First attempts with FB

[Chuck_P]

I've had just the best time with the new 4x5 LPL last night and moved straight into starting with printing FB. I'm using Ilford MGIV glossy and my testing for the dry-down factor (as per Les McClean's article on his website) ended up being about 10% (dektol 1:2, TF-4 fix). By chance anyone else using this enlarger and MGIV and a similar dry-down factor? Just wandering.

I toned the MGIV in selenium 1:10 (5 min but not at 75 deg F) and to my liking, it did very nicely. The paper went from the slightly warmish image tone to cool and with a nice increase in Dmax to help give the highlights a visual boost. Currently, I'm not a fan of the purplish image tone that selenium can provide with some papers (I think stronger dilutions of selenium also make stronger color shifts), so the change observed with MGIV to a simple cool with increased Dmax is wonderful.

Chuck

 

[jim appleyard]

FB is great isn't it?! The 10% drydown factor is pretty much a general number for all papers; I've seen some papers with more, some with less.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Hi Chuck - that's GREAT news!!!

How long were you contact printing your 4x5 negatives? I remember how jazzed I got when seeing mine BIG for the first time

Sounds like you've got everything under control in the dry down and toning department - I'm guessing you did a wee bit of reading while you saved up for the enlarger? Keep us posted of your antics, and fire away with any questions that come up, OK?

Murray

 

[Don Wallace]

I've had just the best time with the new 4x5 LPL last night and moved straight into starting with printing FB. I'm using Ilford MGIV glossy and my testing for the dry-down factor (as per Les McClean's article on his website) ended up being about 10% (dektol 1:2, TF-4 fix). By chance anyone else using this enlarger and MGIV and a similar dry-down factor? Just wandering.

I toned the MGIV in selenium 1:10 (5 min but not at 75 deg F) and to my liking, it did very nicely. The paper went from the slightly warmish image tone to cool and with a nice increase in Dmax to help give the highlights a visual boost. Currently, I'm not a fan of the purplish image tone that selenium can provide with some papers (I think stronger dilutions of selenium also make stronger color shifts), so the change observed with MGIV to a simple cool with increased Dmax is wonderful.

Chuck

Chuck, I got back into serious printing not all that long ago and started with MGIV glossy, in Dektol 1:2, just like you. My enlarger is a DeVere 504 with colour head (don't know if that compares to your LPL). In any case, I like the paper a lot but found that the results from selenium 1:9 were quite minimal. Other folks in this forum have found that too. However, the warmtone version of that paper tones beautifully, but then, i rather like the slightly purplish tone. To each their own. I also tried selenium 1:3 and that made the warmtone look like it had been soaking in cheap wine for a week.

I have not done the dry-down test but I did find that I had to pull back a fair amount to avoid getting muddy. I will give the test a whirl soon and let you know what happens.