Lith Beginner

[Bill Banks]

I have acquired two unopened Fotospeed LD20 Lith kits with expiry dates of 12/2005 and 4/2013 respectively. Does anybody know whether these are still useable and have any suggestions which paper (available in the UK) would be the best to experiment with?

Bill

 

[Neil Souch]

Bill.

The kits should be OK as long as the two separate bottles of chemicals (usually A & B ) have not been crossed contaminated. Once A + B are combined with water to produce lith developer the solution will only last a short time. Capped full or part full bottles of unmixed A or B will keep for years.

The Fomatone 131 and 132 papers are popular with lith printers but you can try more or less any paper - especially old warm tome papers. I recently produced some pleasing lith prints from some 12 year old Forte RC warm tone paper I forgot I had in the darkroom. It was totally useless for enlarging.


Neil.

 

[roy]

I have never experienced a problem with old lith developer. It might even produce a "different" result which is not necessarily a bad thing. Have you looked at Tim Rudman's website?

 

[bdial]

Your kits should be fine, I had no problem with some Fotospeed lith a year + after it was opened.
Tim Rudman's list would be the best source to review what's current. Forte Polywarmtone is fantastic lithed but good luck finding some. The Foma papers work well, but like to go a little green, at least that's been my experience. Ilford warm and Art 300 are lith-able but show a little less lith "character" than papers like the Foma.

 

[paul_c5x4]

Another technique that can produce some interesting results is the "second pass lith". Overexpose slightly and develop in regular paper developer. Bleach back, and then redevelop in the lith developer. You can use a regular potassium ferricyanide bleach or try a copper sulphate bleach for some interesting tonal splits.

 

[TheToadMen]

I'm gonna try Lith for the first time this summer. I ordered:
* 1x Foma 133 Semi-matt, 9.5x12 (50 sheets)
* 2x Slavich Unibrom 160, Grade Normal, Gloss, 9.5"x12" (25 sheet)
* Moersch Easylith 500 ml

I found it here: http://www.thephotoshop.ie

 

[Newt_on_Swings]

Another technique that can produce some interesting results is the "second pass lith". Overexpose slightly and develop in regular paper developer. Bleach back, and then redevelop in the lith developer. You can use a regular potassium ferricyanide bleach or try a copper sulphate bleach for some interesting tonal splits.

That's the first time I have heard of this technique. Does it reduce the graininess that is present in a regular very over exposed lith print? And does it change the final colors of the prints?

 

[TheToadMen]

That's the first time I have heard of this technique. Does it reduce the graininess that is present in a regular very over exposed lith print? And does it change the final colors of the prints?

It's mentioned by Tim Rudman in his Materials Update 2013. There are some examples on his website.

 

[sly]

Here's one my bleach and redevelop lith prints. This is Ilford MGWT. It works a treat bleached and lithed, but is challenging to lith, especially if you're just starting.

http://silverlilly.zenfolio.com/p547650965/h9560be3#h9560be3

Foma131 gave me chocolate tones with bleach and redevelop.
Lith is SO variable - the paper, the chemicals, the dilution, the temperature, and how much paper has gone through the tray all make a difference. When starting lith, use a paper with known lithability, some papers don't lith easily (like MGWT) and you'll just end up frustrated and confused.

 

[Newt_on_Swings]

That's realy interesting. Why do you like the bleach and redevelopment process? Do you gain more control or does it produce a different range if colors? I am going to give it a shot next time as I have some pot ferri and the arista a and b lith chemicals on hand.

 

[sly]

It's can give a split tone effect with MGWT. Works best when I develop in lith, though it doesn't look lithy. The bleach and redevelop changes it. My attempts to bleach and redevelop when MGWT has been developed in "straight" developer have been varied. The most pleasing is a solarized look, but more often I've achieved a blotchy mess.

Here's some experimentation from a few years ago.

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[Bill Banks]

Thank you, everybody, for your input and advice. I am now very keen to try 2nd pass lith development as a way of dipping my toe in the water. Can anybody point me to formulae for the bleaches Tim Rudman mentions in his website - ferri and copper? I'm especially interested in copper but the only formula I can find uses sulphuric acid which I don't know how to buy. I already have pot ferri and copper sulphate in stock.

Bill

 

[pdeeh]

here's a copper bleach formula: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Sulphuric acid you can get either from eBay (search for battery acid or battery electrolyte) or from an online chemical supplier like APCPure (who also have an eBay shop) if you want 98% . Or you can buy Sodium bisulfite as a substitute which has the advantage of being a bit less dangerous to handle.