Masking Ilfochrome

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Swift Raven

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My experience with masking has been confined to B&W printing. I am learning to apply masking to printing Ilfochrome. I understand that masks used with transperancies when printing with Ilfochrome also control contrast. I understand that individual masks can be built to control the contrast of red, green, or blue in the final print (although I have yet to try this and don't know how). But in reading about masking there seems to be an implication that the quality (tone, hue) of a specific color can be modified with a mask. I do not understand this. Are we really talking about color saturation?

My operational level with Ilfochrome is:establish the exposure and color balance (which won't change much until a new batch of paper or a different transperancy film is printed), apply masks to control local contrast and/or burn & dodge.
 

rossawilson1

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As far as I know, a B&W mask is only ever going to change the brightness of a particular part of the image, generally the highlights in order to bring them into the contrast range of the paper along with the shadows. I know you can control colours and specific parts of the image by making a digital contrast mask. You scan the transparency, paint the parts you want to hold back in photoshop and then print it out on some slide projector material.

The only projector material that could be inkjet printed on I found would not hold the ink in a uniform manor, only in obvious dots, so it didn't work for me.

The only way to alter hue or individual colour I know would be to dodge certain areas, change the filter settings, then dodge all but those areas. I'm sure some E6 experts will chime in shortly to help you further.
 

2F/2F

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Yes, you can use filters to mask primarily certain colors in the transparency. In Ilfochromes, it is most often useful on bright solid red areas that are blowing out. To do this, you expose your mask through a red filter. Depending on how densely you make the mask, you can also get some pretty interesting "alternative" printing effects.
 
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Yes, you can use filters to mask primarily certain colors in the transparency. In Ilfochromes, it is most often useful on bright solid red areas that are blowing out. To do this, you expose your mask through a red filter. Depending on how densely you make the mask, you can also get some pretty interesting "alternative" printing effects.

---
The "bright solid areas" are a problem with Velvia and its flashy, avant-garde stablemate, Velvia 100F. Many lensmen exploit primary blocks but equally so, many avoid it. For a time, Kodachrome was recommended by my Ciba printer for its better handling of deep primaries like red. I generally use Provia 100F for Cibas when I need to photograph a solid primary (like a collection of dew-spangled deep red December roses) without blocking as the film has a much more relaxed dynamic range and handles red very well, especially with POL applied — a breed apart from "Vaudeville Velvia".

My printer routinely masks Velvia and Provia trannies to control contrast and there is a small gain in colour saturation on the print (more so with Velvia), which is why I 'key up' (or slightly overexpose) RVP 50 (i.e. 40, then +0.3 again) in marginal lighting; Provia, with a more natural and less intense palette, is my choice of filmstock now and requires much less bracketing and exposure tweaking. Masking is also very effective if a tranny is scratched or damaged as some of my 'golden oldies' are.
 

analogsnob

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Masking is as much art as science. Masks can brighten highlights, remove casts from highlights, increase and decrease local and overall contrast and change color saturation with or without changing contrast. All that can be localized to specific areas. If vericolor print film is still available localized color corrections are possible.

A mask for those who don't know is generally a low desity B&W neg of an image that is bound up (registered on pins or registered and taped) to the transparency (for our purposes here) to change the printing characteristics of that transparency.

The simplest mask is one we called a range mask. The mask film (pan mask now discontinued Tmax 100 works) exposed so just the midtones up render and given very flat development that when put on the transparency adds density to the lighter tones so that more exposure (making them lighter here) can be given to the shadows. The amount of development controls the degree of correction.

Negative masks are made unsharp. We put between one and 4 layers of herculene drafting film between the transparency and the unexposed mask film (In contact).

A contrast mask is similar to a range mask except the exposure is fuller so the max black of the transparency registers .25-.35 in density. Again development controls the degree of correction. When a contrast mask is made through a filter it lightens areas complimentary of that color preferentially. For instance to lighten greens make the mask through a red #25 filter.

This is simplified but once set up as a system it works reliably and quickly. The most involved Ilfochrome I ever made required 13 additional masks and was made in about 9 exposures (exposed with tricolor filters)

Saturation only masks are made by first making a 100% pre mask. A negative made from the transparency sharp and exposed and developed to achieve a density range that exactly matches the transparency. I think (don't quote me its been years) if you make the pre mask through a cyan sharp cut filter and then bind the transparency and the premask together and make a mask exposure through a green filter you get a filter that will add density to the red areas only.

