FAQ – Find Answers

Search the most frequently asked questions directly …

… or browse through the different categories:

My print files already correspond to the file specifications of Digital Darkroom Berlin, I have read the price list and I know on which paper I want to print. What is the next step? What is the next step?

Print order

You know exactly what you want to print? Then please send us your files by Wetransfer or Dropbox (Please do not use Google Drive!) and your request via e-mail (mail@digital-darkroom.de). You will then receive an offer from us and subsequently an invoice. You can pay the invoice by bank transfer in advance or by PayPal. Afterwards we start with the printing. Pick-up is usually 24 h to 36 h after printing. We will arrange an appointment with you.

Minimum order quantities

Please note the minimum order quantities (see pricelist).

File Specifications

Delivered files must correspond to the file specifications with regard to their technical properties (profile, resolution, dimensions, trimming etc.). Digital Darkroom Berlin assumes no liability for faulty prints due to incorrect file properties (e.g. size, resolution, margins, inadequate retouching).

Should we have any questions regarding the order, we will contact you in any case.

How can I send my files to Digital Darkroom Berlin?

You can send your data by Wetransfer or Dropbox to mail@digital-darkroom.de. Please do not use Google Drive

Which paper fits best to my image? Do you offer paper advice?

You will find a first orientation regarding paper selection here.

If you have any further questions, please call. We will be happy to advise you on the selection of the appropriate paper.

I would like to order a larger number of prints – is there a discount?

We will be happy to make you an individual offer. You can find the regular prices on our price list.

I have other questions about the printing process – can you help me?

Please send an e-mail to mail@digital-darkroom.de or call us.

Which file format should my print file have?

Best results are achieved with TIFF files at 300 dpi resolution in the Adobe RGB 1998 color profile. Should the resolution not be sufficient, the same final print size can be printed with only 180 dpi with no visible quality reductions. High quality prints can also be made from JPGs (qualities 10 to 12).

Which color space should I choose for the print file?

The color spaces can be selected either as Adobe RGB 1998 (professional cameras) or sRGB (compact cameras, mobile phones).

Please note: You cannot create an Adobe RGB 1998 color space from an image photographed in the smaller sRGB color space, since data cannot be added by interpolation.

Which file format should my print file have for B&W prints?

Create your file as TIFF or JPG with 300 dpi in the profile Adobe RGB 1998. Please include a B&W layer in the final file. You can leave this as it is or reduce it to the background layer. Alternatively, you can also create the TIFF file in the Gray Gamma 2.2 profile.

Tip: Proceed as suggested above if you are not sure whether the scan is really only B&W. Many times, the scans of B&W films are delivered as B&W in the format RGB, but they still contain some smallest colour information (scanner lamp). These are then visible in the print as color fringes.

For A4, A3+ or A2, should I put the white border in the image?

No. We print your file centered on the sheet. Please do notplace the white border in your file, only the print area. The white border results.

Example: Print area (delivered file is e.g. a landscape format) is 30.0 cm x 45.0 cm. Printed on an A3+ sheet (paper size 32.9 cm x 48.3 cm), the theoretical margin is 1.45 cm top/bottom and 1.65 cm left/right. In fact, however, there is a technically determined size and parallelism tolerance of up to 2 mm measured to the paper edge for the margins.

Why A3+ paper format instead of DIN A3?

Papers available as sheet paper are traded in DIN format. We have replaced the DIN format A3 by the special format A3+. Why? DIN A3 has a size of 29.7 cm x 42.0 cm. The new special format A3+ has the larger dimensions 32.9 cm x 48.3 cm. Only on this paper format, the popular 30.0 cm x 45.0 cm image size can be printed centered.
A3+ is also the better option for other print formats. A larger white border can be left, so the image looks generously presented even without a passe-partout.

Should you for special reasons absolutely need prints in DIN A3, we can order this paper for you. Minimum order quantity 10 prints.

Can I also have single prints made at Digital Darkroom Berlin?

Yes – for all prints larger than A2, i.e. printing on roll paper.

