The breakthrough in archival inkjet printing technology is one of the great revolutions in photography. A digital file is made from a negative, transparency or illustration. These high resolution scans are sent from the computer to the printer which sprays a stream of very fine, virtually invisible, ink droplets directly onto specially coated art papers. (In the USA these are also known as 'Giclée' prints). Edition 100 A3 size inkjet prints are made on Hahnemühler paper using Epson printers and archival inks (or equivalent). Current data predicts these to have an archival life of 70 years or more in ideal conditions.
This is an older inkjet process from the late 1990's. Very few Iris machines are now in use. Although they are less archival than current papers, Iris prints do have a special quality with magnificent and vibrant colour saturation.
Edition 100 is unique to Rockarchive because it is printed, supervised and logged in-house. Each Rockarchive photographer has contributed a selection of their work to be made into an edition of 100 fine-art inkjet prints. Every print is made on 308gsm stock art paper using UV inks and the best archival processes available. Prints are numbered and embossed with the Rock Archive logo, and signed by the photographer or embossed with the photographer's estate marking.
Unless it states otherwise on the product page, each Edition 100 print is available in A3 (11.7 x 16.5"), A2 (16.5 x 23.4"), A1 (23.4 x 33.1") and A0 (33.1 x 46.8") sizes.
Images that originate from film are made by scanning at high resolution from the original transparency or negative. The digital files are then cleaned and dusted and may be colour balanced or retouched according to the photographer/art director's instruction. Images taken on digital cameras skip the scanning process but the rest is the same. See the caption for further details.
Most of Rock Archive photographers have substantial archives and their own websites.
Keep your print out of direct sunlight and away from unusually hot cold or damp conditions. All Rock Archive inkjets have been specifically developed to afford the highest possible archival quality by means of archival, acid-free papers and archival inks.
Rock Archive recommend a white acid-free matt, at least 3 inches (8cm) all around the print, with an extra 20% at the bottom. Some people like to show the edges of the print and embossed logo, especially if the edge is part of the image. Others choose to have the matt right up to the image itself. Rock Archive prefer to use thin black aluminum frames for exhibition prints.
A fibre print is usually hand-made made from the original B&W negative using techniques that are over 100 years old. The negative is projected on to the silver bromide coated emulsion, resting on a fibre base, and then developed in chemical solutions. The resulting print has an archival life of 100 years or more in optimum conditions.
30/30/30 is exclusive to Rockarchive. Every detail, from print production to packaging has been personally supervised in-house by Jill Furmanovsky, who completes the order by numbering, signing and double embossing each approved print and accompanying certificate of authenticity. Edition 30/30/30 prints come in a specially designed, foam padded cardboard box, topped with a collectable Charlie Watts 'postage stamp'.
The number of prints left within an edition is a crucial factor in the pricing of a print. 30/30/30 consists of 30 darkroom prints and 10 fine-art custom prints. Being so finite, the price goes up at various stages as fewer of the prints remain in that edition.
Unless specified, fibre prints come from the original negatives and are therefore not retouched except by old-fashioned darkroom techniques such as burning in or spotting dust and scratches by hand. This is a rare chance for you to own a piece of the original moment, warts and all.
Keep your print out of direct sunlight and away from unusually hot, cold or damp conditions.
Rock Archive recommend a white acid free matt, at least 3 inches (8 cm) all around the print, with an extra 20% at the bottom. Some people like to show the edges of the print and embossed logo, especially if the edge is part of the image. Others chose to have the matt right up to the image itself. Rock Archive prefer to use thin black aluminum frames for exhibition prints.
Black and white prints will be on Ilford Warm Tone archival fibre-based, glossy unglazed paper (or equivalent). Details of print stock is displayed along side the image on the product page. Provided instructions are followed, all prints have an archival span of 100 years or longer.
Rockarchive editions are true editions. Here is why: