17 Powder Spring Road, East Topsham, Vermont
(802) 439-3127
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InkjetMall news
Did you know that we've been involved in digital printmaking since its inception?
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| Jon Cone, Port Chester studio, 1980 |
A lot of Inkjetmall customers do not realize that besides being President of InkjetMall, I am also the Master Printer of Cone Editions Press. In 1980, I began printing intaglio, woodcut, screenprint and experimental for painters and sculptors of the Second Generation New York School. My atelier was in Port Chester, NY and I owned an associated print gallery at 560 Broadway in NYC. I was, and am, a printmaker.
In some leap of faith, I moved from painterly hand pulled printmaking towards the computer. It was 1984, and I started using software, and even writing software to output material to collaborate with artists. The resultant work of this output was still printed in intaglio, screenprint, photogravure, and experimental. Being digital fascinated me, and that concept applied to my craft changed the course of my printmaking, and eventually led to many unique digital print innovations.
I relocated to rural Vermont in 1989. In 1990, I built the present studio and dedicated it solely to digital print exploration. Many different technologies would pass through the studio. We would invent interfaces, software, and ink concepts including quad-black inkjet. We eventually trained and outfitted the first 50 IRIS Giclée studios in the USA, many of which used my ink and software for several years. In 1997, I turned my attention to Epson printers. InkjetMall was born two years later in an effort to bring archival quality inkjet to the widest possible audience.
Cone Editions has remained active for three decades. The projects are always interesting. My studio also produces the online Piezography printing for InkjetMall. The range of artists and photographers who work with Cone Editions is as wide as the planet. The synergy between the two companies matches the synergy of my own two interests: printmaking and technology application.
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| Dana unpacking two new Epson 9880 printers, destined to become 44" wide Piezography Glossy printers (one split tone). There are currently 13 wide format printers in the studio, and at least that many printers 17" and smaller. A 54" and 64" printer are in the back studio. |
I recently set up a Cone Editions Facebook page and try to post something interesting on it every day, whether about a current project; or to share an interesting technique; or perhaps to show a project we've been involved with over the years. Be sure to find a 1991 digital monoprint by David Humphrey that uses at least 9 different technologies to arrive at a painterly state.
Currently, at Cone Editions we are printing on very-thick, large Japanese handmade kozo/cotton paper for photographer Zana Briski (of Born Into Brothels fame); a color project involving direct scanning of a 19th century photography collection; rare color botanicals for photographer Jonathan Singer; and portraits of young Diego Rivera and Fidel Castro taken during the days leading up to the Cuban revolution by Time-Life photographer Alan Oxley.
Today, I posted a rare treat. Cone Editions Press produced the last living portfolio for photographer Richard Avedon. It is a portfolio of 24 IRIS prints in a very limited edition of only 16 and two printer proofs. It was this project with Richard Avedon that propelled me to make my own inks. In order to realize the color gamut of his fashion photography, I developed ConeTech WGFA inks for IRIS printers. WGFA was top rated by Wilhelm (back in the day).
The project itself was based upon Avedon's 1995 New Yorker Magazine fashion portfolio "In Memory of the Late Mr. and Mrs. Comfort: A Fable in 24 Episodes". However, for our 1996-1998 collaboration, Avedon replaced three of the New Yorker images with three others to make the portfolio a very personal statement. In addition to the 16 portfolios which we produced, Avedon gifted the studio two signed portfolios (for our hard work over the three year project).
The Avedon images on the Cone Editions Facebook album were taken directly from the printer proofs. I hope that you enjoy them. The portfolio is rarely exhibited outside the Avedon Foundation.
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We're not Facebook experts by any means, so I hope that you do not need to be a member to see them. But, your own printing may be inspired by what we do at Cone Editions and we hope you'll "like" our Cone Editions Facebook page.
And in case you're wondering if I am being lazy at InkjetMall. I'm not. I'm finishing up development of Firefly-ink and software. This is a matched system of invisible inks and software that allow unbridled creativity with only one caveat. The ink is absolutely invisible in normal daylight. Under, black light (especially UV at 385nm) the inks come alive in full color. The 7900 ink project is on hold for a final tweak. A Canon IPF 5000 is in the Piezography R&D area. Refillable carts for it are on the way. We hope to launch Piezography for Canon printers after this Winter that is beginning to settle in here in East Topsham. You can keep up with that project on our Piezography Facebook page.
Please email me directly with questions and comments.
Thanks and best regards,
Jon Cone
President