No – for prints on sheet paper. Minimum order quantities apply here:

Paper formatPaper sizeMinimum order quantities
DIN A421.0 cm x 29.7 cm5
A3+32.9 cm x 48.3 cm2
DIN A242.0 cm x 59.4 cm2

It goes without saying that even for small jobs, we advise you with regards to the paper, and check your data for technical printability. We set up the printer before each new job and carry out a nozzle test or print head cleaning to make sure that you will get your perfect print.

Each of your prints on sheets is individually wrapped in a PAT-tested glassine sleeve, plus a folder for transport, both free of charge. For large prints on roll paper you can purchase a stable, reusable transport box (16 cm x 16 cm x 120 cm), which is even suitable for shipping rolled prints. The print itself is wrapped in PAT-tested tissue paper.

Is even a very large print exactly the same size as it was created in the file?

Yes, albeit with some tolerances. White margins in the printing direction can have a size or parallelism tolerance of up to 3 mm, measured to the paper edge, depending on the print length. Image lengths can have tolerances of up to 0.3 % in the print direction. We continuously correct our print profiles to keep these tolerances as small as possible.

How do I create my file if I want to trim it later?

All lengths in the file should be 2.5 mm longer than the final size (example: for a final size of 70.0 cm x 100.0 cm, the file should be 70.25 cm x 100.25 cm). Possibly existing white borders included. Trim marks are set by us. The cuts are made with a padded metal ruler and a Japanese knife or specially prepared slitters. We guarantee not to leave any marks on the paper with rulers or pressure bars.

When trimming roll paper, tolerances of up to 2 mm are possible. Ususally, we achieve very high accuracies.

If the print is to be mounted, please follow these guidelines instead.

Is the trimming of the paper part of the printing process?

No. A pure print job does not automatically include trimming. Trimming can be carried out additionally and for an extra charge. For sheet paper, the print area is set centered on the sheet, resulting in a white border. With roll paper, a white margin of approx. 1 cm to 6 cm remains around the print area. For technical reasons, this margin may differ in size on the four sides of the print (details).

How much white border is necessary for a presentation in a passe-partout?

When framing in a passe-partout, an all-round white border of at least 15 mm is recommended.

Do you also offer mounting?

No, we do not carry out any mounting ourselves. However, we will gladly commend a mounting workshop we trust.

How big is the bleed for a later mounting?

For subsequent mounting, it is recommended to add in the file at least 6 mm per each side in addition to the final size (bleed). For very large formats, 8 mm bleed is recommended.

Example: If the final image size will be 40.0 cm x 60.0 cm (e.g. size of the Alu-Dibond plate) the print file must be at least 40.6 cm x 60.6 cm (print area). When framing in a passe-partout, an all-round white border of at least 15 mm is recommended.

Do you also offer image editing or post production?

We have years of expertise in professional post production. We edit your image files or develop your RAW files according to your demands and (“post-Corona”) in your presence. We do not provide a rental workstation. Editing costs: 90 EUR net/h, billing 5-minute-accurate.

Analogue vs. digital: Which is better, an analogue print or a digital fine art print on baryt paper?

You have analogue picture material on film and you would like to create fine art prints from it and consider whether you would like to have these produced as classic prints in the chemical development process or as fine art prints printed by us?

A perfectly executed fine art print from a pre-processed scan of a negative is superior to an analogue print from a negative in many ways. Everything else is a myth. We have been in the analogue darkroom business for over 20 years and have the expertise to put it so clearly.

In a calibrated digital workflow, in contrast to the analogue process, all image parameters such as brightness, contrast, details in the shadows and highlights etc. are precisely defined in advance. The final result on a specific paper can be simulated on the monitor (soft proof). Random deviations are thus excluded; test strips are no longer necessary.

Analogue problems such as blurring in the image corners, as caused by enlarging lenses, or contrast deviations within individual prints of an edition due to changes in developer condition, room temperature, etc. are not present. The analog trial-and-error procedure is finally behind us. The two-part digital procedure – targeted post-production of the scan in Lightroom and Photoshop and the subsequent Fine Art Print – is the far more precise method of producing prints.

Each print can be reproduced in exactly the same way, e.g. for the production of editions, at any time. Only with the digital workflow can the result be achieved in a way that was once desired in the old darkroom, the elimination of chance. And yet the final print retains the characteristics, the charm of the film, the grain and the analogue look.

We are the experts for such prints.

Photography – Taking pictures: Analogue (on film) or digital?

