ABSTRACT
This chapter presents Ron Reeder’s simple three-step method for making digital negatives which can be used with either a native digital file or a scanned film negative, color or black and white. Before printing the first digital negative, three steps must be taken with a step wedge to calibrate the process: determine the basic exposure time to give “maximum black”, determine overall negative contrast to give “paper white”, and make a midtone adjustment curve to match the process. The chapter also provides information on monochrome digital negative and tricolor RGB negatives. Tricolor work requires laying down at least one coat each of red, yellow, and blue, with usually one extra coat to color balance the final print if necessary. The most important thing to remember is that the RGB negatives print CMY colors in that order; they do not print the color their name represents but the opposite.
