- How do I submit my digital files to A&I
and place an order?
- What is A&I Prints and how do I use
it?
- What's a High-Resolution Digital Type-C
Lightjet print?
- How do I prep a file for "Direct-To-Print"?
- Are there color shifts in "Direct-To-Prints"?
- How do I download the profiles I will
need to do "Direct-To-Print"?
- What are the prices for Direct-To-Print
vs. Custom Exhibition Lightjet prints?
- How do I get my prints to match what
I see on my monitor?
- What if I still need help?
How
do I submit my digital files to A&I and place an order?
Submitting your file and placing your order is easy! You have
3 options:
1) Upload Files
2) By Mail: USPS, Fed Ex, UPS, etc.
3) In person - Drop off a CD (or other media) at one of our
locations.
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What
is A&I Prints and how do I use it? A&I Prints
is under construction right now. However there are 3 ways to order online. 1) FTP to order Frontier machine reprints
or our digital Direct-to-Print service for Lightjets, Giclee
prints or the HP Indigo short-run press. 2) Our Online Book Software to create and order books. 3) The Online Isgo Kiosk to order multiples. Pickup from any of
our locations or have your order shipped to your door.
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What's
a High-Resolution Digital Type-C Lightjet print?
A&I's Digital Type-C Lightjet prints are true photographic
Type-C prints made from digital files using a truly amazing digital
enlarger/printer called a Lightjet. A&I produces Lightjet
prints for some of the most respected and well-known fine artists,
museums, and galleries worldwide.
The process of creating a Lightjet print starts with a digital
file (this means that if you have an image on film -- whether
it's a negative or a transparency -- it will need to converted
into a digital file via a high-resolution scan; the price for
our Lightjet prints do not include any necessary scanning). The
Lightjet takes a digital file and uses a digital enlarger (rather
than a traditional, optical darkroom enlarger) in a high-tech
process that utilizes an extremely fine laser to expose traditional
Type-C photographic paper. The paper is then developed in traditional
darkroom chemistry. The result is an amazing true photographic
print that is unsurpassed in sharpness, color accuracy and reproduction
of detail while achieving the ultimate in image fidelity. Most
clients agree that Lightjet prints far exceed the quality of traditional
darkroom prints.
A&I's Lightjet is capable of prints from 8x10 inches up to
4x10 feet. A&I prints exclusively on Kodak Endura papers,
which have proved to be the absolute best paper available for
this process. Independent research has shown these papers to last
60+ years without noticeable fading.
A&I offers offer three levels of Lightjet prints: Direct-to-Print,
Custom and Exhibition.
Direct-to-Print means we take your "100% ready-to-print" digital
files and simply send them straight to the Lightjet without any
intervention whatsoever by A&I. There are very simple but
specific requirements for submitting Direct-To-Prints (which is
explained in the next section). However, because there is no file
prep work or other labor costs on our part, we are able to offer
our clients a very low price for these very high-quality photographic
prints. Please note that Direct-To-Prints are created on the same
Lightjet and by the same talented artists that print our Custom
and Exhibition prints for some of the world's top fine artists,
museums, and galleries. Turnaround: Final
Print - 3 days.
Custom Lightjet prints are the next level Lightjet print and include
burning, dodging, color correction and cropping. Test print(s)
are included for size 16x20 or larger.
Turnaround: Scan & Test Print - 2-3
days. Final Print - 2-3 days.
Exhibition Lightjet prints are the highest level Lightjet print
and involve ultra-critical color matching or particularly difficult
printing requirements. Test print(s) are included for size 16x20
or larger.
Turnaround: Scan & Test Print - 2-3
days. Final Print - 2-3 days.
For more information, check out the following excerpt by respected
fine art photographer Stephen Shore: "Digital
C-prints are photographic prints made by exposing a sheet of
Type-C photographic paper (e.g., Kodak Endura) to light inside
of a
digital printer instead of to light projected by an enlarger.
The
digital C-print is then processed in a color processor just
as a
traditional C-print would be. While "digital C-print" is the
common
term for the process, both digital and traditional (optical)
C-prints
are properly termed "chromogenic prints." I began having digital
C-prints made when the fading of my negatives made prior to
1976 could
no longer be corrected by traditional means. I was immediately
impressed with the process and soon began to have all of my
color prints
made in this way.
By digital means, I can remove dust spots and water stains from
my
images, and I can correct for fading. More importantly, the
process
gives me more precise color control, both globally and locally,
than
traditional C-printing allows. For example, I can remove the
blue cast
from a shadow without affecting the tonality of the rest of
the print.
Black-and-white photographers have, for generations, been easily
able to
control the overall contrast of a print, and have, by more sophisticated
means, been able to control the contrast of specific areas or
tonal
ranges. These essential controls have not been available to
color
photographers except, in a cruder form, by an elaborate process
called
"masking." These options are made available by digital C-printing.
The
bottom line is: the digital C-print is more an expression of
my
intentions than a traditional print can be."
-- Stephen Shore, Fine Art Photographer
How
do I prep a file for "Direct-To-Print"?
A&I's Direct-to-Print service, our most cost-effective Lightjet
print, takes your "100% ready-to-print" digital files and simply
prints them on the Lightjet without any intervention whatsoever
by A&I. We basically just press "print". This means that the
client is responsible for ALL file prep requirements. No borders
or other changes will be added by the lab at the time of printing.
Any image/file that does not meet these guidelines or requires
our intervention, including color or printer profiling, resizing,
color correction, test prints, clean trim, etc., would require
a Custom or Exhibition print and does not meet our criteria for
direct-to-print service.
