[pure-silver] Re: "Hand Printed"
- From: "Dana H. Myers" <dana.myers@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 30 Nov 2008 08:33:32 -0800
Elias Roustom wrote:
That would be *one* definition of "hand-made", and a fairly conservative
definition at that.
Being an ardent liberal, I'd hate to disparage the liberal definition of
handmade, but if you consult a dictionary...
As is usually the case, pick your dictionary carefully. For example,
"handmade" in the context of whiskey is probably similar in meaning (see
http://home.kc.rr.com/mashbill/whiskey_terms.htm), or
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=handmade - "made by a
hand process".
So as I worked in my darkroom last night to make some very quick prints
for a school project of my daughter's, I noticed that my hands had no
time to rest, and the controlled employment of them from trimming of
paper to the cutting of masks to the use tongs was essential to product.
The prints were indeed handprinted.
It's not just the literal use of your hands, it is that the process
you employ is hand-guided, under your hand-eye control.
So by that definition, the ink jet prints are what? You use your
hands to put the paper into the feed tray. You go back to the keyboard
and key "Command, or Control, P", mouse click options, key in some
values, and then press (with a finger) "Return, or Enter." The printer
goes whoosh whoosh for about 10 minutes, while you go get a coffee or
take a phone call, then you take the print out of the tray, with your
hands.
A good inkjet print requires preparation of the image for printing
before you start printing it, and it's possible that print itself
is trimmed afterwards. Entering the options to start the print-out
is perhaps analogous to pushing the button on the enlarger timer.
Most importantly, the process is hand-guided; rather than queuing
up a bunch of images and running a script to print them out automatically.
Comparing the two process, we can eliminate the
projection/sensitization with the machine applied ink, and we end up
with both needing hands to become prints. So Ok, the ink jet prints are
hand printed after all.
It isn't just the hands, it's the direct attention given to the entire
process, I'd say.
When I teach students how to sew books, by hand, someone is bound to ask
whether this is how all books are made, and I have to answer "Sort of"
or more appropriate for this age "Virtually."
No awe necessary ;-) It's a typical Saturday ride for me... 74 miles.
Until I got another sinus infection three weeks ago, and the weather
took a turn for the colder, I was riding 16 miles to work and back twice
a week. Never felt better. A 56 mile ride is impressive, and 74 miles is
really impressive.
Ah, thanks. I'm working up the enthusiasm to start this morning before
the overcast burns off. Maybe I'll take a camera today! ;-)
Dana
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