Never at any time in our history have we humans been so interested in recording every detail of our existence.The steady rise of digital photography, married to mobile telephony, the World Wide Web and ever-expanding hard drive sizes has enabled us to record and share all we see, from the interesting to the mundane. What is the point of it all this photography and what does it explain as to how we live our lives and move through our environment?
Also known as Giclee prints or bubble-jet prints, pigment ink-jet prints are generated by computer printers from digital or scanned files using dye-based or pigment-based inks. A series of nozzles spray tiny droplets of ink onto the paper surface in a precise pattern that corresponds to the digital image file. In dye-based prints the ink soaks into the paper, whereas in pigment-based prints the ink rests and dries on top of the paper surface.
Whilst the term is broad, pigment ink-jet prints have come to be associated with prints produced on fine art papers. They are the most versatile and archival method of printing available to photographers today. A wide variety of material on which an image can be printed with such inks are available, including various textures and finishes such as matte photo paper, watercolour paper, cotton canvas or pre-coated canvas.
