Last Updated on 10/06/2018 by Mark Beckenbach
L.Type aims to make bigger prints available for all kinds of photographic projects through a Kickstarter campaign.
UK-based L.Type, which prides itself in producing the world’s best professional-quality prints, has taken to Kickstarter to fund their next big project. Their goal is to make bigger prints for portfolios, exhibits, and art prints, as they currently can only print up to 12 inches wide. If getting big art prints of your best work is one of your goals, you may find this project worth the pledge.
But first, a quick background about the L.Type. They use 21st century digital technology to expose traditional silver halide paper (C-Type prints). Apart from being “the world’s only print service that designs, builds, and operates its own printers from scratch”, they also note being “the world’s only 440 ppi true continuous tone print.”
The signature L.Type print is available in different paper thicknesses and finishes. The current sizes, however, are only from A5 (approximately 8″ x 6″) to 300 x 1000 mm (approximately 11″ x 40″). With photographers now working with bigger and bigger sensors, they will eventually want to use professional quality printing for larger portfolios, art prints, and exhibit prints, and the folks of L.Type understandably want to upgrade.
According to their Kickstarter campaign, if successfully funded, they will take their exclusive, proprietary print head and mount it on existing equipment to enable them to print up to 48â wide. The project essentially involves just a small extension of what the company has already done. While it’s the same print head they currently use, they will have it mounted on a high-precision plotter table that they will buy in.
“Using predominantly the same control software that we use today, we will be able to reproduce the same micron printing accuracy on a much larger scale, with a much simpler machine. Because we print at 400ppi, that means images up to 370 MP will be able to be printed in full definition, as a first target!” they added.
They also disclosed the project plan specifics in their Kickstarter campaign, identifying a total timescale of 18 months, with a functional prototype expected to be operational after 12 months. As for the budget, they need £170,000 ($230,000) for hardware purchases and development, and £80,000 ($110k) for developing their existing in-house software.
Sounds like something you’d like to support, and a service you’d like to try? For a pledge of £50 (around $65) or more, you can get three A3 L. Type prints and two large format L.Type prints once the project is launched. Head to their Kickstarter campaign to find out more and make your pledge.
Images from the L.Type Kickstarter campaign
