There are many different ways to make digital negatives. At Bostick & Sullivan, we have chosen to use Color Look Up Tables, also known as LUT files. These LUT Files give us more control than curves, while also being very user-friendly. Below are detailed instructions on how to apply LUT files to your images to make digital negatives.
These LUT files are calibrated for our studio and darkroom. Things like humidity, UV source, and temperature can all affect your printing process. These LUT files are a great starting place and you should see improvements to your images by using them, but if you want to take it one step further and make your own LUT files for your studio you can do so by using http://www.easydigitalnegatives.com. Peter Mrhar gives great instructions on making them and has even written a program that creates the LUT for you. His website was invaluable to us when making these LUT files. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to us.
All that is needed to use our LUT files are Photoshop, Pictorico OHP transparency film, and an inkjet photo printer.