Support our Sponsors, they keep FADU free: AG Photographic The Imaging Warehouse Process Supplies RH Designs Second-hand Darkroom Supplies |
> Are you getting maximum black on your prints? |
*** Click here for the FADU 2015/2014 Yearbooks *** |
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Are you getting maximum black on your prints?
During a darkroom session the other day, I was making some prints on some Ilford FB matt paper, with some freshly mixed and diluted D72 developer, that has become a bit of a favourite recently. I first tried it just a little while ago now, after I unexpectedly run out of my usual go to paper developer, Ilford multigrade, which I've used for years now.
The prints were given the usual 2 minutes in the developer and I was happy with the prints as they came out of the fixer. With the white light put on I could see how they'd look dry, as I'm used to dry down and know the effect it can have, especially with this paper. But, for whatever the reason was, I thought, what would happen if I give the paper an extra minute, taking the development time to the edge of what Ilford recommends? Well, was I surprised! Even wet from the fixer, I could tell that the blacks were darker than before. It wasn't a big jump when the prints were dry, but there was a noticeable difference - and I liked it! Ilford say one can develop for yet a few more minutes if required, but I'll be sticking with the new time of 3 minutes now, for my FB matt prints at least. I've rechecked the times given for RC papers, and they quote a minute. But when I'm next in the darkroom, out of curiosity if nothing else, I'm going to give any paper I use, whether that be FB or RC, just a little bit longer development and then compare them to ones done for the recommended time. So, just asking - are you getting the maximum black out of your papers? And when was the last time you checked? Terry S |
#2
|
||||
|
||||
I've always found FB papers need a bit longer to get maximum black, as well as detail in the highlights. I usually use either Bromophen or home-brewed ID78 at 20 degC with both FB Classic (glossy) and Warmtone FB semi-matt. RC papers develop to completion at about 1m30s whereas I find FB papers need 3 minutes. If I haven't been in the darkroom for a while I usually test everything, including a max black test. If I'm doing a long session I'll retest the dev after about 20 prints just to check. I find I can usually get up to 30 10x8 FB prints out of a litre of working-strength dev although I rarely do that many in a session.
|
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Yes that periodic check such as in 20 print check is worthwhile. When developer starts to exhaust it sort of creeps up on you I have found unless you compare the last print with the first. Ilford MG developer which is my usual and has been for years can actually produce prints of a kind for much longer than you imagine and it is easy towards the end of a longish printing session to lose focus on the resulting prints
There's a case, I think, for developing chemicals that instead of their life slowly and peacefully drawing to a gentle close, suddenly took a serious turn for the worse that could not be ignored - a bit like a chemical heart attack Mike |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
I have always found that 3 minutes gives that much better blacks, especially with ilford, even with the Rc paper I have found that bit extra gives that much better blacks, I tend to develop RC for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes whatever developer, I use
Richard
__________________
jerseyinblackandwhite.blogspot.com |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Maximum blacks
I will go along with Richard on this although I don't leave the prints in the dev for as long as 3 mins.
I have found the new MG5 is much better than the old MG4 in this respect and normally I extend the development to 1 minute instead of 45 seconds |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Ilford give two minutes development time for PQ developer at 1+9 for RC papers. It is in their information sheet for paper developers on their website but does not appear on the information sheet found in the box’s of resin papers which gives one minute.
Tony |
#7
|
||||
|
||||
Yeah, soon as I saw "2 minutes" I though I knew where this was going - 3 minutes is the minimum I give MGIV FB in most developers - in Neutol WA @ 1+9 it gets 4 minutes. Always worth testing all paper and developer combinations you use. A rough guide I use is 4 times the time to start to show the shadows as it develops, but that is only a very rough guide.
|
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
I couldn't agree more with experimenting. Don't add a few 10s of seconds, go for minutes and see what happens. |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
With Warmtone papers warmth is controlled by choice of developer and exposure and development time. So for greater warmth we cut development eith by time or greater dilution and increase exposure slightly, we aren't aiming for a maximum black.
If you over develop a warmtone paper you are killing the warmth. RC paper while no longer Developer incorporated like the original Ilfospeed still have something in the emulsion to aid rapid development hence the shorter recommended development times compared to their Fibre based equivalents. It was generally unknown that the first generation of Ilfospeed was developer incorporated and I was give an old Ilfoprint roller transport machinein the 1980's. I tried the Ilfoprint Activator but the results weren't perfect results then I mixed my own activator, essentially just Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Sulphite and Potassium Bromide, instead of Stabilizer I used Hypam at 1+4. It developed and fixed Ilfospeedprints in under 30 seconds. Ian |
#10
|
||||
|
||||
My lesson has been, not to keep the print in the developer unnecessarily long.
I only use FB paper for printing other than for contacts and I used to give 3 minutes in my Nova processor as standard but found I was often getting muddy highlights and consistently dark, heavy prints, especially when dried. These days, I prefer to give just 90 seconds and no more than 120 seconds in fresh(er) developer. For me, it gives deep 'enough' blacks whilst maintaining separation in the mid-tones and brilliance in the highlights. I also feel this leads to a greater variety in prints giving more room to softness, delicacy and subtlety in interpretation. I bought some books by Eddie Ephraums only to discover his way of printing conflicted with my own. My taste is for prints with a less overly processed and manipulated look and feel. Each to their own, I guess!
__________________
MartyNL “Reaching a creative state of mind thru positive action is considered preferable to waiting for inspiration.” - Minor White, 1950 |
Support our Sponsors, they keep FADU free: AG Photographic The Imaging Warehouse Process Supplies RH Designs Second-hand Darkroom Supplies |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Image maximum sizes now: 1MB, 1400 pixels per side | Bob | Help! | 11 | 8th January 2023 10:53 AM |
Colour Negatives Black & White Prints | JaneWessex | Darkroom | 8 | 23rd October 2017 08:20 PM |
Oil paints on black and white prints | Terry S | Photography in general | 11 | 21st January 2014 02:08 PM |
Do digital, colour or black and white, prints sell better than darkroom prints. | Mark Burley | Business Matters | 51 | 20th September 2013 02:47 PM |
Removing Black Spots from Prints | Martin Aislabie | Monochrome printing techniques | 9 | 25th November 2010 03:49 PM |