Moersch Easylith?

[Sino]

Hello there,

just received a nice package that contains Moersch Easylith. Problem is, instructions are only in German. I guess it's been asked before, but a forum search doesn't bring anything up, so here goes:

Do I just combine Chem A + Chem B + Water?
Meaning, do I add, as an example to make 1+1+50 for 500ml [I intend to make small batches as I use small sized papers] 10ml of A, followed by 10ml of B, followed by 480ml of water in a graduate?

Some advice for which dilution to use this developer would be handy too. I will be using it with Fomatone MG RC Glossy 331, going for a colorful & grainy look.

-Sino.

 

[Ole]

http://www.moersch-photochemie.de/daten/knowhow.htm

There's several pdf's in English dealing with lith printing.

The rest of the articles are well worth reading, too.

 

[Sino]

Ole,

I've been through all the website, downloaded & read everything that has the word lith in it [and appreciate the effort mr. Moersch has put into this!] but still haven't found an answer to the most simple question of all: how do I dilute and in which order? The fact that the website mentions that dilutions from 1+15 to 1+30 are recommended whilst the bottles write 1+1+20 to 1+1+80 confuses me further. It may sound silly, and I will test it out myself tomorrow anyway, but a bit of clearing up one's mind never hurts.

A recommendation of dilution for my purposes [colorful & grainy look] with fomatone mg 331 would be great too, if anyone has tried it! If I'm not mistaken, the more you dilute the more pronounced the lith effect becomes, right?

-Sino.

 

[Tom A]

I have just checked my old notes and I have used Easy Lith at 1+1+49. The develop time was quite long 20+ minutes with Fomabrom Var III (it is a slow paper in lith and no, fomabrom does not look like fomatone but it has a nice grainy look). And the capacity was all so quite low 3-4 sheets of 9½"x12" paper from a liter - or was it my patience that didn't last?

Tom

 

[Ole]

Lith printing is NOT an exact science. Try 1+1+28, which will probably be a bit too strong. The put in some more water, if it is too strong. And yes, the capacity is low. Don't try to save developer by filling very little in big trays, the only way to extend the life of the develoer is depth: It's too high surface/volume ratio that kills it too early.

I don't know how Foma papers behave in lith - I'm sorry. I've been using fortezo Museum, Oriental Seagull, various Bergger papers, and Varycon. They are all different, and give very different results from day to day too.

Tim Rudman seems to be the only one who can produce consistent results. BTW, get his book(s) if you want to do lith printing. They're worth it, especially considering the time it takes to make one single almost-right print...

 

[tim rudman]

Ole,

I've been through all the website, downloaded & read everything that has the word lith in it [and appreciate the effort mr. Moersch has put into this!] but still haven't found an answer to the most simple question of all: how do I dilute and in which order? The fact that the website mentions that dilutions from 1+15 to 1+30 are recommended whilst the bottles write 1+1+20 to 1+1+80 confuses me further. It may sound silly, and I will test it out myself tomorrow anyway, but a bit of clearing up one's mind never hurts.

A recommendation of dilution for my purposes [colorful & grainy look] with fomatone mg 331 would be great too, if anyone has tried it! If I'm not mistaken, the more you dilute the more pronounced the lith effect becomes, right?

-Sino.

This is a potential cause for confusion! Some distributors take the 1A + 1 B + X water approach, whilst others (like Moersch) state 1 + X - where '1' is the total amount of developer, i.e. '1' + X water means 1/2A + 1/2B + X water.
As you point out, it is even more confusing where the same source talks about 1+X, but also talks about 1+1+X.
Just remember that when instructions refer to 1+X it is the same as half+half + X.

After all that, there is a huge range of dilutions that work and give different effects, so you are fairly safe that whatever you choose will probably work, although you might prefer the result from a different dilution. With some papers the addition of more water has a considerable effect on the end result. Fomatone MG is perhaps the most notable example.
Stronger solutions tend to give higher contrast, colder tone, more graphic design/pattern effects. Higher dilutions give softer results, usually warmer colours (sometimes strikingly so) and extended highlight tonality. It's very much horses for courses.
Getting consistent results is actually quite easy when you have learned the effects of all the variables. There are not so many really. Then just keep practising and you will find that the more you practise the luckier you get
Tim

 

[Sino]

Tom, Ole,

thank you for the helpful responses.

Long developing times don't bother me -- I've read my way through here so I know it will be an trial & error process, and I am willing to spend time [and paper & chems] in order to get the results I'm after. I'm not up to saving developer, I just prefer small prints over large ones -- I think it fits what I do, the ability to see the entire print instead of focusing on areas of it.

Tim,

Thanks for the clarification. Sometimes simple things confuse me, I know. I will try hunting your books at the serious bookstores on my trip to north Greece in a some days. If I don't find them there [which is more than possible], I guess the best option is ordering them from your website?

Since I have a look in my mind that I'll try to go after [grainy, colorful, "dirty" looking images] I'll start by the lowest dilution and move my way to higher ones by testing. First lith try today then!

-Sino.

 

[tim rudman]

Tom, Ole,

thank you for the helpful responses.

Long developing times don't bother me -- I've read my way through here so I know it will be an trial & error process, and I am willing to spend time [and paper & chems] in order to get the results I'm after. I'm not up to saving developer, I just prefer small prints over large ones -- I think it fits what I do, the ability to see the entire print instead of focusing on areas of it.

Tim,

Thanks for the clarification. Sometimes simple things confuse me, I know. I will try hunting your books at the serious bookstores on my trip to north Greece in a some days. If I don't find them there [which is more than possible], I guess the best option is ordering them from your website?

Since I have a look in my mind that I'll try to go after [grainy, colorful, "dirty" looking images] I'll start by the lowest dilution and move my way to higher ones by testing. First lith try today then!

-Sino.

Sino, apart from your exposure/development technique, one of the biggest factors in the look you achieve is the paper you use. They can have quite different characteristics.

Re the comment made about developer - larger quantities are generally better. Firstly, the volume is largely water and the brew has quite limited capacity. Secondly, each print through the dev changes it a little and affects the appearance of the following print. If you have a small volume this change is more pronounced over the course of a few prints. If you have a larger volume the change from print to print is less and this gives more consistent results, which is a great help when learning and experimenting. Changing only one variable (as far as possible) at a time is a good rule.
BW
Tim

 

[Sino]

Just came home from my first lith session. And, well -- firstly, I am impressed by the tones & the grain of the two final prints. If it takes me another 6 hours to do them again, well, it will be 6 hours happily spent!

Now this Fomatone MG paper -- it's got some great tones, even compared to my favourite and most used lately, Ilford MGWT, but it is so, so slow compared to that. I could use a nuclear blast to project my negatives and it would still shout back at me: "could I have an extra stop please?".

Thanks for all the advice, I shall return with some scans of the prints when I get them where I want to & a copy of Tim's books.

-Sino.

 

[tim rudman]

Thanks for all the advice, I shall return with some scans of the prints when I get them where I want to & a copy of Tim's books.

-Sino.

Sino, the 2nd lith book (WOLP) updated the materials in the 1st book (TMPLPC) as they had changed a very great deal. Now, even since WOLP was published, they have changed quite a bit again. There are some updates on the website under news archive and I put the newest update into all books that I send out personally. (These are updates on the lists in WOLP, not complete lists in their own right).
The material market has settled down now, although some potential new developments are under discussion. Could be quite interesting but much too soon to know at this stage.
BW
Tim