Film speed/dev. testing for Pt/Pd prints

I'm sorry if get's kind of long, but I would like to hear from others on how they approach the initial exposure of the negative relating to Pt/Pd printing.

I have been doing a lot of research and have several of the typical books on Pt/Pd printing, but have not found much addressing finding your ideal film speed and development testing. While I've gone through the process for silver printing, I have never really done it for Pt/Pd printing and am curious how others have arrived at their standard speed an developing times.

The only resource that I've found that goes into detail is Jeffery Mathias's on-line guide for Platinum and Palladium printing. By the way, if you've never seen it on his website, there is a lot of info there, and it's all available for free. I especially like his method for brush coating the paper.

Anyway - back to my question issues.

1 - Have you established your ideal film speed and negative developing times and did you arrive at it much the same way you did for silver printing? Or do you just arbitrarily increase your development time a certain percentage and deal with contrast control in printing?

2 - When you are out and see an image that you want to shoot, do you make the decision then and there to expose/develop for Silver or for Pt/Pd? I think my problem still is that I'm too indecisive sometimes and figure I'll decide after the negative is developed whether it looks better for silver or Pt/Pd (or both) and deal with it with contrast control then. I know that this approach is the totally wrong way to look at it all, because it gives me negatives that are many times to thin for normal Pt/Pd printing (or too contrasty for silver). I'm now committing myself to improve the way I do things.

3 - Do you devoted Pt/Pd printers also still do silver printing as well?

I hope that this doesn't open up too many can's of worms with everyone's different opinions, but let's see where this takes us.

Thanks,

Dan

a friend of mine and i ran a series of test with HP5+ 4x5 film.

shot the same image at a film speed of 400, N-1, N, N+1 , N+2

One set of negatives where processed in Hc110 solutin B, the other set in Pryocat HD semi-stand development.
The Pryocat were are favorites, the N+1 worked great for Pd printing. The prints were much sharper with the pryocat hd.

We both also print silver.

I generally have a good idea of what process i will use before making an image. not always but a high percentage of time; however, i have also been doing this for a very long time.

We both have also done extensive testing to determine EI times for film with regardi to silver printing, and it was quite easy to carry over that thought process to alternative processes.

HOpe this is some help for you.

I am certain there will be several others on this site who are much more experienced with Pt/pd printing and they will have lots to offer.

Not yet experienced in Pt/Pd printing but working away as it a very rewarding and beautiful process.
I don't change the film speed i have found works with my way of measuring light and developer of choice but, development does change.
When i am using my 4x5 i always develop for silver gel printing. When working 8x10 i develop for Azo grade 2which also makes a good negative for Pt/Pd printing.
Where i sometimes have problems deciding is when i shoot 5x7, i can enlarge or i can contact print on Pt/Pd but don't contact print on Azo in that format.
Most often i do develop for Pt/Pd and have found that i can enlarge the same negative using a 0 or -1 filter for VC Silver Gel paper.
My limited experience is that if you develop for a 0 filter on your prefered VC paper (If you use VC paper) you will also have a good neg. for Pt/Pd printing.
Hope this help..


jan

1) I arrive at my exposures and developing for platinum printing the same way I did with silver...I make exposures, develop them and then make prints. If the prints turned out okay, I do the same the next time, it the prints did not turn out, I do something different next time. I keep good notes. There is not enough time to allow for drinking bad beer or for too much testing (your personality may differ).

2) Yes, but my choice is between platinum printing and carbon printing, since the answer to your #3 is "No"...I just don't do much silver printing these days. Single transfer carbon printing reverses the image, so often I need to make the choice while composing the image...but some images work both ways. If I give the negative too much contrast for platinum printing, it will make a great carbon print.

The actual exposure of the negative doesn't really change for me between the various processes -- got to get the detail in the shadows that I want.

Vaughn