Meg Turner

Printmaker and photographer working out of New Orleans, Louisiana. Her practice spans prints, photography, and installation projects that respond to the landscape and the community she is part of.

In addition to her own work and contract printing, Meg serves as the master printer for local photogravure and wet collodion artist Josephine Sacabo. She founded the New Orleans Community Printshop and has since stepped back from a leadership position to focus on her studio practice.

She shoots primarily with a 4×5 Crown Graphic press camera, working in film and wet collodion.

A circular portrait embedded in a dramatic magenta-to-indigo gradient field, with deep black edges framing the composition

Digital vs. analog: a practical comparison for artists

The choice between digital and analog is rarely a simple contest between old and new. For artists, each approach changes how an image is made, edited, printed, displayed and remembered. A phone camera, scanner or digital printer can support rapid experimentation, while film, darkroom processes and hand-pulled prints bring physical decisions into the work.

The right method depends on the project rather than a fixed artistic identity. A photographic series may begin with digital location studies before becoming a set of silver gelatin prints. A printmaker might use a scanned drawing to test composition, then return to lino, etching or screenprint for the final edition. Hybrid practice often provides the most useful balance of control and surprise.

Australian artists also work within particular practical conditions. Bright coastal light, large distances between cities, limited access to specialist suppliers and the cost of shipping materials can influence a studio’s workflow. An artist in Naarm/Melbourne may have several shared darkrooms nearby, while someone in regional Queensland may rely more heavily on online ordering, digital proofing and carefully planned workshop visits.

For emerging artists, the key question is not which medium appears more authentic. It is which process gives the image the right surface, pace and relationship with the audience. Comparing digital imaging with analog photography and traditional printmaking can make those decisions clearer, especially when time, budget and edition size matter.

Control and chance in the image-making process

Digital tools offer immediate feedback. Exposure, colour balance, cropping and sequencing can be tested within minutes, and a working file can be duplicated without damaging the original. This makes digital photography useful for location scouting, documentation, social media, grant applications and early composition studies.

Analog processes place more weight on preparation. Loading film, mixing chemistry, coating a plate or registering paper requires attention before the image appears. That slower rhythm can help artists notice light, texture and material detail. A wet collodion plate, for example, is shaped by timing, temperature, dust and the character of the glass or metal surface.

Chance functions differently in each medium. Digital mistakes can often be undone, while a scratch on a negative or an uneven ink layer may become part of the work. Analog artists can still exercise control through exposure tests, masking, paper choice and repeated states, but the process leaves a more visible record of the decisions made in the studio.

Cost, access and working speed

Digital production may appear inexpensive because a camera or computer can serve many purposes. In practice, software subscriptions, storage, colour management, monitor calibration, replacement drives and archival printing add ongoing costs. A professional pigment print also depends on good paper, suitable inks and a reliable printer, particularly when an artist is producing a limited edition.

Analog work has its own expenses: film, photographic paper, chemistry, plates, ink, cotton rag paper and specialist equipment. A darkroom enlarger or etching press can be costly to purchase, but shared facilities can make access more realistic. Community printshops in Australia often provide equipment, technical knowledge and a valuable peer network for artists who do not have room for a full studio.

Speed matters when a deadline is close. Digital files can be sent to a curator, publisher or exhibition designer almost instantly, which is useful when working between Perth, Sydney and Melbourne. Analog printing usually requires drying, curing, washing, flattening, proofing and packing, so schedules need more room.

That extra time is not necessarily wasted. The physical stages can reveal problems that are easy to overlook on a screen. A test print may show that a shadow is too dense, a paper too bright or a scale too small for the intended wall. Allowing for these discoveries leads to more dependable results.

Surface, colour and the finished object

A screen displays light, while a print reflects it. This basic difference affects how an image feels. Digital photographs can be exceptionally sharp and consistent, yet a hand-coated plate, fibrous paper or uneven ink deposit creates a surface that changes as the viewer moves around it.

Colour workflows require particular care. A file may look rich on a backlit monitor but lose depth when printed. Artists need to consider the paper’s whiteness, the printer profile, ambient light and the difference between RGB screen colour and CMYK or pigment-based output. Soft proofing helps, though it cannot replace viewing a physical test.

Analog materials carry their own visual vocabulary. Grain, halation, silver density, plate marks and the edge of an inked block can communicate age, tactility or vulnerability. These qualities can be simulated digitally, but a simulated texture is not the same as a surface created by chemistry, pressure or repeated contact.

