Lab rocker for lith printing

[Dwayne Martin]

Thank you.

My guess is that agitation doesn't affect that much or even at all. Missing agitation just slows down the process a bit?

I've built prototype of tray rocker so I'm going to try it on next printing session.

I’m really enjoying mine that’s for sure. I never would have guessed that almost no agitation would work. With film development this would exhaust the local developer and require agitation….but your prints look good that’s for sure. I’ll be interested in knowing how much things change when you use the rocker.

 

[radiant]

I’m really enjoying mine that’s for sure. I never would have guessed that almost no agitation would work. With film development this would exhaust the local developer and require agitation….but your prints look good that’s for sure. I’ll be interested in knowing how much things change when you use the rocker.

I don't think film & paper agitation is comparable. Maybe it is because paper soaks in developer and there is more liquid mass around the paper surface? I once left one lith paper in the tray for too long and when I went checking, it was way overdeveloped. So "stand" paper development surely works.

 

[Arthurwg]

We had rocking print washers at ICP's previous mid-town location.

 

[Dwayne Martin]

I don't think film & paper agitation is comparable. Maybe it is because paper soaks in developer and there is more liquid mass around the paper surface? I once left one lith paper in the tray for too long and when I went checking, it was way overdeveloped. So "stand" paper development surely works.

This whole concept is interesting for sure, I’m curious to find out how it effects the look of the print…maybe I’ll try some side by side tests…

 

[tezzasmall]

One way is to look at my prints, all done with this "technique" :

http://kuvau.tuu.fi/separated/
http://kuvau.tuu.fi/storey/
http://kuvau.tuu.fi/birds-pt-2/
http://kuvau.tuu.fi/hay/

Some lovely lith prints.

Would you mind saying which paper and lith developer you used?

I'm in the UK and lith developers have disappeared and only Easy Lith remains, which I'm currently testing, along side mixing up from scratch various recommended formaldehyde free formulas.

Many thanks,

Terry S

 

[radiant]

Some lovely lith prints.
Would you mind saying which paper and lith developer you used?
I'm in the UK and lith developers have disappeared and only Easy Lith remains, which I'm currently testing, along side mixing up from scratch various recommended formaldehyde free formulas.

Thank you!

I'm using Agfa Brovira paper and Moersch Easy Lith. Works fine and also for Foma Fomatone MG paper.

 

[tezzasmall]

Thank you!

I'm using Agfa Brovira paper and Moersch Easy Lith. Works fine and also for Foma Fomatone MG paper.

Ah, much appreciated.

I think I have some Brovia paper left from the 80's and definitely have the other paper and developer.

The bits that I particularly like in some of your prints shown is the accentuated grainy look, which is something I haven't been able to achieve just yet with Easy Lith.

Any pointers?

Terry S

 

[radiant]

I think I have some Brovia paper left from the 80's and definitely have the other paper and developer.
The bits that I particularly like in some of your prints shown is the accentuated grainy look, which is something I haven't been able to achieve just yet with Easy Lith.

I think Brovira paper has more grainy lith pattern - at least compared to Fomatone. That is why I like that paper. Also exposure & snatching plays big role in this. I'm probably doing this quite unorthodoxically too

BTW: constant agigation doesn't really help in development time or neither I see differences in the print. Please share your experiences, try one print with just one minute start agitation and then let it rest to when the image start to appear. I would assume the time is the same. I agitate at the end of the development because I just wish the print would come to end a bit faster

 

[faberryman]

I wiggle the tray gently to give me something to do while I am waiting for the image to appear. It usually takes 4-6 minutes before something happens depending on how much exposure I have given the paper and how many prints I have run through the developer. Each print is unique. Even though I expose the film consistently, the amount of exposure and developing time vary from print to print. It is a fair amount of trial and error to get a series of relatively uniform prints when you are showing them together.

 

[tezzasmall]

I'm using Agfa Brovira paper and Moersch Easy Lith. Works fine and also for Foma Fomatone MG paper.

I think Brovira paper has more grainy lith pattern - at least compared to Fomatone.

Please share your experiences...

Well I tried my packet of Brovira and it turns out to be well past it. Even with HUGE and then HUGER exposures and development times, when compared to Foma, I barely even got an image to appear on the paper.

I tried the Foma paper as well and got some half decent results, although I think I need some brighter safelight's, as I left most prints in the dev for too long and got REALLY dark blacks, which covered up the shadow detail.

I think I need to order a bigger bottle of Easy Lith as well, to use along side my mixing up home brews to try, as I only bought the smallest bottles to try and they are not lasting very long, so more dosh to spend... But then again who said this was a cheap hobby?

Terry S

 

[Dwayne Martin]

Well I tried my packet of Brovira and it turns out to be well past it. Even with HUGE and then HUGER exposures and development times, when compared to Foma, I barely even got an image to appear on the paper.

I tried the Foma paper as well and got some half decent results, although I think I need some brighter safelight's, as I left most prints in the dev for too long and got REALLY dark blacks, which covered up the shadow detail.

I think I need to order a bigger bottle of Easy Lith as well, to use along side my mixing up home brews to try, as I only bought the smallest bottles to try and they are not lasting very long, so more dosh to spend... But then again who said this was a cheap hobby?

Terry S

Get yourself a darkroom torch or make one with a flashlight. It will solve your safelight issue. When the print is starting to come up you won't be able to see a damn thing with the torch, just glare but when it starts to get close to the snatch point that torch will make it super easy to see the critical blacks. You can really dial in the snatch point this way. I bought my torch from RH Designs for 20 bucks or so and I love it. It hangs around you neck.

 

[radiant]

Well I tried my packet of Brovira and it turns out to be well past it. Even with HUGE and then HUGER exposures and development times, when compared to Foma, I barely even got an image to appear on the paper.

I tried the Foma paper as well and got some half decent results, although I think I need some brighter safelight's, as I left most prints in the dev for too long and got REALLY dark blacks, which covered up the shadow detail.

I think I need to order a bigger bottle of Easy Lith as well, to use along side my mixing up home brews to try, as I only bought the smallest bottles to try and they are not lasting very long, so more dosh to spend... But then again who said this was a cheap hobby?

Terry S

Did you develop the Brovira long enough? I use really high dilution developer with Easy Lith, something like 1+15 or so and it might take 12 minutes for the image to appear. Try really long exposure and leave the print for really long time in the developer.

Yes red "torch" is quite a necessity in lith print. I'm using a really cheap bike rear light (red), it is just one standard led + coin cell battery. Works well.