How many are printing color using a wet process?

[Bob-D659]

Delphine, it's called the kitchen sink. The amount you will dispose of is orders of magnitude less to consider than the drain or toilet bowl cleaners that are used in millions of homes everyday.

 

[bill williams]

RA4 as long as I can obtain the supplies.

 

[Stew]

RA4 for a few years as a hobby. It's fairly easy, although it does take patience as most darkroom work does.
It's fun, and no harder than B&W.

 

[thefizz]

Did RA-4 years ago but recently started printing again and I'm loving it. Don't know why I left it for so long. I still love B&W but colour printing is a nice break from it.

 

[delphine]

Delphine, it's called the kitchen sink.

:confused:
I remember clearly that the RA4 chemicals had to be neutralized at the communal darkroom.
Also, yonks ago, I read an article (sorry I can't remember where), in which the author indicated that part of the decision factor to starting printing colour at home was how much one valued its own pipes & drains.
I understood that the chemicals were very corosive.

So what's the stake on this subject?

 

[Adrian Twiss]

[........even easier than black and white![/QUOTE]

I know what you mean. With the permutation on different black and white papers/developers and toners the choices can be bewildering for hte inexperienced. At least with RA4 its one chemistry and perhaps half a dozen distinctively different papers (if that). I still love doing black and white even though I don't consider myself particularly talented.

 

[bob100684]

I want to get into it, what's the learning curve like?

 

[Clay2]

Yes indeed!
Have had my own colour wet darkroom since 1960's.
Cibachromes, Ilfochromes, Ektachrome slides, kodacolour to prints, etc.
More fun messing around in darkroom than sitting in front of a computer.
Best regards,
/Clay

 

[Mike Wilde]

My challenge is the finding the time to do it - I have all the gear, and a freezer full of RA-4 paper. I have a Fujimoto CP-31 12" wide RA-4 roller transport with wash/dry module, that gets fed 2L of chemistry, and away we go. I have Lici colorstar 3000 analyser that is a godsend for those who, like me, print infreqently. I use kodak's RA-RT with lw activitiy additive in the chems. They usually last 9-12 weeks before they poop out with intermittent use, and stored in a full pair of glass jugs in the dark, in my cool (15C winter, 20C summer darkroom). I hand process C41, using a fish tank heater and an old lunch box sized cooler to temp stabilise and also have a wing lynch automated temper, pump and agitate processor to do E6, with chemistry on hand, again, when I find the time.

As a matter of fact there is even a 'spare' 19" kreonite RA-4 10l or so tanks processor ( or any 2 tank process, (plus wash and dry) like RC black and white,with the right temerature and drive speed) that I have rejuvenated, and cleaned up sitting out in the garage, and a 10" thermaphot/durst RCP-20 RA-4 roller processor (1L tanks) in the basement too. These two are free to a good home if you want to taek them off my hands, as I cant see me getting to use them in the near ( less than 5 years) future.

At my last performance review at work I was told (no suprise; I'm happy with what I am paid now, and other more juniors under me are now qualified for the raises more) that I would have no raise. Then last week I get a note in my pay that due to the trend in infrastructure (my industry) growth in the current economic crunch that I was getting a 3.5% raise. I translate that to - gee - thats kind of nice, but will I ever get caught up enough to go on vacation?

 

[ajuk]

So do you have do develop the photos in trays in complete darkness?

 

[ricksplace]

I want to get into it, what's the learning curve like?

I had an acceptable print the first night I tried it. Read lots. This site is probably your best bet to learn about getting started. Get yourself a drum for 8X10s and a motorized base (ebay for about $50) A dichro head on your enlarger sure makes life easier.

 

[Bob-D659]

Yes, but it is way easier to pickup a Beseler 8x10 print drum, then you can process 2x5 test strips in it as well, in the light.

 

[Matt5791]

I want to get into it, what's the learning curve like?

I think it is pretty quick - its different to B&W - with colour the print is much more right or wrong, with both exposure of the print and colour balance.

Best advice is to get hold of a RT processor though if you want to indulge in any sort of volumes, as this makes for an easy time - feed it in, close the lid, lights on, and it emerges 90 seconds later.

The other difference to B&W is that the chemicals last such a long time even when diluted.

Its cheaper than B&W printing too.

Matt

 

[Uncle Bill]

I would like to print RA-4 while it's still available. I will need a colour head enlarger ( my Devere is a condenser head and I don't want to get into filter madness) and a few other goodies to make happen though.

 

[Robert Brummitt]

I use to print my own work when I was in a pro lab but those days are gone. Both labs closed its doors on me and now I have to take my film and sometimes prints to a third lab.

 

[Tom Kershaw]

The other difference to B&W is that the chemicals last such a long time even when diluted.

Matt,

I would predict longevity depends on usage. I have achieved about 5 to 6 days of consistent processing followed by a rapid fall off the next day. Kodak do indicate 7 days in one of the process manuals.

Tom.

 

[Bob-D659]

For anyone who wants to try it and doesn't have a colour head, Photo Central, aka DarkroomCentral.ca have some Omega 3" color printing filter sets sitting on the shelf.

The processing is just as easy as b&w, the difficult part is deciding on what colour balance and saturation you want in a landscape print, 2x5" test strips are your friend.

 

[nickandre]

I want to get into it, what's the learning curve like?

Nothing. I wrote an article for those who want to get started. Check your left side of the screen.

:confused:
I remember clearly that the RA4 chemicals had to be neutralized at the communal darkroom.
Also, yonks ago, I read an article (sorry I can't remember where), in which the author indicated that part of the decision factor to starting printing colour at home was how much one valued its own pipes & drains.
I understood that the chemicals were very corosive.

So what's the stake on this subject?

It's essentially all chemistry found in a B+W darkroom. The only bad part is the silver content in exhausted fixer which can be reclaimed if possible. Most don't.