For a portfolio, it is useful to document that physical character carefully. A straight-on record shot can show composition, while close details reveal paper fibres, embossing, brushwork or a collodion plate’s irregularities. Good documentation helps online viewers understand what a screen cannot fully reproduce.

Editioning, archives and exhibition requirements

Digital files are easy to duplicate, which creates flexibility around revisions and output. That flexibility must be balanced with clear edition policies. Artists should decide whether an edition refers to a particular image, size, paper, process or combination of these factors. Consistent naming, metadata and print records prevent confusion later.

Traditional printmaking has established conventions around proofs, editions and states, although artists can define their own transparent system. A monotype, for example, may be unique even when produced from a reusable plate. A photographic print may belong to an edition tied to one negative and one paper. Clear notes support collectors and future exhibitions.

Archiving is essential in both approaches. Store original camera files, scans and edited masters in more than one location, and record software versions where relevant. For analog negatives, plates and prints, use stable sleeves, neutral folders and conditions away from heat, moisture and direct sunlight.

Climate can complicate storage in Australia. Humid summers in Brisbane or Darwin require close attention to mould and paper movement, while intense sunlight in much of the country can accelerate fading and damage. Artists shipping work to an exhibition should also consider acid-free packaging, protective glazing and the time a parcel may spend in a hot delivery vehicle.

Choosing a process for different projects

Use digital methods when the project depends on speed, repeated variations or accurate communication across distance. Editorial commissions, architectural studies, social documentation and large image sequences often benefit from a fast capture-to-proof workflow. Digital tools are also practical for testing how a photograph might translate into a screenprint or photopolymer plate.

Analog methods suit projects where duration, material evidence and physical encounter are central. Film can slow down observation, while a darkroom print allows tonal decisions to remain connected to the negative. Etching, relief printing and screenprint introduce pressure, resistance and hand movement that can become part of the meaning.

A hybrid workflow can be deliberate rather than compromising. An artist may photograph a decaying wall digitally, enlarge and manipulate the image, transfer it to a screen, then print several layers by hand. Another may scan a charcoal drawing, create a digital guide for registration and finish the edition with traditional inks.

The choice should also reflect the audience and venue. A small artist-run space in Fitzroy may reward intimate, tactile works, while a regional touring exhibition may require robust framing and dependable documentation. Open-call exhibitions, art fairs and online sales each place different demands on file size, packing, pricing and reproducibility.

A practical studio checklist

Before committing to a process, write down what the work needs to achieve. The following checks can prevent an attractive technique from becoming an expensive distraction.

Questions to settle early

A small test can answer more than a long comparison. Make one digital proof and one physical proof at a useful scale. View both under the lighting expected at the exhibition, then record what changes in contrast, colour, texture and emotional impact.

Records worth keeping

These records help when an artwork is reprinted, loaned, sold or included in a future catalogue. They also make collaboration easier when a printer, framer, curator or gallery needs accurate information.

Making a sustainable and personal decision

Sustainability is part of the comparison, though neither medium is automatically harmless. Digital practice involves electronic equipment, energy use and consumables, while analog photography can involve chemical disposal, single-use packaging and water use. Printmakers should follow local disposal rules rather than pouring photographic chemistry or solvent-based materials down household drains.

Efficiency can come from planning. Batch scanning, proofing several images on one sheet and reusing test paper reduce waste. Digital contact sheets can help narrow a series before film or ink is consumed. Shared facilities may also provide safer ventilation and waste systems than a small home workspace.

Personal energy matters too. Some artists think best while moving quickly between files; others need the quiet discipline of a darkroom or press. A process that keeps the artist attentive is often more valuable than one that seems technically advanced. The medium becomes part of the subject, not merely a delivery system.

For Australian artists building a practice, local relationships can shape the decision. A community printshop, photographic collective or regional arts centre may offer advice that cannot be found in a product description. Workshops in Hobart, Adelaide or Newcastle can also connect artists with suppliers, technicians and collaborators, reducing the isolation that distance sometimes creates.

Digital and analog methods can coexist without weakening either one. A carefully edited file can lead to a handmade edition, and an imperfect plate can become the source for a precise digital sequence. The strongest choice is the one that supports the image’s material life, gives the artist room to work and communicates clearly with its eventual audience.

Explore Meg Turner’s printmaking, photography and installation projects to see how film, wet collodion, darkroom practice and traditional processes can operate together. Artists seeking contract printing support can get in touch to discuss a project, edition or collaborative workflow.