kodak portra 400 (B&W;C41) on VC paper?

I am just wondering how kodak portra will do on VC paper since it has a transparent base of the tipical C41 color. And it is whise to use that film for enlarger prints anyway?
cheers!
Quinten

I've not used Portra 400 specifically, but Kodak's consumer-grade C-41 B&W film enlarges on conventional VC B&W paper just fine. I need to use longer exposures than is typical, but otherwise I've had no problems with it. That said, I've only made a handful of enlargements from this film, and of course you might have specific requirements or standards to which I cannot speak.

Allright that's good news, I usually only use it for things I am not to serious about and that I don't print myselves. But than a friend of mine used one of those rolls for an assignment that we are supposed to print ourselves. So I felt a bit guilty since I gave that roll to her. Well glad it's okay.

cheers!

Just to underscore what has already been said: I have had excellent results printing Kodak 400CN (C41 process) negatives with their pronounced orange cast using my Aristo 4500 head onto Ilford Multigrade IV FB variable conrast paper. Exposure times were about 10% to 15% longer. Contrast control didn't seem to deviate from normal practice. Prints were rich and full scaled.

Go for it!

Bob

From the Kodak website FAQ on BW400CN:

[QUOTE
Can I print BW400CN Film on black-and-white papers?
For optimum performance, print BW400CN Film on professional color negative papers such as KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA ENDURA or SUPRA ENDURA Papers.

BW400CN Film can be printed on traditional black-and-white papers, but the printing time will be substantially longer and require a higher contrast grade of paper (3 1/2 to 4).

For best results printing onto black-and-white papers, we recommend use of a traditional black-and-white film such as KODAK PROFESSIONAL TRI-X or T-MAX Film.
/QUOTE]

It's essentially a color film (in structure and sensitometry). It has enhanced green sensitivity. It has a straight-line curve that extends over 10 stops with a fairly usual Dmax. The design aim was to have a quality black and white film that could be processed along with C-41 color films on the same lines, for both development and printing. This is different from Ilford XP-2+ which, while it can be developed in normal C-41 lines, seems to be designed for ordinary black and white printing.

This film will print easily on grade 3 paper.

Due to the color of the film base, you will have long exposure times with VC paper using a #3.5 or #4 filter. I had better luck making a base exposure without filtration, then making an additional exposure with the #5 filter to boost the contrast.