Cutting back on graininess and scratches on a print

Jersey Vic · Sep 8, 2006

I'm making some cropped 12"x8" images from an old roll of 35mm TriX that someone else developed POORLY (and scratched the sh*t out of) and I'm wondering how to cut back on some of the graininess while still using my condensor head.
Thanks
Victor

glbeas · Sep 8, 2006

Try stretching a piece of nylon hose mesh across the front of the lens for just a little diffusion while printing. I've seen prints made this way that I couldn't see any grain on. If the scratches are on the back a little nose oil will make them fade back considerably.

Another tactic is to bleach the negs and redevelop in a staining developer, a bit extreme but it helps. Any extra contrast gained will help by allowing a lower grade paper to be used which also minimises grain, and as well the effect of the stain filling in between the grain making it less obvious.

Jersey Vic · Sep 8, 2006

glbeas said:
Try stretching a piece of nylon hose mesh across the front of the lens for just a little diffusion while printing. I've seen prints made this way that I couldn't see any grain on. If the scratches are on the back a little nose oil will make them fade back considerably.

Another tactic is to bleach the negs and redevelop in a staining developer, a bit extreme but it helps. Any extra contrast gained will help by allowing a lower grade paper to be used which also minimises grain, and as well the effect of the stain filling in between the grain making it less obvious.

Great info Gary..horrified by the oil idea but it works REALLY well. Saved the imagine in this case.
These are irreplaceable and I'd like for the viewer's focus to be on the image and not the long deep scratch

removed account4 · Sep 8, 2006

Jersey Vic said:
Great info Gary..horrified by the oil idea but it works REALLY well. Saved the imagine in this case.
These are irreplaceable and I'd like for the viewer's focus to be on the image and not the long deep scratch

hi victor:

as a olde timer once said to me " always from behind the ear, never from the nose!" but YMMV

that oil trick works wonders. one day i had a 5x7 negative - formal PR portrait of RI's former gov. ... was told to make 150 prints of " the govn'a" i dropped it on floor. i was sweating bullets. needlesstosay, the negative cleaned up beautifully - and the "solar" enlarger helped too

john

Jersey Vic · Sep 8, 2006

I've taken printing classes with 2 of the 'big 3' printers that do most of the shows and exhibitions in NYC and neither of one of them EV-UH mentioned the nose oil trick. Must be scared of the competition..
That being said I learned to 'add tone' using pencil lead when necessary and that's a life saver.

Gerald Koch · Sep 8, 2006

Actually the nylon mesh should be held by an embroidery hoop to keep it taut. The hoop is then held between the lens and the paper. The amount of diffusion is then controlled by the distance from the lens to the hoop. Embroidery hoops can be found in craft stores and one with a radius of 3 - 4 inches is a good choice. Just stretching the mesh over the lens will not work very well.

Donald Miller · Sep 8, 2006

You can help yourself by using a sheet of opaque acrylic above the condensers in the light path. This will effectively make you condenser enlarger into a diffusion enlarger and help in cutting down grain and scratching effects. You could also insert the diffusion between the condensers and the negative. This will create more diffusion and very closely appproximate a cold light head.

The nylon mesh below the lens will not work nearly as well and will soften the print more than I would like.

Higher contrast will make the grain and defects more noticeable.

Of course do what works best for you.

Keith Tapscott. · Sep 10, 2006

Jersey Vic said:
Great info Gary..horrified by the oil idea but it works REALLY well. Saved the imagine in this case.
These are irreplaceable and I'd like for the viewer's focus to be on the image and not the long deep scratch

A Cokin #1 P system diffusion filter held under the enlarger lens for about 50% of the print exposure works well too.

David H. Bebbington · Sep 10, 2006

Old-timer's trick for VERY bad scratches is to use a glass-type carrier (with upper and lower glass) and apply a film of glycerine to either side of the film. Like nose/ear oil, this apparently has the same refractive index as film base!

Cutting back on graininess and scratches on a print

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