Photofinisher Tames Big-Game Images

Some days, work can seem just like a jungle – filled with challenges that seem as fierce as the largest of the wild kingdom’s inhabitants.

Photofinisher Bob Brody, co-owner and head of operations for Infinite Photo & Imaging in Springfield, Va., can undoubtedly relate to that metaphor and might go so far as to compare his job to that of a wild animal tamer. Infinite Photo & Imaging did, after all, tame what it describes as “the world’s largest seamless print” – a 50-inch by 64-foot-long photo featuring images of America and produced through digital processing techniques.

So when Brody recently was asked by Uniwood®/Fome-Cor® to put himself in the midst of wild game, he came well-armed – with Gatorfoam Graphic Arts Board and the latest in digital imaging equipment.

Infinite Photo & Imaging's Bob Brody is flanked by life-sized big cat images mounted on Gatorfoam

Infinite Photo & Imaging digitally produced, mounted on Gatorfoam and hand-cut nearly two dozen life-sized and lifelike images of wild animals for Uniwood/Fome-Cor's “Trophy Room” advertisement. Included in the ad, which is set up as a big-game trophy room, are cutout images of an 8-foot black bear, a 4-foot by 2.5-foot lion and a 7-foot-tall elephant. Brody also appears in the ad seated between an African spotted leopard and Bengal tiger.

Infinite Photo & Imaging was supplied with the majority of animal images via Corel Draw Library and PhotoDisc Library computer disks. The images were produced digitally with a Durst Lambda 130 laser printer.

Infinite Photo & Imaging served as a beta test site two years ago for the Lambda’s introduction to the United States. Brody and his partners – Ihor Makara, Bob Gault and Barney Gault -- were so impressed with the quality of the images produced by the machine that they purchased it following the test and have since added a second Lambda 130 to keep up with a burgeoning digital imaging business. Brody estimates only 25 photo labs in this country own Lambdas.

In the presentation of its “1997 Photofinisher of the Year” award to Infinite Photo & Imaging, Photographic Processing described the company as “a trailblazer in new technology and techniques.”

“The Lambda produces true photographic images directly from digital files,” says Brody. “Before the Lambda, we had to make all kinds of composite negatives. Even with the digital imaging equipment previously available, if the shadows or highlights were off, we had to go back to the digital department. With the Lambda, 90 percent of the time, we can do all of our color correcting at the machine. The savings in time has been incredible because composite images can take days.”

Infinite Photo & Imaging employees do everything from enlarging images to color correcting them and even correcting contrast curves on the Lambda’s computer screen. They then use the Lambda to laser print directly onto photographic material at speeds of 12 inches per minute.

Producing these kinds of high-quality digital images doesn’t come cheaply. High-resolution laser printing systems can cost in the neighborhood of $300,000, according to Brody. But, the results are worth it, he says. The animal images appearing in the Uniwood/Fome-Cor ad appear almost lifelike.

To maintain the quality of images such as these – including those produced for its corporate, advertising, exhibit and trade show clients -- Infinite Photo & Imaging regularly chooses Gatorfoam Graphic Arts Board as a mounting substrate.

“Gatorfoam offers real ease of use because it cuts so neatly,” says Brody. “It offers a very smooth, consistent finish which makes it easy to mount on. It’s so lightweight that we were able to tack some of the animal heads to the wall with carpet tape. One of the images fell from the wall during the photo shoot with no damage because Gatorfoam is so lightweight yet sturdy.”

Gatorfoam consists of polystyrene foam bonded between two layers of Luxcell®, a wood-fiber veneer laminate. Gatorfoam is available with both white and natural surfaces that feature a white core; black Gatorfoam features a black surface and black core. Gatorfoam is available in seven thicknesses ranging from 3/16 inches to 2 inches and in either 48-inch by 96-inch or 60-inch by 120-inch sheets.

Two Infinite Photo & Imaging mounting department employees spent six hours each mounting the animal images onto Gatorfoam. They first coated 3/16-inch, ½-inch and ¾-inch thick Gatorfoam sheets with a pressure-sensitive adhesive and release paper. They then mounted the prints to the Gatorfoam, cut out the intricate images by hand with a saber saw, and finished the displays by sanding the Gatorfoam edges.

“We encourage our clients to use Gatorfoam because we can count on its quality and consistency,” says Brody. “It’s always smooth and properly cut. It can take a little beating and hold up well. We never get prints back that are mounted on Gatorfoam.”

While Brody describes Gatorfoam as being “priced fairly,” customers sometimes request a less expensive mounting substrate.

“We recommend products that we think are going to last or our customers will be throwing their money away,” says Brody. “A lot of times we go ahead and use Gatorfoam when they ask for something else if we’ve built enough money into our project bid. We know they’ll be happy in the end.”

For more information about Infinite Photo & Imaging, contact: Bob Brody, Infinite Photo & Imaging, 6707 Electronic Drive, Springfield, VA 22151; telephone (703) 642-7000 or FAX (703) 354-5840.

For more information about Gatorfoam, call (800) 438-1701.

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