AZO questions

[wbryant]

I have heard alot about the AZO printing. is this just printing a regular negative on the old paper developed with the old developer? are there other considerations? where do you get this paper???
Thanks, Will

 

[Eric Rose]

your best source of information on AZO is from Micheal A. Smith. www.michaelandpaula.com they have an AZO forum. Many people on this forum use it, but for all practical purposes it's limited to contact printing.

 

[fhovie]

AZO is a silver chloride paper whereas most papers are silver bromide based. Silver chloride is sensitive over a braoader spectrum so the negatives UV characteristics are a factor. AZO is generally not an enlarging paper so it is moslty used with big negs - 4x5, 5x7, 8x10 etc. AZO can record a greater span of tones and has a very straight response to light - very little toe and very little shoulder. And when developed with Amidol, it has a very very dense cold black. Contact prints on AZO have increadable tonality and depth - they look 3d. I bought some AZO and Amidol and contact printed some 4x5 negs and within a month I was setting up for 8x10! It was AZO that led me there. It is an amazing paper ... and quite collectable too - Prints made on AZO often sell for more than enlargements. Collectors know the difference.

 

[SteveGangi]

You can also develop Azo with Dektol. I've done that. But Amidol is where the magic happens.