Firstcall, the mail-order photographic specialist, has launched a new and unique service that allows photographers the ability to print their images taken using a digital camera, in a traditional way in their own darkrooms.

This revolutionary approach to fulfilling the needs of photographers arose after much market research involving the frustration of photographers who still shoot using film but increasingly use digital cameras too. By using this service a “common denominator” is established making it possible to carry on printing in a darkroom regardless of original.

Firstcall has invested in a £15,000 PCR8 CCG Film Recorder that writes JPEG or TIFF files to 35mm film using a precision (3 pass) laser which then creates negatives equal to the original resolution of the film.

The service involves sending a CD to Firstcall, containing up to 36 images, and an unprocessed black and white Ilford film is returned for developing and printing at the customer’s home. The compete service, including postage, costs £15 and the CD with “burnt” film is returned by next day post.

Further Details

Transfer your digital images on to film for use in your own darkroom – a revolutionary new service

When teaching photography it is the ability to show the effect of light when making an image that most photographers agree is diminished considerably when printing digitally.

In an ideal world you would be able to take a digital image and print it in the darkroom thereby getting total creativity in a way that a digital printer is not capable.

Well now that option is available, at prices never before possible, due to our investment that makes the dream a reality. Mixing digital and film images for printing in your darkroom is now both easy and available.

The process focuses on a high-technology CCG Film Recorder which we have purchased and the idea couldn’t be simpler. Simply send us (up to 36) of your digital images in TIFF or JPEG format on a CD, they can be black and white or colour and we will record them onto Ilford film for you and then return the film and CD by return post.

The film recording of digital imaging is done by a precise set of lasers (3 pass) to a standard, equal to that of the resolution of the film itself. In other words it is like copying the digital images onto to film at full 35mm resolution.

The reasons for launching this new service should also help the education world considerably.

A cost saving is the most obvious. Assuming a digital A3 inkjet print costs around £5 to print when you cost inks and paper and outsourcing printing on RA4 using a Fuji Frontier will cost about £6. Normal processing of a black and white 12 x 16 print costs you only about £0.90 (Kentmere paper and Fotospeed chemicals) so the COST SAVING IS THERFORE AT LEAST 80% when compared to digital printing.

Other advantages include:
1. Allows you to mix digital and film-based images with common printing.
2. It makes no difference if you shoot in colour or monochrome. With digital you can convert colour to B&W easily.
3. Decreases the concern about falling numbers of film-based SLR cameras available.
4. You only need to send the best images for converting so there’s no waste when compared to straight film.
5. It is easy to combine and archive work onto one film.
6. Most work remains in-house so you retain 100% control over your images.
7. The service “future-proofs” a photographic department to carry on using the equipment and processes it is used to.

What to do. Simply send your CD with your images and complete the order form on page 161 or send us your address and payment details in the normal way you place an order. We will return it along with an unprocessed Ilford Pan 100 film for you to develop normally (if you prefer Pan 400 please indicate this at the time of ordering). All film is returned next day by 1st Class mail (volume permitting).

The cost of the transfer service is £15 per roll of film for normal customers and £10 for educational customers. Prices include VAT and FREE postage. This means each image costs as little as 28p and can then be processed exactly how you like in the darkroom. Using the A3 analogy, even adding 28p to the 90p, means you are still saving a huge amount when compared to normal digital printing.

Firstcall Photographic

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Tags: black and white, camera, film, fuji, graphic, imaging, JPEG, photographic