Efficiently making color contact sheets

Shinnya · Oct 9, 2015

Hi,

Not sure if this question came up before or not.

I am getting back to color printing and want to figure out an efficient ways to create contact sheets from different color films.

I do understand that we need to come up with different filtration based on emulsions, but I want to learn how to set a "default" filter combinations for different films.

Let me know if anyone has great ideas for it.

Thanks!
Tsuyoshi

Sirius Glass · Oct 9, 2015

Some papers print the magenta and yellow filter numbers to use for the starting point.

Photo Engineer · Oct 9, 2015

I print all contact sheets at the same filtration. There has been about a 10M variation over 50 years and two manufactures.

PE

Shinnya · Oct 10, 2015

Ron,

So it is based on the paper, not film emulsions like different kind of films within the same brand???

Thanks!

Photo Engineer said:
I print all contact sheets at the same filtration. There has been about a 10M variation over 50 years and two manufactures.

PE

pentaxuser · Oct 10, 2015

Sirius Glass said:
Some papers print the magenta and yellow filter numbers to use for the starting point.

Which papers still have the filter numbers for them. I recall seeing a starting filter setting in a technical publication that was probably for paper that is no longer produced but have never seen anything on boxes which as I understand things was the norm once but before my time.

Thanks

pentaxuser

Photo Engineer · Oct 10, 2015

Shinnya said:
Ron,

So it is based on the paper, not film emulsions like different kind of films within the same brand???

Thanks!

Paper varies by as much as 20 M, 20Y or both within one batch. Companies like Kodak and Fuji try to sell batches with the same balance in one area so as to minimize problems, but due to the nature of paper, eventually the pack must change. I have two versions of Endura right now with quite different starting packs, but when using one batch that pack can serve well with negatives that are nearly 50 years old.

PE

Shinnya · Oct 10, 2015

ok, got it.

Provided that I will use the same paper (same box), what is the best way (simplest way) to come up with calibrated filter pack for each emulsions? Maybe I can create control strips from each film that I use like ones for minilab back in the days?

I am not talking about getting "scientific" accuracy here: I just want something more practical for my daily usage.

Thanks!
Tsuyoshi

Photo Engineer · Oct 10, 2015

Common wisdom is to use a starting pack of 50M 50Y or 50R. Often, an offset is printed on the side or bottom of the box of paper.

For an 8x10 from a 35 mm negative, I start at f5.6 or f11 for 12", and then I make a test strip. From there, I get the best exposure and lock it in for all prints after that. From there, I use the same filter pack and just vary exposure as if I were making B&W prints.

PE

pentaxuser · Oct 10, 2015

Photo Engineer said:
Common wisdom is to use a starting pack of 50M 50Y or 50R. Often, an offset is printed on the side or bottom of the box of paper.

PE

That's the offset I have never seen and it is about 10 years since I started colour printing PE. I began in the days of Fuji MP and Supra Endura (III I think) and never saw any offset anywhere on the box.

I used to look very carefully for such info as a number of posts in those far-off days were advising me of such info. Maybe I couldn't see for looking as they say or it wasn't printed on boxes for the U.K. market?

Anyone else recall seeing such offset on recent ( last 5 years say) boxes of either Fuji or Kodak when it still cut sheets?

pentaxuser

perkeleellinen · Oct 12, 2015

The boxes of Supra Edura (UK bought) used to have filter numbers on them.

Mainecoonmaniac · Oct 12, 2015

Use the same emulsion number, have the film processed at the same lab and print on the same batch of paper.

DREW WILEY · Oct 12, 2015

Getting to first base with various RA4 papers, filtration-wise, is fairly easy. Getting all the way around to home base gets more finicky with
each additional step of fine-tuning. Contact proofs are just for rough estimation, of course, but still need properly exposed originals.

Efficiently making color contact sheets

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