. I suggest starting with www.alternativephotography.com The best way to learn this is through a workshop. Online resources and books can only provide a limited amount of information.

Thank you. I am flattered. Chuck Close is an incredible artist. The process he is using is more traditional and creates stunning images.