Manual of Photography, 9th Edition

20Hard Copy Output Media

Hard Copy Output

At the end of the imaging chain (see Figure 1.3), image data, however it was captured, has to be output in such a way that the image can be viewed. In this chapter we will consider output principally in the form of hard copy (images that are tangible, usually as reflection or transmission print media, rather than transient images on a screen or display). In conventional analogue systems this is achieved mainly by the negative–positive process by photographic printing. In hybrid systems output may be laser or LED writing of digital data to photographic paper or other material. In digital systems hard copy output may be by direct output to photographic paper, to plain or special papers via electrophotographic ...