[pure-silver] Re: Weak Blacks

Jean, Did you test your Dmax and contrast of your VI against anything else?
Several years back in was my pleasure to print with both a VI and an Aristo
VC head mounted on an Omega with a Metrolux II timer. The Aristo was by far
the better light source in terms of contrast range; both flatter prints and
prints with more contrast. To that end, I'd also suggest that anyone with an
older set of filters to also try them against a new set. You might just find
that you are really operating a 1/2 to a stop or more short of your papers
maximum range.

Eric 

Eric Neilsen
4101 Commerce Street, Suite 9
Dallas, TX 75226
214-827-8301

www.ericneilsenphotography.com
SKYPE ejprinter


-----Original Message-----
From: pure-silver-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:pure-silver-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jean-David Beyer
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2009 7:09 AM
To: pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [pure-silver] Re: Weak Blacks

Elias Roustom wrote:
> I'm split grade printing a negative - a known problem negative - going
> with Nicholas O's suggestion to use 00 and 5 filters. I've got an overall
> good print. The technique works. My developer is Sprint 1 +9, I'm using
> Ilfrod MG FB  -  all the variables are in check. I can get the worst
> highlights under control with some burning in under the #00 light, and
> the midtones are fine, but I'm missing that little extra zap to the
> blacks. If I give a little more time under the #5 light, it gets a little
> too mushy. Is this the new color head not being as punchy as my
> condenser? Should I use a stronger developer?
> 
> I'm using the Y dichro filter at 120 for the #00, and the M filter at 130
> for the #5.
> 
I do not do split-printing except when making tests of my enlarging system, 
including the paper. I currently use a Zone VI VC (diffusion) head that has 
a green and a blue tube in it and a separate control for each. So I tested 
it by placing a step wedge (Kodak T-14, IIRC) in the enlarger and adjusted 
printing time until the clear strip gave maximum black and the next step 
(net density 0.15 approximately) was just noticeably different from the max 
black. Then I observed how many steps I could get out of the strip. I did 
the same test with the blue light; I got less steps, indicating greater 
contrast. Obviously, because of the way I did the test, I could get max 
black from either all green or all blue light.

I then did a test to see what it would do with mixtures, so I could 
determine the settings for various grades in between. I set it up so I used 
the same exposure time for all exposures, and adjusted the aperture to get 
max black for the clear step in the step wedge. I then varied the lights to 
get one stop difference (when I could get it) between settings. The 
brightness controls are called SOFT for the green light, and HARD for the 
blue light. They can be turned OFF or set from MIN to MAX, with A to G in 
between. It looks from the chart that I can get all grades, but it is only 
wishful thinking that I really get that last bit of contrast for grade 5.

ILFORD Multigrade IV; D-72 1+2 2 Minutes 75°F; 22 Sec Exp;
                   180mm lens; max height.                      
                                                
GRADE  SOFT    HARD   F/   Low step High step   Difference
00     MAX     OFF     8        1       13      12
0      MAX     B-     10        1       12      11
1      MAX     F      10        2       12      10
2      MAX     MAX    11        2       11       9
3      E       MAX    10        3       11       8
4      MIN     MAX     9        4       11       7
5      OFF     MAX     8        4       10       7

What I have found with MG printing is that the curves are just not the same 
as the curves for graded paper, and I much prefer graded paper, especially 
Kodak Elite Fine Art that has not been available for years. So negatives 
that printed well on Elite does not always print well on MG. I suppose the 
opposite might be true as well, but I have no more Elite to try, and would 
not be inclined to try anymore at this point.

What I suggest is to try to find the minimum exposure you can get to get max

black from the paper with the densest magenta filter and no yellow filter 
you have; i.e., the highest contrast you can get. I hope that at that point,

you should get blank highlights. Then gradually add highlights by printing 
some with the yellow filter. Use the minimum exposure with the yellow filter

you can to fill in the highlights. This might cause you to lose shadow 
detail. As you can see from my chart (that you should not blindly use), 
adding soft exposure will increase the density all over, so as you add soft 
exposure, you may wish to reduce the total exposure. In the long run, you 
should make a chard similar to mine using your equipment and materials. It 
is much simpler to do this kind of calibration with a step wedge than it is 
with an image of something you want to print from.

Do not dodge or burn until you get the best possible print you can without
them.

-- 
   .~.  Jean-David Beyer          Registered Linux User 85642.
   /V\  PGP-Key: 9A2FC99A         Registered Machine   241939.
  /( )\ Shrewsbury, New Jersey    http://counter.li.org
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