B&W printing using color head

[cliveh]

I have always thought that adding Cyan will give some ND effect, but I may be wrong.

 

[RPC]

I have always thought that adding Cyan will give some ND effect, but I may be wrong.

Not as far as b&w paper is concerned.

 

[nworth]

Color heads work quite well for black and white printing. I like being able to make subtle changes to the contrast by dialing in filtration. There are several guides on the web to give the approximate filter settings for the various VC paper grades. One warning, some of these guides will require exposure adjustment when going from one contrast to another. To add neutral density for longer exposures, add equal amounts of all three filters. I have one particularly bright enlarger, and I have found it wise to add a neutral density filter (like a camera filter) below the lens.

 

[Ian Grant]

I've used both below the lens filters and colour heads along-side each other and both give excellent results.

My main enlargers in my new darkroom have colour heads, I use the single filter channel option because that works easily for me. 2 enlargers have condenser heads and will be used with below the lens filters.

Ian

 

[bvy]

The one most concerning argument on color head use for monochrome is the price/availability of bulbs. Otherwise I see no reason to discount it as a fair-to-good replacement for filters. Further, filters put another medium between lens and film. But one droplet of water on it, and it's all over.

Learned that the hard way. I use the color head and the Ilford filtrations published on their spec sheets. Usually, I'm just using grade 0 and 4 for split grade printing. I could probably make things easy on myself and instead just dial in full magenta or yellow to accomplish this...

 

[ic-racer]

The one most concerning argument on color head use for monochrome is the price/availability of bulbs.

Maybe you have a stash of opal lamps and Aristo cold light tubes?? Replacement coldlight tubes and opal lamps for condenser enlargers are harder to find than the ubiquitous M16 dichroic lamps used in many color heads. You can even get 12v and 24v LED lamps in M16 bases.

 

[amellice]

I have always thought that adding Cyan will give some ND effect, but I may be wrong.

I always thought that adding the 3 channels with the same amount will act as ND

 

[DREW WILEY]

Printing VC papers with colorhead is super-easy, especially if you forget about all that grade-this and grade-that nonsense and just do it.
A few simple test strips will save you hours and hours or redundant theory. Magenta for high contrast, yellow for low.

 

[M Carter]

I finally broke down and bought Cokin Magenta and Yellow hard resin filters for under the lens. Cleanable and no image degradation, I just padded the safelight-filter (so no scratches) holder and can set them there. Spent $10 on some closeout sale.

I use a Beseler 67 and fiddling with the filter drawer between exposures has bitten me in the past!

 

[Bob Carnie]

I agree with Drew on this .

Printing VC papers with colorhead is super-easy, especially if you forget about all that grade-this and grade-that nonsense and just do it.
A few simple test strips will save you hours and hours or redundant theory. Magenta for high contrast, yellow for low.

 

[Bruce Osgood]

I agree with Drew on this .

And I agree with both AND GREATLY appreciate the defused light when spotting a print

 

[Ian Grant]

And I agree with both AND GREATLY appreciate the defused light when spotting a print

I agree with you, Bob and Drew.

Like Drew I no longer think of grades with a colour head and just add what filtration I need, and it's stepless ulike graded papers or VC filters.

Ian