Multi colored gum questions...

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M Carter

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I'm in the first "holy @%^<!!!" stages of exploring multi color gum printing. *

But... currently my interests are in fairly big work, making the above a possible dead end long term. The price of 11x14 sheet film activates my gag reflex. Meanwhile, Arista Ortho film is available up to 24"x100'. Also, I am on somewhat of a mission to separate my digital work completely from analog, and have zero interest in using scanners and inkjets for neg creation. Thus my questions:

Is there a way to use ortho film for color seps without a mess of generations? With Ortho not being red-sensitive I can see trouble there... are there any workarounds to go straight to ortho from color?

Can gum bichromate be exposed via a UV enlarger (if registration issues are addressed)? If adequate UV can come blasting from an enlarger lens, will it properly expose a gum emulsion?**

I could easily do color seps from an E6 image via enlarger or contact printing, to 6x7 or 4x5 panchromatic B&W... I assume I could contact-dupe those negs for a positive, and then enlarge them to 11x14 or 16x20 Ortho film in a more standard enlarger setup. This would give me a contact-print workflow and should have no registration issues - I could pin register the large negs as they are exposed.*** (Yes, that puts me in multi-generational territory with contrast-ready lith film).

Can color seps be made via contact printing (filtered light to E6/pan neg sandwich?)

Sorry for the long post - responses much appreciated!


**********
Even longer-winded notes:

*I've got a graphic arts background with lots of experience with color seps, spot-color "kiss" plates, and working with registered graphics. (though I've never made my own seps, more of a mindset of what one can do with multi-plate printing beyond CMYK). I've even got my old pin register gear.

**My video biz gives me access to things like CDM lights with high UV levels, and I would have no problem making a fan-cooled CDM enlarger (I have a DIY bulb & ballast, 150 watts with about a 600-watt tungsten equivalent that requires UV shielding). Would need to test things like heat glass and condensers blocking UV though. And a shutter as these lamps need a 5-minute warmup.

***I have duplicated positive E6 film via enlarger, even from 35mm to 8x10 with gorgeous results.
 

sly

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I can't answer any of your questions, but I am intrigued to see where you go with this. I love gum, but prefer to work from 8x10 b&w negs. Old and lazy, I guess.
 
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M Carter

M Carter

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It really sounds like the biggest task will be to create suitable separation negs with dynamic range that suits what I'm after. Duping already having contrast issues and then ortho film in the mix... hmmm.

I'm still in the midst of a bromoil/liquid emulsion project, I may not mess with this til spring for all I know... but I think I'll start researching the neg end of this.
 
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