Today we’d like to introduce you to Adhemar Dellagiustina.
Adhemar, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I moved to Chicago from Brazil on a whim. I met my future business partner in Florianopolis while he was there visiting my close friend. Up until this point, I had no intention of working in the photographic industry. His visit made such an impression that I decided a change of both career and location was on the cards for me. I apprenticed as a printer at a commercial darkroom in Chicago, making prints for advertising agencies and a variety of photographers. Often, we would work long overnights, making up the human aspect of what would soon become a largely digital process. After honing our trade, my partner and I decided to strike out on our own.
We opened in 1987, with two enlargers and a long sink in a River North loft. Printlab quickly became the favorite photo lab for many Chicago photographers due to our attention to detail and craft. With our grounding in the black & white analog tradition and a desire to learn, we adapted swiftly to the digital revolution. This allowed us to incorporate a variety of state-of-the-art services, such as archival pigment printing, fine art reproduction, and high-quality drum scanning.
Thirty years on, I’m proud to say that my daily work continues the master printer tradition, with our work featured in museums, galleries, books and living rooms worldwide. From masterpieces to baby photos, every image is treated with the same amount of care.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
From the beginning, our mission has been to keep the personal connection alive between the client and the printer. We are dedicated to keeping a small staff intimately connected to all aspects of the projects we take on. However, as many small business owners already know, you end up wearing many hats while performing many different tasks.
On a more significant note, the introduction of digital camera technology totally changed the landscape of the industry. It introduced more DIY production, with many businesses editing and printing their work in-house with their own production teams, while individuals were able to learn some of the magic on their own! However, we have seen many consumers recognizing that our learned experience can produce a superior product to other automated options.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Printlab – what should we know?
Printlab is a full-service digital print production studio. We specialize in archival pigment or fine art printing. Other services include non-archival economy printing, art digitization, vintage print restoration, high-quality film scanning and darkroom services. We work not only for professional photographers and artists, but anyone valuing great imagery for any purpose.
I’m most proud of two things. Creating a print is based on mutual understanding and a shared vision between the printer and client. As a company, we’ve cultivated a number of long-term collaborative relationships that has seen our work go to museums and galleries worldwide.
Next, we restore and reproduce a high number of vintage prints, including some that are extremely damaged. As a printmaker, there is little more satisfying than producing a product that blows away a client’s expectation. These jobs offer the best chance to do so! We give new life to old memories.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Success begins with a love for what you do. I love cameras, I love film, I love the equipment that surrounds photography, I love the process of making a good image into a spectacular one. When feel this way about your work, everything else follows.
This is coupled with two other characteristics I’ve never been able to shut off. Since I was a kid, I was always an extreme perfectionist. My other love (don’t tell photography) is airplanes, and I built many models when I was younger. I spent hours painting details onto wings and tails, wearing a magnification visor for the most exacting precision. Coincidentally, this same piece of equipment would come back into my life when I learned to spot prints! Funny how our interests overlap sometimes.
Equally so, I’ve never been satisfied with one way of doing things. Because I am always looking for new techniques, gear and processes, I can say with confidence this aided Printlab in surviving the digital revolution. When many other businesses were slow to adopt new technologies, I had been using computers since the late 80’s! As an artisan, one can never be fully satisfied. There is always something to learn, in all things and people. This is made that much easier when you have that love for your work.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1240 N. Homan Ave. 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60651
- Website: www.printlab.com
- Phone: 3123629000
- Email: printlab@printlab.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/printlabchicago/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/printlabchicago/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/printlab-chicago
Image Credit:
Spencer Morgan
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