I'm sure this will be a dumb question for some of you experienced analog printers, but please bear with me. I've never printed any silve gelatin in my life, so this is my first attempt.
I've recently attended platinum palladium workshop and I did some prints on my own afterwards. They look good, because I learned how to calibrate curves properly and print correct digital negatives. Few day ago, I thought, can I use these negatives for silver gelatin prints, since I already have them. I purchased Ilford multigrade developer, stop bath and fixer and I gave it a try today. The results were terrible. First, I have to note that I don't have the enlarger. I have UV exposure unit and contact frame, that both works great for palladium. I used the same unit for silver gelatin, but I couldn't get nearly the right exposure. Even if I turn the lights for a second, the paper will go eventually completely black into developer. I made a test strips, and in order to see the image, I have to keep it only few seconds into developer, but then, the blacks are very faint. If I keep it a second or two longer, everything will go completely dark. Then, just out of curiosity, I tried it under the room lights, and I kept the lights on for 30 seconds in order to see the image, but then again, the blacks are not black, and if I keep it any longer into developer, everything will go too dark.
I'm watching videos about darkroom printing, and people keep the paper in the developer for minutes before the image appears. In my case it takes seconds and then it gets too dark immediately as soon as I get the paper out of the tray. Is this a problem with the negative, or I must use some special lights for silver gelatin prints? Do I really need the enlarger?
I used 9:1 ratio for the Ilford Multigrade developer and Ilford Multigrade FB warmtone paper.
I've recently attended platinum palladium workshop and I did some prints on my own afterwards. They look good, because I learned how to calibrate curves properly and print correct digital negatives. Few day ago, I thought, can I use these negatives for silver gelatin prints, since I already have them. I purchased Ilford multigrade developer, stop bath and fixer and I gave it a try today. The results were terrible. First, I have to note that I don't have the enlarger. I have UV exposure unit and contact frame, that both works great for palladium. I used the same unit for silver gelatin, but I couldn't get nearly the right exposure. Even if I turn the lights for a second, the paper will go eventually completely black into developer. I made a test strips, and in order to see the image, I have to keep it only few seconds into developer, but then, the blacks are very faint. If I keep it a second or two longer, everything will go completely dark. Then, just out of curiosity, I tried it under the room lights, and I kept the lights on for 30 seconds in order to see the image, but then again, the blacks are not black, and if I keep it any longer into developer, everything will go too dark.
I'm watching videos about darkroom printing, and people keep the paper in the developer for minutes before the image appears. In my case it takes seconds and then it gets too dark immediately as soon as I get the paper out of the tray. Is this a problem with the negative, or I must use some special lights for silver gelatin prints? Do I really need the enlarger?
I used 9:1 ratio for the Ilford Multigrade developer and Ilford Multigrade FB warmtone paper.
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Blue = high contrast, green = low contrast print. Incandescent is probably most optimal as it has good spectrum, halogen I guess is a tad better? There are many here who know this well. But in common sense any bulb will do, there are some differences what kind of contrast you get out of the print. But that you can adjust in making the digital negative.