Kallitype Printing With An Unsharp (XRAY film) Mask

[Andrew O'Neill]

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Danger...proceed with caution...mind bending potential...very deep rabbit hole...very steep/long learning curve:

Contrast Masking Kits - Achieve ultimate print quality!

Contrast Masking Kits for ultimate print quality! Guides to darkroom masking procedures and specialized darkroom printing techniques - create stunning print quality

www.radekaphotography.com

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Danger...proceed with caution...mind bending potential...very deep rabbit hole...very steep/long learning curve:

Contrast Masking Kits - Achieve ultimate print quality!

Contrast Masking Kits for ultimate print quality! Guides to darkroom masking procedures and specialized darkroom printing techniques - create stunning print quality

www.radekaphotography.com

Yup it is. I've been making unsharp masks since I taught myself Howard Bond's method of making them, back in the 90's. Never bothered with masking kits, though. Tape and magnifying specs! With the price of large format film, and moving away from gelatin silver printing back in '09 for Alt., I've not found the need to make them anymore... But, maybe I can now, with XRAY film...

 

[MurrayMinchin]

There are other takeaways, like using Duratrans, punching leader strips for instant slam-dunk registration, sharp masks, and more.

 

[pentaxuser]

Strictly irrelevant to the video's purpose, Andrew, but what always amazes me is how long you seem to have available to examine a processed neg in good room light before needing to put it into the stop bath. Just out of interest how much longer might you have had, should you have needed it, before the negative was damaged by the light?

The follow-up question is : Would it be possible to examine for a few seconds at least a developed film on a reel and then if it was clearly underdeveloped, put it back into the developer for a further period with no effect other than the desired effect red of increasing the development time

I suspect that there might be some problem with doing this if an attempt is made to place it back into the developer i.e. in effect damage is done only if the extra light during the examination is acted upon by more development but I cannot get my head around why this happens

This question is open to responses from others whose knowledge may also provide what precisely happens that prevents success with examination and then re-immersion

Many thanks

pentaxuser

 

[MurrayMinchin]

One scenario...you choose a paper and developer which squeezes a negatives tones into a print, or, you choose a paper and developer which gives yummy local contrast in the high mid tones and highlights, make a dodge mask to hold back the darker areas, then use a shadow contrast increase mask to blast some pure black into the fine line blacks in the shadows.

All this on a grain to grain basis, like the underside of tree branches against the sky.

I’m not enlarging anymore (digitally enlarge negative alt process printer now) but if I was, I’d still be using sharp and unsharp pin registered masking

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Irving Penn was doing it with contact printing:

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

There are other takeaways, like using Duratrans, punching leader strips for instant slam-dunk registration, sharp masks, and more.

When I print with multiple dodge/burn masks, I use discarded LF film strips, with holes punched in them. For a single unsharp mask, taping them together is all that is needed.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Strictly irrelevant to the video's purpose, Andrew, but what always amazes me is how long you seem to have available to examine a processed neg in good room light before needing to put it into the stop bath. Just out of interest how much longer might you have had, should you have needed it, before the negative was damaged by the light?

The follow-up question is : Would it be possible to examine for a few seconds at least a developed film on a reel and then if it was clearly underdeveloped, put it back into the developer for a further period with no effect other than the desired effect red of increasing the development time

I suspect that there might be some problem with doing this if an attempt is made to place it back into the developer i.e. in effect damage is done only if the extra light during the examination is acted upon by more development but I cannot get my head around why this happens

This question is open to responses from others whose knowledge may also provide what precisely happens that prevents success with examination and then re-immersion

Many thanks

pentaxuser

I've had the developed and stopped film out in the light for as long as a minute. I certainly wouldn't do this before the stop bath! After I have a quick look, it goes straight into the fix...never back into the developer! That would be fatal.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

When I print with multiple dodge/burn masks, I use discarded LF film strips, with holes punched in them...

Ahhh, you play the game as well.

The hair stood up on my arms the first time I found Radeka's masking website and realized how it would change my printing.