# Confusion About Digital Negative [SOLVED]



## Eightysevens (Aug 6, 2017)

I want to know how to prepare a digital negative in LR6 for use in creation of cyanotype production. I have tried importing as DNG (which I understand is a digital negative), but the DNG doesn't look at all like I expected a negative to look; it just looks exactly the same as any other NEF or jpg or tiff image.

Basically I want to know how to create a negative digital image file I can print on a transparent for utilising in the cyanotype printing process.

Any information would be helpful.

Thank you.


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## Johan Elzenga (Aug 6, 2017)

A DNG is a raw file. The word 'digital negative' is not because it looks like negative film, but because raw files are a bit like undeveloped film: you still have to 'develop' them and that is what Lightroom does in the Develop module.


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## Eightysevens (Aug 6, 2017)

JohanElzenga said:


> A DNG is a raw file. The word 'digital negative' is not because it looks like negative film, but because raw files are a bit like undeveloped film: you still have to 'develop' them and that is what Lightroom does in the Develop module.



Thanks for your reply Johan. I have been using LR for many years & know well how to 'develop' NEFs. So DNG is a bit of an erroneous term since it actually is not a negative version of the original file, but a lightweight copy designed for optimum compatibility with digital processing software.

So the confusion for me lies with what image type is required for a cyanotype process & how do I create it within LR6?


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## Johan Elzenga (Aug 6, 2017)

If you want to create a 'negative', all you have to do is use an inverted curve. Go to the Curves panel, make sure that you've selected the point curve and then drag the left corner point (that is now at zero) all the way up, and the right corner point (that is now at maximum) all the way down to zero.


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## clee01l (Aug 6, 2017)

Your sensor always records positive colors.So the RAW digital image is always a color image (Even if you create a B&W JPEG in the camera)    To get a negative, you need to invert the reds, blues and greens.  To get a Cyanotype, you need to apply a develop preset that "gives the appearance"  of a cyanotype.   In the LR develop presets there is a B&W Toned Preset called "Cyanotype".  This is probably the preset that you want to apply.


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## Eightysevens (Aug 6, 2017)

JohanElzenga said:


> If you want to create a 'negative', all you have to do is use an inverted curve. Go to the Curves panel, make sure that you've selected the point curve and then drag the left corner point (that is now at zero) all the way up, and the right corner point (that is now at maximum) all the way down to zero.



That simple. Perfect. Thanl you very much Johan. I think this is what I need as a base image for manual cyanotype production.

Many thanks for your time.


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## Eightysevens (Aug 6, 2017)

clee01l said:


> Your sensor always records positive colors.So the RAW digital image is always a color image (Even if you create a B&W JPEG in the camera)    To get a negative, you need to invert the reds, blues and greens.  To get a Cyanotype, you need to apply a develop preset that "gives the appearance"  of a cyanotype.   In the LR develop presets there is a B&W Toned Preset called "Cyanotype".  This is probably the preset that you want to apply.



Thank you for your reply Cletus. I will be creating cyanotypes manually. I nowe have the information I need to proceed.

Thanks for your time.


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## Hoggy (Aug 8, 2017)

JohanElzenga said:


> A DNG is a raw file. The word 'digital negative' is not because it looks like negative film, but because raw files are a bit like undeveloped film: you still have to 'develop' them and that is what Lightroom does in the Develop module.



<sniff, sniff>  Do I smell DNG?  

Just to expand on this for a second, since a lot of confusion exists around the term DNG.  A DNG is not _always_ raw mosaic data (like most other raw container types, with a known exception for the Foveon sensor), but can also contain demosaiced linear data as well.  Some examples are when one converts a jpg or tiff into a DNG -- the data does not become 'raw', it only becomes 'stuffed' into a DNG container as the demosaiced linear data it already is.  Likewise, one can convert a _RAW_ DNG into a lossy compressed DNG..  This will demosaic the raw data, use 'clever' jpg-compression, and turn it into 8-bit linear data within the DNG container format.  Although, this demosaiced linear data in the lossy DNG has what's referred to as 'scene-referred' color, which is why it said to still be 'raw-like' (no set white balance, etc).


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