LightJet
Encyclopedia
LightJet is a trademark of Océ Display Graphics Systems, a division of Océ N.V. (the company that acquired Cymbolic Sciences, Inc.) for a brand of hardware used for printing digital images to photographic paper
and film
. Lightjet printers are no longer manufactured . The term "Lightjet" is often used to generically describe a digitally made chromogenic print. Competing manufactures of equipment include ZBE Chromira and Durst Lambda.
Unexposed silver-halide photographic paper is temporarily fixed on an internal drum, where three digitally controlled laser
s simultaneously expose the photo-sensitive emulsion on the paper medium (or back-lit transparency medium) with red, green, and blue light. The amount of light from each laser varies to provide specific color and density values for each pixel imaged to the print. The light-path includes a spinning surface coated mirror mounted on an air-bearing that travels along the axis of the internal drum, thus reflecting the laser light at 90 degrees allowing for a dimensionally consistent round imaging dot across the entire area of the photographic paper. The purpose of this round imaging dot is to maintain edge to edge sharpness on the final print. The print is then processed
using traditional photochemical means. After which, the photographic print is handled just as any other photo-print.
Whereas xerography
and inkjet printing
employ a halftone
process and ink to reproduce digital images on paper, digital-C is a photographic continuous tone
process rather than halftone
or error diffusion
which are common on offset press or ink-jet. The device natively supports 24bit RGB raster files, and is capable printing vector based files when fronted by a photographic Raster Image Processor (RIP). Since 24 bit color continuous tone devices use large multitudes of colors, up to 16,777,216, rather than the small number of colors available to 4-color press and 8-color ink-jet type devices Posterization
and banding are unlikely from these types of prints when provided with a file of good integrity. Due to slight halation of the light source digital-c prints produced on high end equipment have true continuous tones not possible with images created with ink or pigments.
LightJet printers and film recorders are used by a number of professional-level photographic printing firms (located in North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and South Africa) and are available via the internet. Most deliver a final product printed on Fujifilm
Crystal Archive or Kodak Endura paper in sizes up to at least 4×10 feet (Thompson). Other Silver-Halide based materials can be printed on laser driven devices such as the LightJet.
The original LightJet image recorder was introduced at PMA
in 1995. The first version of the product was the LightJet2000, a three-laser continuous-tone film recorder (the selling price was US$195,000). Its maximum image size was 11×14 inches. The LightJet2000 largely replaced the Fire1000 film recorder.
The LightJet5000 large-format printer was introduced at PMA in 1996. The product produced continuous-tone photographic prints and Duratrans up to 50×50 inches. In 1997 a version capable of printing to a dimensional size limit of 50×100 inches was introduced.
The Oce LightJet430 50" x 120" photo laser printer was introduced in 2000. The 76" x 120" wide Océ LightJet500XL printer was introduced in 2002.
Photographic paper
Photographic paper is paper coated with light-sensitive chemicals, used for making photographic prints.Photographic paper is exposed to light in a controlled manner, either by placing a negative in contact with the paper directly to produce a contact print, by using an enlarger in order to create a...
and film
Photographic film
Photographic film is a sheet of plastic coated with an emulsion containing light-sensitive silver halide salts with variable crystal sizes that determine the sensitivity, contrast and resolution of the film...
. Lightjet printers are no longer manufactured . The term "Lightjet" is often used to generically describe a digitally made chromogenic print. Competing manufactures of equipment include ZBE Chromira and Durst Lambda.
Unexposed silver-halide photographic paper is temporarily fixed on an internal drum, where three digitally controlled laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
s simultaneously expose the photo-sensitive emulsion on the paper medium (or back-lit transparency medium) with red, green, and blue light. The amount of light from each laser varies to provide specific color and density values for each pixel imaged to the print. The light-path includes a spinning surface coated mirror mounted on an air-bearing that travels along the axis of the internal drum, thus reflecting the laser light at 90 degrees allowing for a dimensionally consistent round imaging dot across the entire area of the photographic paper. The purpose of this round imaging dot is to maintain edge to edge sharpness on the final print. The print is then processed
Photographic processing
Photographic processing is the chemical means by which photographic film and paper is treated after photographic exposure to produce a negative or positive image...
using traditional photochemical means. After which, the photographic print is handled just as any other photo-print.
Whereas xerography
Xerography
Xerography is a dry photocopying technique invented by Chester Carlson in 1938, for which he was awarded on October 6, 1942. Carlson originally called his invention electrophotography...
and inkjet printing
Inkjet printer
An inkjet printer is a type of computer printer that creates a digital image by propelling droplets of ink onto paper. Inkjet printers are the most commonly used type of printer and range from small inexpensive consumer models to very large professional machines that can cost up to thousands of...
employ a halftone
Halftone
Halftone is the reprographic technique that simulates continuous tone imagery through the use of dots, varying either in size, in shape or in spacing...
process and ink to reproduce digital images on paper, digital-C is a photographic continuous tone
Continuous tone
A continuous tone image is one where each color at any point in the image is reproduced as a single tone, and not as discrete halftones, such as one single color for monochromatic prints, or a combination of halftones for color prints....
process rather than halftone
Halftone
Halftone is the reprographic technique that simulates continuous tone imagery through the use of dots, varying either in size, in shape or in spacing...
or error diffusion
Error diffusion
Error diffusion is a type of halftoning in which the quantization residual is distributed to neighboring pixels that have not yet been processed...
which are common on offset press or ink-jet. The device natively supports 24bit RGB raster files, and is capable printing vector based files when fronted by a photographic Raster Image Processor (RIP). Since 24 bit color continuous tone devices use large multitudes of colors, up to 16,777,216, rather than the small number of colors available to 4-color press and 8-color ink-jet type devices Posterization
Posterization
Posterization of an image entails conversion of a continuous gradation of tone to several regions of fewer tones, with abrupt changes from one tone to another. This was originally done with photographic processes to create posters...
and banding are unlikely from these types of prints when provided with a file of good integrity. Due to slight halation of the light source digital-c prints produced on high end equipment have true continuous tones not possible with images created with ink or pigments.
LightJet printers and film recorders are used by a number of professional-level photographic printing firms (located in North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and South Africa) and are available via the internet. Most deliver a final product printed on Fujifilm
Fujifilm
is a multinational photography and imaging company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.Fujifilm's principal activities are the development, production, sale and servicing of color photographic film, digital cameras, photofinishing equipment, color paper, photofinishing chemicals, medical imaging...
Crystal Archive or Kodak Endura paper in sizes up to at least 4×10 feet (Thompson). Other Silver-Halide based materials can be printed on laser driven devices such as the LightJet.
The original LightJet image recorder was introduced at PMA
Photo Marketing Association Annual Convention and Trade Show
The Photo Marketing Association International International Convention and Trade Show is an annual imaging technology trade show conducted by PMA held in Las Vegas. The PMA International Convention and Trade Show frequently are the occasion for the public introductions of important imaging products...
in 1995. The first version of the product was the LightJet2000, a three-laser continuous-tone film recorder (the selling price was US$195,000). Its maximum image size was 11×14 inches. The LightJet2000 largely replaced the Fire1000 film recorder.
The LightJet5000 large-format printer was introduced at PMA in 1996. The product produced continuous-tone photographic prints and Duratrans up to 50×50 inches. In 1997 a version capable of printing to a dimensional size limit of 50×100 inches was introduced.
The Oce LightJet430 50" x 120" photo laser printer was introduced in 2000. The 76" x 120" wide Océ LightJet500XL printer was introduced in 2002.