The fascination of the analogue 35 mm camera with its mechanical wheels and scales in an often silver-black metal bodies is unbroken. In Berlin, young people with analogue cameras around their necks are now an integral part of the street scene. Dealers in analogue photographic supplies are recording significantly higher sales of film than just a few years ago, and prices for a used Nikon, Leica or Hasselblad are rising again.

The fascination with analogue photography is particularly evident in the case of B&W films: The appearance of the analogue grain is unique, the film has much less shadow detail and, depending on the film chosen, already has its own aesthetic. These are all basic elements for later works of art, completely without digital filters. This special look and feel is often difficult to achieve digitally, even with Photoshop plug-ins.

If you like this kind of photography, you should use film. From the developed film, scans are made carefully and in sufficient resolution. If you wish, we can take over the post-production of the scans and then print your motifs on the finest baryta paper. We cannot recommend an analogue print (see our FAQ “Analogue vs. digital print”).

Technically it may be noted that in case of a highly overexposed film, details in the highlights of the picture can still be achieved. A highly overexposed digital image has only white there. In the shadows it is the other way round: Where a digital camera still offers information in the case of underexposure, there is often no sensitization on the film. And where nothing has been exposed, nothing can be conjured up in post-production; the positive remains black in the shadows.

Can I have digital prints made from analogue films?

You own old recordings on film, but don’t have any prints? No problem. We can put you in touch with a service provider who specializes in high-quality scans and who enjoys our trust. We do not carry out scans ourselves. However, we will be happy to take over the post-production and later the printing after the scans have been delivered to us. With many years of experience and a trained eye, it is a matter of course to process the scan of a negative from the 1970s, for example, so that the later print looks credibly like an original print from that time; over-correction and the creation of a modern photo are prohibited here.

I have a large painting – can I print small-format editions of it?

Yes. We are most familiar with reproductions.

Many of our clients are outstanding artists. A painting or collage is unique, but also has its price. Moreover, it is available for only one person. In order to make their art accessible to more than one buyer, visual artists like to have high-quality reproductions of their originals made by us. In the post-production phase, we adjust these in detail with the original on a calibrated monitor under standard light D50 (5,000 K). The resulting file is then printed on the finest artist’s paper, usually in small-format limited editions.

Editions are not an invention of our time. Already in the 15th century, paintings (uniques) were copied by using copper engraving, at that time an inexpensive reproduction technique. Thus pictures as editions found a rapid and multiple distribution and increased the degree of fame of the respective creator. Today, more and more artists sell their works also through Instagram – with limited editions of unique pieces they offer potential buyers the ideal and affordable entry into collecting art.

Which works can I have reproduced?

We are specialized in reproductions of the following categories:

  • Large artworks, which do not fit on any scanner
  • Uneven artworks, such as collages
  • Artworks with fragile surfaces that must not be pressed / touched (e.g. pastel painting)
  • Artworks with varnished surface
  • Thin, unstable, non-flat works that have to be brought into flatness by means of a suction wall
  • Artworks with damages that are to be restored later
  • Permanently framed works
  • Special orders

Information about minimum order quantities and details about reproductions.

To order reproductions, please send us an e-mail to mail@digital-darkroom.de or call us at Tel. +49 (0)30 62736188.

 

How much does a reproduction cost?

The price depends on the type of artwork, the size of the original artwork, the maximum output format (planned print size) for which the post-production and retouching is carried out. For details please refer to the price list. You will receive one TIFF file per reproduction.

I would like to order reproductions. What do I have to do?

Information on reproductions can be found here.

To order reproductions please send us an e-mail to mail@digital-darkroom.de or call us at +49 (0)30 62736188.

The e-mail must contain the following:

  • Type of work (e.g. oil on canvas)
  • Number of works
  • Size of each of the specific work

Please note the minimum order quantity.

Can I also have single reproductions made at Digital Darkroom Berlin?

No. For reproductions, we optimize the reproduction setup for the size of the original format delivered by you. We have therefore set minimum order values, please refer to the price list for reproductions (PDF).

Will my reproduction be edited by you?

Of course it will. A reproduction produced by us always includes postproduction. The reproduction file is compared with the original under D50 standard light (5,000 K) on a calibrated monitor in such a way tha