Contact Paper recommendation

[Dave Wooten]

I'd appreciate input from users of J and C paper products on their paper of choice for contact printing-I need to standardize for a project and would like to use to use J and C papers at this time. John has been helpful with suggestions, I would like to hear from current printers on the various nuances etc. Thanks again and again apuggers.

I will also be doing a different project with azo but only after I have taken a class with Michael.

 

[Michael A. Smith]

Well, as you probably know, you can't go wrong with Azo. You are welcome to sign up for a workshop--still a few spots in those we are offering this year, but just a few. But since Azo is so much easier to use than any other paper, you don't really need our workshop to learn how to use it. And if you have any questions, many will answer on the Azo Forum, if you find that your qiestions have not be answered there already.

 

[jd callow]

Although I can't comment on the eas or difficulty in making them I can whole heartedly agree that AZO contacts are the cat's a$$.

As an aside and somewhat off topic, when I get my darkroom finished for colour, I'm going to pursue AZO with the end goal being AZO enlargements.

 

[Alex Hawley]

As an aside and somewhat off topic, when I get my darkroom finished for colour, I'm going to pursue AZO with the end goal being AZO enlargements.

WOW! That's ambitious, but power to you if you want to do it.

Dave, as Michael says, you don't need his workshop to learn how to use Azo. Study what is available on his website (michaelandpaula.com) and you will succeed. Its much simpler that enlargement printing.

 

[Jim Moore]

Another vote for AZO. The AZO/Amidol combination is simply amazing.

As stated by others, you don't need to attend the workshop. Just read up on it at Michael's web site and jump right in

Jim

 

[Michael A. Smith]

Enlarge onto Azo, Mr. Callow. Not a bad idea. We believe that will become increasingly common once the Azo light heads are delivered. We received notice two days ago from the inventor and he said they should be completed in four weeks. The first run is about 70% sold out already. These special heads for enalrgers are not inexpensive, but using them is almost as easy as making a contact print--except you do have to focus. The tonal qualities of the enlargements are identical to the tonal qualities of the same negative when contact printed.

 

[jd callow]

My plans may be somewhat ambitious, but if you don't set and work toward high goals you aren't going to achieve high results.

OTOH I saw a movie the other day were one of the lines was "If you want to see god smile tell him your plans"

 

[Alex Hawley]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the new light head. That should be a boon. Not inexpensive as Michael says, but more affordable and practical than other methods that have been used, like 20 gigawatt enlargers. I stand corrected and say go for it.

 

[c6h6o3]

But do take the workshop. My prints would be much the poorer for not having had Michael show me how to use Azo.

 

[MikeS]

Enlarging onto AZO

I just got some AZO paper, and for the heck of it I tried enlarging onto it. I have an old Elwood 5x7 enlarger that has a really bright bulb in it (I think it's more than 300w but I don't remember). I put a 4x5 negative in it, and exposing the paper for 3 minutes @ f5.6 gave me a pretty nice print. I developed it in Amidol of course Tomorrow I'm going to try some of my other negatives that I've already printed on regular enlarging paper to compare the AZO enlargements to.

-Mike