Photography Site - Camera Arts

Camera Arts has an article about Digital Silver Imaging. Their website and the article explain what it is and why its better than regular printing. Traditional print making uses silver gelatin in the process and its visible when prints are turned sideways and the light catches it. Galleries prefer this type of black and white print over regular inkjet or laser printers photo prints.

We employ a true photographic chemical process in the development of each print - not a color or inkjet process. Inkjet printers build black & white tones by laying drops of ink on a paper’s surface, leading to unrefined results. DSI uses a light source, exposing a silver gelatin layer within the paper to produce a true continuous tone from shadows to highlight. Color RA4 printers rely on color dyes to replicate black & white tones, so blacks and grays often have a hint of other colors (magenta or cyan). DSI’s print process is founded on light, silver, and chemistry. Blacks are 100% black, grays are fully gray, color shifts are non-existent. Ink pigments reflect light, resulting in unwanted glare or metamerism across your print. With DSI, your image emerges from the paper itself, not from a compilation of ink on paper, so there are no unexpected bursts of light.In order to address the challenges of photo printing, inkjet paper manufacturers have begun producing a special photo inkjet papers with a matte finish. However, these papers come with an issue all their own - unwelcome texture. Fiber-based black & white prints are proven to last over a hundred years. The inkjet process has existed for a fraction of that time. Why take a chance that your once-in-a-lifetime image may end up short-lived?

I've often struggled with getting prints to come out the way I want them too. I have a lot of trouble getting my grays to look like grays. Sometimes they come out redish or greenish or brownish instead. I don't know anything about this silver gelatin, but it sounds special. Being able to print high-quality photos is important. I've tried printing out some of my photos on my Canon printer and I've never really been happy enough with them to frame. Its interesting to find out how professionals do it.