Color Printing RA-4 Yes/No? How do folks print today

[koraks]

through my experience that controlled temperatures (35C) will be better because that there is unlikely to be any consistency with prints not made where a technique not kept within close professionally advised temperatures.

Your methodology does not warrant such a conclusion.

PE was very clear in his argument that RA4 is essentially a development to completion process. This goes entirely against your theorizing.

 

[btaylor]

PE was certainly the appropriately acknowledged expert here on RA4 processes. If he said he processed at room temp in trays and was satisfied the process worked as intended that’s good enough for me. That said, I’ve always used (and will continue to use) the recommended temperatures- just habit and not wanting to wait!

 

[mshchem]

Look at Kodak Sino Promise website. J-39 discusses "drift by" processing. Start with a tube (or tray) at room temperature, warm your solutions in a bottle or beaker. The solution in use will drift from quite warm to slightly above ambient using normal times.

Processing at ambient just means using longer times.

I say whatever gets a person in the darkroom. It's a shame that there's no one out there making cheap tubes like the old Cibachrome and Doran/Premier variety. These work great all the lids are interchangeable. At one time I had a dozen or so 8x10/11×14 tubes, these all used the same end cap. Also no roller machine required, just roll them around on a counter top.

 

[mshchem]

PE was certainly the appropriately acknowledged expert here on RA4 processes. If he said he processed at room temp in trays and was satisfied the process worked as intended that’s good enough for me. That said, I’ve always used (and will continue to use) the recommended temperatures- just habit and not wanting to wait!

+1

 

[sasah zib]

it appears that Large Format photographers do much more BW than color (judging by polls in Oct 2021) few responses. Low volumes for color. [polls pointed out to me just now]

 

[mshchem]

Most folks who still work in a darkroom shoot a lot of black and white. LFPF members shoot formats that no color film exists.

 

[lantau]

Most folks who still work in a darkroom shoot a lot of black and white. LFPF members shoot formats that no color film exists.

If you have an 11x14 camera or larger, you have to be willing to buy an Ektar master roll and cut it yourself.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Just because we large format photographers print less color than black and white, having the large film size muscle and equivalent enlargers means we probably use a considerable larger square footage amount of RA4 paper than small camera shooters do. I'm multi-format myself. But there's nothing quite like having 8x10 shots to work with when printing big.

Current color neg film like Ektar can be custom cut as big as you wish, provided you can pay for a minimum order. Just sell off your spare Lexus, remortgage your house, then wait .... wait..... wait. I'll stick with 8x10 as my biggest size.

 

[mshchem]

The cost of color sheet film is breathtaking. Biggest I can go in color is a 4x5 negative for enlarging. I have 10 sheets of 8x10 Portra, I want to contact print. I love contact prints. I have 11x14 cameras but no way I'm in the market for color that big. There's a limit, I hope to my Insanity

 

[Sirius Glass]

The cost of color sheet film is breathtaking. Biggest I can go in color is a 4x5 negative for enlarging. I have 10 sheets of 8x10 Portra, I want to contact print. I love contact prints. I have 11x14 cameras but no way I'm in the market for color that big. There's a limit, I hope to my Insanity

Serious amateurs have no bounds with insanity. Get in either the clown car or the lunatic trolley.

 

[mshchem]

Serious amateurs have no bounds with insanity. Get in either the clown car or the lunatic trolley.

I'm with You my friend!!

 

[sillo]

Finally got my Nova set up

 

[mshchem]

Finally got my Nova set up

That's a beautiful setup, whole space looks fabulous!!

 

[Ernst-Jan]

Finally got my Nova set up

That's an amazing darkroom!

 

[mshchem]

I did some testing today. I shot some photos up close of a gray card, with a big studio flash. Ektar 100 and Portra 160. Anyway I made some prints today using Kodak's filter finder kit from the 70's. These tests confirmed what I suspected for filtration (filter pack) for the Ektar that I had made some earlier prints
What surprised me was the filter pack for the Portra 160 was identical.
Makes it easy to jump from a Portra offering to Ektar. Nice.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I did some testing today. I shot some photos up close of a gray card, with a big studio flash. Ektar 100 and Portra 160. Anyway I made some prints today using Kodak's filter finder kit from the 70's. These tests confirmed what I suspected for filtration (filter pack) for the Ektar that I had made some earlier prints
What surprised me was the filter pack for the Portra 160 was identical.
Makes it easy to jump from a Portra offering to Ektar. Nice.