If anybody's interested I can dig out my notes. I always used notes because figuring the colors can be confusing.
 

nickandre

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So let me get this straight: you take your film original and sandwich it with a few transparent layers to reduce sharpness and tape them together... This seems tedious and unreliable. Are there special materials which help with registration or tricks you can use to hold them together in the carrier?
 

Lopaka

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So let me get this straight: you take your film original and sandwich it with a few transparent layers to reduce sharpness and tape them together... This seems tedious and unreliable. Are there special materials which help with registration or tricks you can use to hold them together in the carrier?

A pin registered masking system is the most reliable.
Here is one: (not exactly cheap)

http://www.radekaphotography.com/maskingkits.htm

Bob
 

analogsnob

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Masks are made (generally )by contact. Lay the transparency emulsion up on a contact frame add the herculene then put the masking film emulsion down and close the frame and expose through the glass side. process the film and assemble the mask (after its dry of coarse) to the base side of the transparency. 35mm transparencies must be removed from the mount and we stripped (cut a 35mm chip size whole in a bigger piece of film and taped the edges of the transparency to the larger film using the thin red tape they used to sell in art stores) 35mm and 2.25 transparencies into 4x5 scrap film for handling. The mask will be the same (if the transparency is sheet film ) or oversize (if 35mm) and the mask and transparency can be taped together. Taping the smaller film to the larger along one edge(trimming down the waste on the mask or the scrap edge of the transparency) is all that is ordinarily required to hold register.We had a Condit pin system but registering a range or contrast mask is not a bad job on a light table with a lupe. Thats one of the reasons for the unsharpness.

The transparency sandwich is then printed (best in glass).

When more extensive masks are used then a pin system is required. Condit punches are sometimes available on e**y. Registered glass (for contacting) and registered carriers completed the system.

Tedious? sometimes but it does work- it seems harder here than it is. Playing a piano is hard til you learn how and practice. Masking is easier than playing a piano.

A rudimentary pin system can be made up using a 2 hole paper punch and some 1/4 inch register pins available through graphic arts suppliers. They also sell some self stick mylar tabs that have hole to hold the pins and can be taped down to glass or a carrier.

Dust was a problem and anywhere we worked with this much film we had a small fan blowing over the work area, it kept the dust from settling on what we were doing.

The strength of the mask was a formula based on the density range of the transparency. I will look up my notes before I state it here so I get it right.
 

analogsnob

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I should say the herculene is used to expose the mask only! The mask is the only thing you sandwich with the transparency to make the print.
 

analogsnob

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One more interesting tidbit while I look up my notes. Printing with an unshrp mask will enhance the sharpness. The effect is the basis for that box in photoshop. It has to do with augmenting the edge of different density areas. It is one of the determining factors in deciding how much diffusion is required. Other factors included how much it was to be enlarged and how long a lens was used to print it.

If too much diffusion is used you will begin to see the hailow (gosh I wish I could spell)
 

analogsnob

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Let me correct myself before going on. The red saturation mask is made with a pre mask through a green (#61) filter and the principle is made through a red (#29).

Now a word about color filters. Color and saturation masking use color separation filters generally wratten #29 red, #61 green and #47b Blue. Within the color ranges the higher the number the "sharper cut" or in other words the more specific they are, a #29 is sharper cutting than a #25 and a #48 is sharper cutting than a #47b etc. The choice of filter will be affected by the colors you want to effect and the material you start with. Kodachrome benifitted by the use of a #24 instead of a #29 for instance.

To control the masking process you have to know the dynamic range of your system. Different enlargers have different contrasts and lens flair is different as is darkroom conditions. To do this you need a 21 step grey scale (Kodak or Stouffer) it is a piece of film with 21 equal (about .15) steps of grey from clear to black. If you have the kodak you will thank yourself for numbering each step neatly at the edge with a fine point sharpie or india ink starting with the light end from 1 to 21. The Stouffer comes numbered. Put the grey scale in your enlarger and mask off any open space around the scale with developed out film (lith film exposed and developed in the light works great) or black paper. Make a print onto whatever material you are using so that as many steps show as possible. You are looking for the spot where the steps disapear on each end of the scale. Note the number of the last visible step dark and light. Read those steps on a densitometer and subtract the smaller from the larger and that is your dynamic range. For demonstration purposes I will use a dynamic range of 1.90 yours will be different.

