Contrast settings on ILFORD MG500 system for printing with ILFOBROM GALERIE

Recently I've been exposing GALERIE with the MG500 head @ grade 2.5 via the RH Designs Pro 500 simply as a halfway point. Is there any logic to using a different "grade" in terms of sensitivity with graded papers?

Tom

I doubt it. I recently asked Simon Galley from Ilford for a grade 1 Galerie, and he said forget it.

Since that is an additive system, the fastest printing times would probably be obtained using program #7. Since the system is designed to give the same exposure, irrespective of contrast setting, the contrast grade setting probably has little effect on printing times. Which is to say the system probably won't expose with both lights at full intensity.

This is in contrast to a subtractive head in which case the fastest printing times are with white light (no filtration)

ic-racer said:

Since that is an additive system, the fastest printing times would probably be obtained using program #7. Since the system is designed to give the same exposure, irrespective of contrast setting, the contrast grade setting probably has little effect on printing times. Which is to say the system probably won't expose with both lights at full intensity.

Click to expand...

The RH Designs control unit makes a ratio of "green" then "blue" exposures sequentially.

Tom

Tom,

Obviously you aren't asking if you can change grade with filtration. I get the feeling that you have a few special problems.

I suppose you could nullify either the blue or green tubes with an extreme setting.

Then you can find out if lighting from only one grid gives uneven exposure...

I don't think you would want to run it that way even if you get edge to edge uniformity, because you would wear one bulb out before its time.

So at least with the middle setting you get some exposure from each. The RH Designs balances the two according to irrelevant logic...

For dodge and burn purposes it makes sense to try to find out which bulb exposes the paper fastest... So you can know if it matters whether you dodge/burn at the beginning or end of an exposure.

I don't know which color exposes the paper fastest. Do you know? I use a greenish Aristo on Galerie and it's blazingly fast...

Haa, OK it's not a grid/bulb light source... So much for that theory about tubes burning unevenly.