Blitz Printing

[Wade D]

it probably has to do with cranking out print after print after print like a human mini-lab --- lightning fast printing

I've done that before, long ago. NOT FUN! Had to meet a publishers deadline.

[jerry lebens]

Mass production of prints can be achieved by replacing the enlarger light source with a flash unit and automating the process of paper feeding. As far as I know, this was done in the past for trade shows where hundreds of prints had to be made to hand out to potential customers.

If dodging and burning was required... Well, that was a job for Clark Kent.

That's correct, Ralph. I'm not 100% how the process worked but they were also commonly used in the lithographic printing industry to prepare half tone dot matrices.

I used to have a Durst 184 that had originally been in the printmaking department of an art college. It had a (point source) flash head powered by a big 'Megablitz' power unit (so, perhaps, the term 'blitz printing' derives in part from that). I bought the enlarger for £15, complete with four Schneider lenses, because I was the only person who knew how remove it from the small room in which it stood without knocking down a wall...
I don't recall the power output of the flash unit, but it was about the same size as my Strobe 5,000 joule power packs, so I 'd guess it packed quite a punch.

Regards
Jerry

[jnanian]

I've done that before, long ago. NOT FUN! Had to meet a publishers deadline.

i always love doing that ... my problem is always not enough room to hang all those rc prints ! ...

[Christopher Walrath]

Tell me about it.