Precision Digital Negatives

Precision Digital Negatives for Silver & Other Alternative Photographic Processes is an illustrated eBook that provides a wealth of information about how to fabricate digital negatives for contact printing with gelatin silver and any alternative photographic process.

The PDN System is designed to maximize the tonality and smoothness of your final prints.

The eBook comes in PDF format (138 pages) on a cdrom that also includes the Curve Calculator software (Excel Spreadsheet) and calibration palettes required for the Precision Digital Negatives System (PDN).

The eBook describes an ingenious new method - Color Density Range Control (Patented). Color Density Range Control is a method of matching the density range of the digital negative precisely to the exposure scale of any alternative process and/or contrast mix—before applying a Process Adjustment Curve. Thus the required adjustment curve is much less drastic and more image tones are preserved.

This is not just another "how to" book about making digital negatives—this is a SYSTEM that works extremely well.

The book takes you through image capture with scanner or digital camera, image file preparation, the PDN Calibration Steps, creating digital negatives with any output device, evaluation of the print, and troubleshooting problems with negatives and/or the alternative process. The book provides an understanding of how digital negatives really work and why they sometimes fail.

Camera Arts Magazine (Dec 2004/Jan 2005 Issue) has a nice article I wrote on Color Density Range Control. Back issues are available from the publisher at www.cameraarts.com

View Camera Magazine (November/December 2006) has a good article regarding the new Precision Digital Negatives software, CURVE CALCULATOR II.

In 2014 I released Curve Calculator III  for the Mac Platform.  Curve Calculator III is a standalone database program that stores all your calibration information in one place, allows you to view graphs of and compare density information from the 31 step tablet and Tonal Palettes, assists in determining Standard Printing Times, produces a family of Hybrid Curves for your alt process, exports the Photoshop Curves files, and provides many more great features.  The CCIII program guides you through the calibration process with well defined steps utilizing the best practices for alternative process calibration.

CCIII has also been upgraded to better manage positive processes such as Photopolymer Gravure and Copper Plate Photogravure.

CCII is still available for Windows platforms.

For further information, see the Chapter Titles.

See also workshop information.