Is a digital calibration good from process to process?

[seans]

Hi

Since I dont have really any competency in the analog darkroom I was wondering -

If you are making contact prints from an in camera negative - once you have the negative can you use that in carbon or platinum or ...?

If yes - does the same idea transfer to digital negatives?

Just curious as I have a well calibrated palladium process and I am getting back into carbon. But my previous carbon work was on a 2200 and my palladium was on a 3800 - I want to move everything to the 3800

Thanks for any insights
Sean

 

[sanking]

Hi

Since I dont have really any competency in the analog darkroom I was wondering -

If you are making contact prints from an in camera negative - once you have the negative can you use that in carbon or platinum or ...?

If yes - does the same idea transfer to digital negatives?

Just curious as I have a well calibrated palladium process and I am getting back into carbon. But my previous carbon work was on a 2200 and my palladium was on a 3800 - I want to move everything to the 3800

Thanks for any insights
Sean

First, with regard to in-camera negatives, within limits you can adjust the contrast of both the carbon process and pt/pd to print an in-camera negative. However, carbon and pt/pd have different curve types and each will interact differently with the curve of an in-camera negative so that there will be a slightly different look to each type of print.

The same is true of digital negatives. If you have calibrated for pt/pd it should be possible to print in carbon with the same negative, but because of process curve type a digital negative that is linearized for pt/pd will not print entirely linear in carbon, so the tonal values will not be the same in both prints.

Sandy King

 

[Joe Lipka]

Then again, you really won't know for sure unless you try a test or two.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

I'm afraid not. Each process has their own contrast curve. I would be nice if that's the case.

 

[Bob Carnie]

I use the same curve for pt pd and gum bichromate... I assume that over time I have adjusted my gum process to the contrast of the negative. As well I always apply a gum coating over palladium to increase my Dmax so I think it depends.

With my Lambda Durst imaging setup the film is calibrated to a 21 step linerarized position before I start exposing files to film. This allows me to concentrate on what process I am aiming for , so in effect I take into consideration that I want a less contrast negative for Silver Contact Print, If my goal is to make a Pt Pd print I will make a higher curve adjustment than normal and that film will print well... It definitely mimics what we would do in the past with In Camera negatives.