One of the reasons I shoot a chromogenic black
and white film is so I can take advantage of the Digital ICE feature built into
my film scanner. Digital ICE works to eliminate imperfections in a scan such as
those caused by dust or small defects in the film’s emulsion. ICE works with
film that has a color base, in other words, not with a silver based film. The
silver in traditional black and white film scatters the infrared layer created
by ICE making it impossible for the scanner to read the image on the film.
Consequently, you can expect so see dust spots and fibers on a scan from a
silver negative. This often requires a considerable amount of time spent
“retouching” the file in PhotoShop.
When I go back into my archive of silver
negatives and select images to scan I usually end up with files that show
little white impressions of dust and fibers. No matter how much I clean and
blow off the neg, there is usually a good amount of retouching still to be done
in PhotoShop.
For a variety of reasons it is often impossible
to get every annoying little spot retouched in PhotoShop. In many cases I don’t
even notice these lingering white specks until I’ve made an archival pigment
print. Hence my years long quest to find an adequate method for retouching a physical
digital print.
I’ve tried various indelible pens and waterproof
and smudge proof inks, but nothing has ever come close to the way Spotone
worked with photo paper emulsions. Until today, that is, when I pulled out my
set of Faber-Castell grey scale Pitt artist pens.
These pens are actually brush pens with soft,
felt brush like tips about one quarter inch long. The ink in these pens is a
water proof, smudge proof, lightfast India ink. The grey scale set includes
both warm and cool tones. So far I have found the Cold Grey VI 235 pen the most
useful, but the lighter cool grey pens come in very handy as well.
It takes a very light touch to administer just the
right amount of ink through the fine brush tip. But if you have ever done
traditional “spotting” with a brush and Spotone you know it takes a steady hand
and a good eye to nail that little glaring spot with one delicate tap.
I use only very matte paper, so I’m not sure how
well this will work on glossy or luster papers. I suspect with a little
practice it could work just as fine as on the matte paper I use.
Photos: ©2012 David W. Sumner