Now to the mask. Set up to make a contact exposure. You need masking film I used to use Kodak Pan masking film which is no longer made Kodak says that Tmax 100 will work. You will also need dilute developer such as HC-110 mixed 1/2 oz per quart of water stop and fixer. Tray constant agitation at 68 degrees. It is important that you do everthing in a repeatable fashion! Make a series of exposures starting at 1 second and progressing at twice the previous ie: 1,2,4,8, 16 etc. process the film at 1 1/2 minutes at 68 degrees. You are looking for the exposure that gives a density of .35-.40 at step 21. When you find it note the exposure time that produced it and read step 1. Subtract the smaller from the larger, take that difference and divide by the density range which gives a percent (gamma). It will be around 15%. Repeat the procedure with a 51/2 minute development time. (These are Pan mask times you might have to "fish" a little for the Tmax times)

Armed with this data get a piece of graph paper. Place the gamma up the left side, the development time accross the bottom and exposure time up the right side. Place a mark at the point wherre the gamma and 11/2 minute dev time intersect do the same with the gamma at 51/2 min and draw a strait line between them. Now place a mark where the exposure time for 11/2 min time intersects with that time. Repeat with the exposure for 51/2 min and draw a dotted line between them. ( I will get an example up soon)

Now for the why of all this.......Lets say you have a transpaency (an almost white wall with a dark vase of flowers say) measure the density of the wall and the vase and when you subtract the smaller from the larger you get 2.45. From your test of dynamic range you know that anything more than 1.90 is trouble. Take the density range of the transparency 2.45 and subtract the dynamic range 1.90 giving a difference of .55 divide .55by the original density range of 2.45 you get about 21 %. Now to your chart. Place your finger at 21 gamma and run your finger to the right until it hits the solid line then down to the deveopment time required. Now move your finger up to the dotted line and then right to the exposure time. You now have the exposure and development time to give the exactly right mask for what you are printing.

We had a chart for each filter and exposure set up we used.

Next the highlight mask.......
 

analogsnob

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I should say that the procedure in my last post is for a contrast mask. One that will cut contrast through the entire scale. A range mask is made in much the same way except that the exposure is less on the order of two stops less and approximately twice the gamma in development. When made this way the mask begins to have effect in the mid tones while leaving the shadows (where contrast suffers anyway) untouched. It is possible to need both a range mask and a filtered contrast mask on the same transparency.

Note that you are adding density to the transparency so you will have to compensate (to "print through"it) and exposures can get long. Making ilfchrome murals from masked transparencies stretched at times into significant parts of an hour!
 

uwphotoer

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I should say that the procedure in my last post is for a contrast mask. One that will cut contrast through the entire scale.

Another great way to do a contras mask is a MinitMask......

A MinitMask is a glass that makes a grainless unsharp silver mask of approximately .30 density in seconds. Exposed via electronic flash. Since it's basically like those glasses that get darker when you go outside in the sun (Transitions).
 

analogsnob

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Minitmask does work but it is more or less a one size fits all solution. It functions more as a range mask as opposed to a contrast mask propper. The image can also fade if there is a long time between exposures ( like over night) but registration is not an issue.
 

analogsnob

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The Highlight Mask

The highlight mask comes in atleast four flavors bump,regular,spec,and super spec. Each flavor brightens highlights to compensate for overflattening effects of a mask or to brighten highlights by themselves (the bump).

The regular highlight mask is made using kodalith or kodalithpan film and is a sharp mask made first to be bound with the transparency durring the principle mask exposure. The lith film is exposed and tray processed in D-11 21/2 to 31/2 minits At 68 degrees. The results should have density only in the highlights- the lightest areas other aresa will be clear. When the mask is registered to the base side of the transparency durring the making of the principle mask it holds back the highlights so that the effect of the principle mask is reduced and the highlights retain their contrast. The effects are best judged by trial and error and experience makes judgement easier. Using Kodalith pan (unfortunately nolonger available) by making the mask through a filter that color would be lightened preferentially thus reducing the cast of that color in the highlights.

The specular highlight mask is a highlight mask that is confined to just the specular highlights means less exposure and more development to render just the brightest areas. Sometimes this requires a little hand work with farmer's reducer.

The super spec highlight mask is a three step highlight mask starting with a specular highlight mask which is contacted to make a positive with just the highlights visible which is then contacted back to a negative to increase the density in the lightest of the highlights. (think sparkling highlights on sunlit snow) The superspec should be dense enough to prevent any exposure in the principle mask.

