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  #1  
Old 26th June 2011, 10:27 PM
Lozkins Lozkins is offline
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Default Paper question

Hello, time for my stupid n00b question of the week...

I want to buy some paper to do my first prints, but I know nothing about paper! At college we only did b&w and the paper was provided. I have never printed colour before so I don't know what kind of paper I need to buy to print colour.

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.
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  #2  
Old 27th June 2011, 07:23 AM
Neil Smith Neil Smith is offline
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For colour if you are printing from negative have a look here on one of our sponsors sites, the Fuji top right link has cut sheet sizes.

http://www.ag-photographic.co.uk/colour-papers-13-c.asp

The bottom Ilfochrome is for printing transparency, but that is very expensive.

Neil
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  #3  
Old 27th June 2011, 07:29 AM
Dave miller Dave miller is offline
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I also suggest that you consider Fuji Crystal Archive and talk to one of our sponsors to ascertain what else you will need by way of processing chemicals.
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  #4  
Old 27th June 2011, 08:15 AM
Tony Marlow Tony Marlow is online now
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When I did some colour printing I used Kodak Supra and Ultra in the lustre surface. I found them to be fine. Silverprint's website gives a description of both but Ultra is only available in roll form. I also used Fuji Fujicolor Crystal Archive Type MP which was lustre and this was fine too and is listed on Silverprint's site. Both Kodak and Fuji are available in glossy. They both seem to be resin papers so handling etc was easy although the chemicals are different and their temperature more critical and all exposing and processing was done in total darkness with no safe light. There were room temperature chemical kits available and probably are now. I guess you could process using a Jobo drum instead of trays or tanks which means only the enlarger exposing and handling the paper needs total darkness, once the paper is in the drum the lights can go on. Dave should be able to give you more info on this method if you need it. The biggest problem I found was getting the colour balance right with the filter adjustments, it was quite a bit of trial and error.

Tony

Last edited by Tony Marlow; 27th June 2011 at 08:24 AM.
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  #5  
Old 27th June 2011, 08:41 AM
Neil Smith Neil Smith is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tony Marlow View Post
The biggest problem I found was getting the colour balance right with the filter adjustments, it was quite a bit of trial and error.

Tony
A good book showing the colour casts will be of help here, as it can be tricky getting colour balance perfect, spotting wether a cast is slightly cyan or slightly blue takes some experience.

On the course I did, you learnt the colour theory and then did a practical colour ring around, first producing a neutral print and then dialing in all colour casts in 5, 10, 20 CC. The lecturers shuffled the prints like cards and then showed them to you one by one and you had to get them all right to pass. A very good exercise and invaluable to learn colour printing.

Neil
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  #6  
Old 27th June 2011, 12:04 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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As others have said I'd go to one of our sponsors such as AgPhotographic. Matt sells the Kodak chems which can be used at room temp (20C upwards)

You can use a safelight but at quite low levels. The DUKA 10 or 50 sodium light is very good but having recently attempted to re-start colour work my experience was that safe times( paper out of box, into easel etc) for colour are very short.

Be prepared for a bit of a learning curve and producing no worthwhile prints while learning. My success rate curve to get to the first decent print was much slower with colour than B&W. The ring around exercise that Neil mentions is ideal to help you see colour casts.

Once you complete your apprenticeship then if you want to speed up the process a colour analyser is worth thinking about. The Paterson/Phillips analyser often is auctioned on e-bay and only fetches modest prices.

Unless you are set up to cut your own paper from rolls I think you'll have to settle for Fuji sheets. Kodak and Fuji paper require different filtrations so you may as well settle on Fuji.

Chopping and changing on paper until you are very experienced is not a good idea even if Kodak was available in sheet form.

Finally books on colour processing are still available and worth searching for.

Have fun

Mike
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  #7  
Old 27th June 2011, 09:37 PM
Lozkins Lozkins is offline
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Thanks for your input guys, would you suggest I try out B&W with it all first before trying colour? I have a Durst C35 which claims to do either (just something I picked up cheap on ebay to practice with). Is all the Ilford paper B&W? There is some of it on ebay that I was thinking of getting.


I really don't know a lot about it, so feel free to talk to me as though I am stupid! I will probably find it useful!
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  #8  
Old 27th June 2011, 09:58 PM
Neil Smith Neil Smith is offline
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I would certainly practice printing B/W before moving on to colour. Once you have mastered the basics it will make it easier to move on to colour.

Do you have a decent darkroom book? I would say that is a must to help you get started, and you can fine tune your method by asking all the questions that arise here on FADU

Neil
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  #9  
Old 27th June 2011, 10:10 PM
Lozkins Lozkins is offline
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No, I don't have a book, just memories from college I will look into getting one. My next obstacle is chemicals, no idea what is what and what to buy... hmm!
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  #10  
Old 27th June 2011, 11:29 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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For printing only three chems needed. Developer, Stop bath and Fixer

Ilford or Fotospeed supply all three. Kodak do Stopbath as well. I'd certainly get a book on B&W processing. For printing Tim Rudman's Master Printing Course is ideal as you already have some knowledge from college.

I can't recall where you live but a phonecall to either Silverprint or Matt at Ag in B'ham will be worthwhile for advice on chemicals and if you live close enough to either a visit might be sensible although both do mail order

Mike
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