[pure-silver] Re: Typical Printing Waste

People w/o 'the gear':
5-10 tests (3x16) ... 5-8 more full sheets ... more test strips 


[no] fancy equipment ... 12 to 15 sheets
2 test stips, 5 working prints, burn in tests, 2 finished prints with different times 

People w/ 'the gear' (albeit gear that drives on the wrong side
of the road):


I can often get a print fit to mount in one or two tries.



I can get the print solidly into the ballpark right off the bat
(I thought the goal was to bat it _out_ of the ballpark, ed..) 
I realize I am biased and not really a fair sample, but...
I usually get it right enough for me on the first print - if it is a simple print with a burn and/or dodge or two. Sometimes I will scatter a few bits of 2.5x3.5" paper at strategic places for test strips. And sometimes I can't get anything right and the wastebasket overfloweth. 

Test prints, usually, none to one.
The equipment finds the right exposure better than I can judge a test print as the calibration includes the effects of dry-down and toning and is independent of lighting. Often if I 'improve' the exposure the print comes out muddy and with little shadow detail while the print that was exposed by the equipment's reading is brilliant in tone, even though it looked weak and blocked when floating in the fix. 

Price a box of paper, price your time, the gear is cheap at twice
the price.

==
Nicholas O. Lindan
Darkroom Automation
http://www.darkroomautomation.com/da-main.htm
A Unit of Cleveland Engineering Design, LLC
Cleveland, Ohio 44121

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