Enlarged Negatives for Alt Processes, Your Recommendations and Experience

[Andrew O'Neill]

Andrew, is the Efke IR the ISO 25 (?) speed. I have a couple hundred sheets in the refrigerator in 11x14. I've never used it, is D19 pretty much required for carbon printing? I was going to use Pyrocat HD. Does D19 produce usable carbon negatives? I've heard it suggested many times.

Hi Curt, sorry for late reply. Yes, it is the ISO 25 stuff. There are other high contrast developers that will work, I just happened to be more familiar with D-19. Pyrocat HD is my main developer, but I could not get HP5 or Efke IR to print in carbon with it. Here is a scan of carbon transfer print made with Efke IR 8x10 and D-19.

 

[Curt]

Hi Andrew, no problem. I'm going to have to insulate more and seal up darkroom and studio area. This weather is tending toward long hot summers.

It's D19 then for the IR. I've heard about the HP5 problem with carbon. I've never used it, I find, from printing old negatives that the 1% club isn't fun. It's too bad HP5 is difficult. FP4 is just fine and the boxes of Efke 25 and 50 I have I'll use carefully. I'm looking forward to using the IR. it looks like you're getting great results with it. Thank you for attaching the image!