Use both films with each one used when it produces better results for the setting.

 

[pentaxuser]

Not really in my experience. Prints come out just fine within the normal range of room temperatures in my former darkroom (ca 16C up to ca 28C).

Just out of curiosity what is the range of development times from 16C - 28C?

Thanks

pentaxuser

 

[koraks]

@pentaxuser turns out that with the Fuji chemistry I use, 90 seconds works perfectly fine for the entire temperature range I mentioned.

 

[pentaxuser]

Thanks for the reply on range of temperature and development time. Useful to know

pentaxuser

 

[Avalancheofbricks]

Finally got my Nova set up

This machine can process RA-4 paper? I’m looking for any at home/studio options for printing RA-4 and I’ve come across photos of it several times but I can’t figure out how it works. Does the paper get carried by rollers?

 

[Avalancheofbricks]

View attachment 294116

What roller/machine is this? Is it for rocking chemistry back and forth with a print inside?

 

[Pitotshock]

What roller/machine is this? Is it for rocking chemistry back and forth with a print inside?

Not sure which photo you were referring to, but I think it is the curved stainless steel tray.

It is a Mitchell / Heath "Color Canoe" for up to 16x20 inch sized prints. One tray for all of the chemicals, so you pour in, rock it back and forth then pour out, rinse and then the next solution etc. At this size it is a bit cumbersome to lift and pour, but not too bad. Fumes can be a bit of trouble as there is so much surface area for it to off gas from. If I use it, it is generally at room temp RA4 for 2min. The cooler temp has a bit less fumes. For some reason I do want to collect the other sizes that were available way back when, 8x10 and 11x14... I know of one close by, just haven't managed to convinced the guy to let it go yet.

Today I mostly use the Printo I picked up a little while back to do my color work, so this tray doesn't get much use.

 

[Avalancheofbricks]

Not sure which photo you were referring to, but I think it is the curved stainless steel tray.

It is a Mitchell / Heath "Color Canoe" for up to 16x20 inch sized prints. One tray for all of the chemicals, so you pour in, rock it back and forth then pour out, rinse and then the next solution etc. At this size it is a bit cumbersome to lift and pour, but not too bad. Fumes can be a bit of trouble as there is so much surface area for it to off gas from. If I use it, it is generally at room temp RA4 for 2min. The cooler temp has a bit less fumes. For some reason I do want to collect the other sizes that were available way back when, 8x10 and 11x14... I know of one close by, just haven't managed to convinced the guy to let it go yet.

Today I mostly use the Printo I picked up a little while back to do my color work, so this tray doesn't get much use.

Thanks! Yea that’s the one I was talking about. Speaking of fumes, how bad can they be in a modestly sized apartment?. All my rooms have windows, bathroom has a vent and I keep an air purifier around. I’m just looking to start printing 8x10s or 11x14s at home. Would love to have a printo or RCP20 but might have to just do drums until something comes along .

 

[Pitotshock]

Thanks! Yea that’s the one I was talking about. Speaking of fumes, how bad can they be in a modestly sized apartment?. All my rooms have windows, bathroom has a vent and I keep an air purifier around. I’m just looking to start printing 8x10s or 11x14s at home. Would love to have a printo or RCP20 but might have to just do drums until something comes along .

The fumes very much depend on how you handle the chems. I definitely would suggest some form of ventilation as the RA4 stuff isn't too nice and you can develop a sensitivity to it. If you are using drums and holding your dev/blix in smaller containers the fumes really aren't too bad. With a processor, it is quite nice until you take the cover off to empty and clean, then a big surface area with warm chemicals can be quite strong.

 

[sillo]

This machine can process RA-4 paper? I’m looking for any at home/studio options for printing RA-4 and I’ve come across photos of it several times but I can’t figure out how it works. Does the paper get carried by rollers?

It can do RA-4, but it is still somewhat manual. It basically acts like vertical trays where you slide the paper into the slots.

The 2 sections between the slots contain a heated water bath to control temps. I have it set up to a wifi plug since it takes a little to heat up, I can turn it on via my phone and show up to my darkroom and start printing almost immediately.