The bump is the most technically challenging of the highlight masks because it requires a registered carrier and an enlarger firmly locked down to prevent movement. It is made by making a specular highlight mask and contacting it back to a positive on Kodalith film so only the highlights are clear all other areas are black. The mask is then used in a second exposure on the print. The transparency is removed from the registered carrier with the paper still in the easel after the first exposure and repaced by the bumpmask (we had a light lock so we could go out into the light to make the switch). A second exposure was made useing the bump which "popped" the highlights. Highlights could be added with this procedure that weren't there originally all that was required was a little hand work with opaque or india ink on the specular mask stage.

Next localization and color correction voodoo
 

analogsnob

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More Thoughts on Highlight masks

Spec and super spec highlights can be layered with each other and with regular highlights. Regular can be stacked with themselves to get the separation required.

They still make Kodak LPD4 precision line film which can be processed in D-11 and because it is direct positive it can be used to make super specs without all the contacting of neg to pos to neg. You can also make bumps directly from the transparency.
 

analogsnob

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Contrast and saturation increase.

Contrast increase masks are always made sharp. The easiest method was to make a duplicate transparency by contact which is then sandwiched with the original. Various ajustments can be made to the dupe such as making the dupe lighter for less effect, layering more than one dupe to increase the effect. We sometimes gave a fairly deep (reffering to reaching further into the upper or sometime lower midtones) bump to effect primarily the shadows. Color corrections can be made to the dupe to correct imbalances in the original ie if the original is blue the dupe can be balanced yellow to cancel out with the original. The one problem with this method is that color contamination multiplys, greens and blues darken and cyans go green and browns dirty up.

As with everything it works out to be a compromize of give and take.

We made dupes both on 6121 dupe stock and on standard tungsten balance film depending on the effect we were shooting for.
 

analogsnob

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There are times when printing from dupes or copies or when a heavy mask is emplyed that the blacks will get a little greyish to cure that you make a very deep highlight mask on lith film. So deep that only the black areas are clear (sometimes with a little manual help with opaque. This mask is then contact printed back on lith film to get a mask with the black areas black only. This is then added to the transparency as it is printed. If one layer isn't enough more can be added.

A more traditional contrast increae mask starts with a B&W neg made on Tmax 100 of normal full scale gamma about 1.00. The negative is then contacted onto another sheet of tmax to get a positive. The density and contrast of the positive can be modified to get the effect desired lighter for less effect or darker for more effect development can be extended to get more contrast etc. The negative is then sandwiched with the transparency and printed. Lith film can be used for the negative for greatest effect.

This method can desaturate some colors because the silver additions on the negative are grey and will dilute or mask some of the dye of the image.
 

analogsnob

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How deep do you folks want to go? Am I loosing anybody? Anybody sorry they asked? From here it gets complicated -section printing, localization, correcting hue shift errors and matching difficult colors in the same picture etc..........
 

2F/2F

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do go on...


You should write the advanced version of the Krull book.
 

Erik L

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Analogsnob, I'm trying to suck it all in:smile: thanks for the informative posts. I've been making contrast reducing masks all day long and printing up the results with not a great deal of success I'm afraid. My un masked prints look better to me albeit with some blocked shadows and blown highlights. I'll keep at it until I conquer it or run out of paper:smile: Keep the post coming, it is interesting reading although you are about to go over my head big time,
regards
Erik
 

analogsnob

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Ok one last pearl for tonight.

You can evaluate the transparency visually to determin a starting point for a contrast mask. First do you want to lighten up the shadow or take contrast out uniformly? To lighten the shadows only use a range mask.

Judge the strength as follows
transparency is correction is
very soft 10%
soft 15%
slighly soft 20%
normal 25%
slightly contrasty 30%
contrasty 35%
very contrasty 40%+

If your prints are too muddy than the mask is too strong- has too much development.

The Ilfochrome mid contrast or low contrast material both requires less masking and also tends to get muddy fast. If the highlights get muddy try a highlight mask when you make the principle. The dynamic range test will yield some obvious differences between the high contrast delux material and the lower contrast varieties. I used to use the high contrast because the color reproduction was better and it had more head room to allow for masking corrections. Something similar happens when trying to mask negatives--it is sometimes difficult to get the correction needed without killing the contrast. A light hand is in order.
 
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