Direct-To-Print is available on matte or glossy (Kodak
Endura), or Super Glossy, Duratrans, or Metallic.
DIRECT-TO-PRINT FILE PREP INSTRUCTIONS
Note: For Direct-To-Print, client is responsible for ALL file
prep
- Size to desired output size and include any desired borders
in file.
- Images larger than 50" must be rotated to horizontal.
- Set file to the following requirements:
a. File must be RGB
b. File Type: uncompressed 8-bit TIFF with layers flattened
- Convert to Profile (LAST STEP!). You must convert to our
Kodak Endura/Lightjet printer/paper profile as the FINAL STEP
BEFORE SAVING.
a. Open Photoshop
b. Open Image
c. Go to Image menu > Mode > Convert to profile
d. Select the A&I profile (see screen shot below)
e. Select Engine: Adobe and Intent: Relative Colormetric and
click "OK"
For PC, the file name is: 7-27-05Kodak.icm
For MAC, the file name is: 7-27-05Kodak.icc
** IMPORTANT: Converting to Profile must be your last step
when
prepping the file. Editing after Converting to our Profile
will result
in a color shift.
Click here
to download the profile.
Direct-to-print service does not include:
- Testing
- Color correction
- Sizing
- Adding Borders
- Revisions
- Spotting
- Re-dos
Direct-To-Print
Instructions Flyer (pdf)
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Are there color shifts with "Direct-To-Print"?
Direct to Prints can vary between 1-2 and an occasional 3pt color shift due to the processor. The parameters on the Lightjet allow such a variance to occur while linearizing the grey scale. It is an issue that A&I constantly re-adjusts for when it comes to critical matches. Because of the drastically reduced prices for Direct to Print we are unable to redo prints that show this shift. However, we assure the exactness of a custom print or exhibition print. This is typically adding a point or 2 of magenta, red, etc. to correct for any shifts that occur. In setting up Direct to Print files, we recommend a lean on the magenta side as an occasional magenta print often slightly better off than a green one, depending on the subject matter.
How
do I download the profiles I will need to do "Direct-To-Print"?
Follow the instructions below for PC or Mac.
Note: This profile is needed so that your image will print accurately
on our Lightjet printer using Kodak Endura paper.
PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE DOWNLOADING!
PC users
STEP 1) Close your Photoshop program.
STEP 2) Click the desired Kodak Endura paper profile below. When prompted "save" to your computer Desktop.
Kodak profile for Matte and Glossy
Fuji profile for Supergloss
Kodak profile for Metallic
STEP 3) After you have saved it, go to the file, right click over it, then select "Install Profile."
STEP 4) Converting to Profile will be your last step when setting up and submitting Direct to Prints via walk-in, FTP, or mail; but not for A&I Prints. Converting to profile should be skipped if you are submitting files through A&I Prints.
For more information the use of these files, please refer to the Color Management section of your Photoshop manual.
MAC users
STEP 1) Close your Photoshop program.
STEP 2) Hold down the "Control" button and click the desired Kodak Endura profile below. When prompted choose "Download Linked File" and save to your computer Desktop. Please note that the profile name will erroneously end with ".icc.txt" so you must delete the extra ".txt" extension before the profile will work.
Control-click here to download Kodak profile for Mac for Matte and Glossy surfaces.
Control-click here to download Fuji profile for Supergloss.
Control-click here to download Kodak profile for Metallic.
STEP 3) Move the profile (without the ".txt" extension) to the following directory
- For OS9: in the ColorSync Profiles folder
- For OSX with many user logins (office, public computer): User > Library > ColorSync > Profiles OR System > Library > ColorSync > Profiles
- For OSX with one login (home): Library > ColorSync > Profiles
STEP 4) Converting to Profile will be your last step when setting up and submitting Direct to Prints via walk-in, FTP, or mail; but not for A&I Prints. Converting to profile should be skipped if you are submitting files through A&I Prints.
For more information the use of these files, please refer to the Color Management section of your Photoshop manual.
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What
are the prices for Direct-To-Print vs. Custom/Exhibition Lightjet
prints?
As you can see in the sample pricing chart below, our Direct-To-Print
service is by far the most cost effective way to turn your digital
file into a high-quality professional print. Remember that Direct-To-Prints
are created using the same exact equipment and by the same talented
artists that print our Custom and Exhibition prints for some
of the world's top fine artists, museums, and galleries.
**Sample Pricing Comparison Chart**
| 11x14 |
$15 |
$30 |
$60 |
| 16x20 |
$25 |
$60 |
$90 |
| 20x24 |
$35 |
$80 |
$120 |
Click here
for complete Custom & Exhibition Lightjet print pricing.
Click
here for complete Direct-To-Print pricing.
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How
do I get my prints to match what I see on my monitor?
You can take the following steps to help make the colors on
your monitor more accurately match the colors on your print.
Monitors vary in their ability to maintain their calibration
over the same period and some monitors display more generally
accurate colors than others. CRT monitors produce more accurate
colors than flat-panel LCD monitors. That being said, by following
the steps below, you should attain a reasonable satisfaction
in regard to color matching. You may find your own level of
satisfaction only after conducting several print tests using
the same monitor and printer combination.
- Calibrate your monitor to Gamma 2.2, D6500 (6500 Kelvin)
- For best results, A&I recommends using a professional
color calibration system such as the GretagMacbeth Eye-One
Display 2.
Please note that a match print
should be provided to us when ordering a Custom or Exhibition
print.
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What
if I still need help?
Please feel free to call us at (323) 856-5280 or email us at order@aandi.com (allow 24 hours M-F).
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