Vantype Negative Maker

Prepare transparency negatives from your digital photos in a complete offline print workflow. Vantype turns positive still images into grayscale negative files for physical contact-printing tests.

MATCH A BATCH Import up to six photos from Files or Photos. Compare grayscale source and negative with a draggable wipe on iPhone, or large side-by-side images on iPad. One nine-point tone curve applies across the batch. Use Linear, Lift Midtones or More Contrast as starting points, adjust ordered anchors, and save your own curves for another batch.

SET THE PRINT Choose A4, Letter or A3, set image width in millimetres, and mirror for contact printing. Height follows each photograph's aspect ratio. See effective PPI and a warning if an image will not fit. PNG DPI tags can be 240, 300 or 600; they do not add pixels or change the chosen PDF size.

DELIVER REAL FILES Prepare original-working-resolution grayscale PNGs and an actual-size negative PDF for each photo. Export one ZIP with those files, a side-by-side proof book, a linear 21-step reference target, CSV print sizes, JSON settings and print instructions. Preview the actual PDFs, share individual PNGs or the full ZIP. Print PDFs at 100% / Actual size with Fit to page off; check the labelled 50 mm bar with a ruler. Printer hardware margins still apply.

KEEP EDITABLE WORK Named batches retain photos, notes, curve and print setup locally. Reopen, rename, duplicate or delete batches; remove photos and reuse or delete saved curves. Any edit invalidates the prior output so files match current settings. Production starts empty. Optional original generated botanical examples run through the same processing and export engine.

LIMITS AND PRINT REALITY 12 batches, six photos each, 20 saved curves. Single still images iOS can decode, up to 60 MB and 60 megapixels. Working copies are oriented, flattened onto white, converted to 8-bit sRGB and capped at 4096 pixels on their longest edge. PNG output retains those working pixels. Original EXIF is not retained; keep originals and important exports separately. JSON records settings and is not an importable project backup.

Grayscale uses weighted encoded sRGB luma, followed by a piecewise-linear tone curve and inversion. Curves and screen proofs are not printer, ink, chemistry, UV or exposure calibration. Test and adjust for your own printer, transparency, materials and process. The 21-step target bypasses the editing curve and is a physical-test reference. No RAW/DNG editing, animated images, camera scanning, automatic scan calibration, color separation, halftone generation, printer connection, exposure timer or print-quality guarantee.

One upfront purchase. No subscription, in-app purchases, account, advertising, analytics, tracking, cloud sync or developer-server upload. Photos and files stay on your device until you choose to share them.

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