digital chromogenic printing

Colourgenics is proud to be one of the only remaining printmakers in Toronto offering digital chromogenic prints - the go-to imaging platform for discerning photographers who prize the continuous tone, dot-free natural look of a real photograph.

We use a large selection of chromogenic media - predominantly of the Fujicolor Crystal Archive family - in a variety of finishes (semi-matte, glossy, and luster) and sizes ranging from 12”x18” to 48”x120”. Our printer is a laser-based LightJet, which produces prints with a higher D-Max, improved sharpness, and overall better image quality over LED-based systems.

Our sophisticated workflow includes in-house colour & printer profiles and calibration to maintain control and consistency across all media, and we offer multiple proofing options - including test strips to show detail-at-size for large prints - to ensure you receive exceptional, gallery-quality prints every time.

Pricing is determined by print size, paper selection, and quantity. Quantity discounts are available when printing multiple copies of the same image, and project pricing and bundling with other services is available with a quote.

Highlights of Our digital chromogenic printing

Chromogenic prints, also known as C-prints, are traditional photographic prints made by exposing light-sensitive paper to colored light and then processing the paper using chemicals to create the final image. The colours in a chromogenic print are created through a chemical reaction and the paper itself is an integral part of the final image.

Highlights of our services:

  • Traditional light-sensitive process with chemical process after exposure

  • Laser-based LightJet provides higher D-max, sharper images, and overall better image quality vs. LED

  • High permanence rating - longevity and durability widely accepted as fine art by the world’s finest photographers

  • Prints up to 48” wide on select media

  • Accurate, vivid color reproduction with continuous tone (apparent 4,000 dpi resolution)

  • Photo-realistic prints for those favouring the look of a traditional photograph

  • Print services include our team’s expertise in preparing your files for the best prints on your selected media

  • Variety of proofing options available to ensure you get the print you want every time

  • Bulk/roll printing available for photographers and artists experienced in preparing print-ready files

  • Trusted by some of Canada’s top fine art and professional photographers

 

Available chromogenic lightjet papers

  • Designed for optimum performance from large digital systems, new Fujicolor Crystal Archive Professional Paper Super Type CN produces bright, crisp commercial prints with unsurpassed, world-class colour image stability. This paper has a high D-max for deep, rich blacks, vidid colours and crisp text. It provides excellent contrast with ideal gradation balance for a rich tonal scale, and has colour image stability recognized for unsurpassed colour fidelity and longevity.

    Max Width: 50”

    Finish:

    Glossy

    Matte

  • Fujicolor Crystal Archive Super Type PD results in accurate color reproduction and whites, with excellent highlight detail. This paper has a high D-max for deep, rich blacks, vidid colours and crisp text. It provides excellent contrast with ideal gradation balance for a rich tonal scale, and has colour image stability recognized for unsurpassed colour fidelity and longevity.

    Max Width: 50”

    Finish: Luster

  • Specially designed for fine art and museum display, high-end output results. Optimized silver halide crystals for laser exposure, yet optically compatible. Its high maximum density results in great shadow details and beautiful deep blacks. The Maxima papers also boast a 40% increase in print longevity compared to current Super Type papers.

    Max Width: 50”

    Finish:

    Glossy

    Matte

  • New FujiClear Display Material for digital printers is a laser exposure optimized, clear-based, color print material used to produce high quality color display prints. This clear-based polyester printing material offers improved high D-Max and whiter whites, plus brilliant colour reproduction. The advanced coupler technology also helps resist fading and yellowing.

    Max Width: 50”

    Finish: Glossy

  • Suitable for backlit displays, signs, and other commercial applications, Fujitrans achieves full color saturation and shadow detail whether using conventional enlarger exposure or short-duration laser exposure. It uses Advanced V-Coupler technology to offer outstanding colour reproduction, improved long-term dye stability and print longevity.

    Max Width: 50”

    Finish: Glossy

  • ENDURA Premier Metallic Paper has the distinctive, attention-getting, glossy finish and metallic appearance that will draw all eyes to your work. ENDURA Premier Metallic Paper helps create “glamorous,” prints with exceptional visual interest and depth that will appeal to professional photographers, specifiers and display designers seeking a dramatic look. It has an excellent colour gamut with strong, bright colours and natural-looking skin tone representation. This paper also offers state-of-the-art image stability for improved longevity.

    Max Width: 50”

    Finish: Metallic glossy

chromogenic printing faq

  • Chromogenic prints are traditional photographic prints made by exposing light-sensitive paper to coloured light and then processing the paper using chemicals to create the final image. The colours in a chromogenic print are created through a chemical reaction and the paper itself is an integral part of the final image.

    Giclee prints on the other hand are made using high-quality inkjet printers that use fine art quality inks and papers to produce high-resolution, archival quality prints. The word "giclee" comes from the French word "gicler," which means "to spray," referring to the way the ink is sprayed onto the paper or canvas.

  • In general, we recommend submitting your image files as they were edited, typically in the native resolution of your camera.

    However, some customers prefer to upsize to the output resolution of the printers. In that case, 300 pixels per inch at final size is a common resolution most of our printers can work with. Other attributes include: RGB colour space, 8-bit uncompressed, flattened tif or jpg.

  • We recommend editing in and embedding the Adobe RGB space for all our colour managed workflows.

  • From experience, editing in high bit definitely yields smoother results, but we do not see an advantage in receiving 16-bit files for printing, especially when unwieldy file sizes slow down file transfer.

  • Selecting the paper for your chromogenic print is a personal choice that can depend on a number of factors including colour range, final display conditions (framed, facemounted, in an area with a lot of light, etc.).

    To help you choose, we have paper samples with images available in our studio to review together with a consultation with our team. Our team is also happy to provide a recommendation upon seeing your image(s).

  • We can print chromogenic prints up to 48” wide and virtually any length on select media. Review our list of available chromogenic papers to see maximum print sizes per paper.

  • Bulk or roll printing is a cost-effective option for clients who are experienced with preparing print files and colour management, and therefore do not require our technicians’ intervention in adjusting files for print. Bulk/roll prints do not receive proofs, and the final print(s) are not trimmed to size by our team.

    Bulk/roll printing is typically priced by the linear foot rather than specific sizes. For example, someone ordering bulk/roll printing would purchase 4ft (total print area is 50”x48”, with the 50” being the width of the paper roll). This allows a photographer to fill the image area with as many images in the print area as they’d like, making it a more cost-efficient alternative.