Do Digital Prints 'Dry Down' ?

peterfcassidy · Jan 10, 2008

When I ran a black and white dark room certain papers, if I remember correctly, were shot a half-stop less than optimal for the initial print because the image would darken ever so slightly as the image dried. I thought I'd left those kinds of considerations behind, though more accurately they never came to mind when I set up the photo printer . . . at least until earlier this week when I noticed how much more detail I could notice in the lighter segments of large prints I'd hung up in the kitchen over the weekend.

For some reason, it looked like the lighter details were more apparent and more finely delineated. Is it possible that the paper stock swells slightly when it is infused with the inks and then dries back into shape?

jstuedle · Jan 10, 2008

Most paper manufacturers recommend a drying time for "optimal" viewing. usually between 6 and 24 hours.

peterfcassidy · Jan 10, 2008

It was noticable after three or four days - maybe because I posted them and forgot about them as work heated up and distracted me. These were big 13*19 prints that smelled really damp when I pulled them out of the printer. I wonder if size changes the length of drying time. Hmmm.