I never bothered with factors, I just made sure the test strips are dry when assessing them, my hair dryer got some use after years being stashed. I'm not even sure if a single factor could be applied for all prints made with a specific paper type. Sadly, I don't have my enlarger setup anymore due to space limitations, so I can't offer any examples with, or without exposure adjustment for drydown.What did you find to be the actual dry-down factor to be for RC? Andrew for instance rates the factor as being very similar to that suggested by Les McLean of 8-12%
Always difficult to show this accurately on a forum but do you have any examples of prints without drydown compensation and the same prints with correct drydown?
Thanks
pentaxuser
the amount is different with every paper .. some papers it drys down a lot, some very littleWhat did you find to be the actual dry-down factor to be for RC? Andrew for instance rates the factor as being very similar to that suggested by Les McLean of 8-12%
Always difficult to show this accurately on a forum but do you have any examples of prints without drydown compensation and the same prints with correct drydown?
Thanks
pentaxuser
So what did you establish as the drydown factor for Ilford RC? ThanksAnother of my findings:
Foma fb matte has zero drydown effect. Or if it does, it’s much less than Ilford RC.
Thanks a lot!
I tried bleaching and it did’t work out. It took much too long to bleach. All my prints are toned, and I believe the toning may protect the print from bleaching properly...
I will try again soon, with your measures.
Thanks!
With silver gelatin papers, dry-down does affect the highlights greater than shadows when due to shrinkage. The greater part of the image we see is light passing through the emulsion, reflecting off the base (paper), and then returning through the emulsion to our eyes. The brightest highlights have very few grains of developed silver per sq inch, so if one wanted to do the maths, a slight shrinkage of the paper and/or emulsion creates a much larger percentage change in the density of silver grains per sq in of the image in the highlights compared to the darker values of the same print, with their already high density of silver/sq.in.FWIW, I find it more important to adjust the highlights - it is the difference between the appearance of the highlights and the shadows that is most important.
I also do a fair bit of toning. With some papers (not Ilford MGIV RC) Selenium toner makes a difference. Brown toning also helps - warmer tones have an important subjective effect.
I have a friend with a whole bunch of aquariums - in the room next to his darkroom actually.Problem solved. Sorta.
I could have an open studio or gallery show like this. Maybe place 10 or 20 trays w/ water in them around the gallery. Some small plastic ferns here and there would be nice, driftwood perhaps, maybe put some goldfish in the trays w/ the prints, add tiny pieces of plastic floating in there like in our oceans. Lots of possibilities. In fact, this does allow viewing the prints while wet......except for that vertical thing.
You can display verticals on the sides. 4 prints per aquarium.You could use both sides - two prints per aquarium!
No substitute for a ferrotyped fiber print. I cleaned out Gary Camera's old stock of Kodak print flattening solution a few years back. I still have 3 full, 1 gallon brown glass bottles of the stuff, I've got some Pakosol too! Darn stuff works!If you find books on printing from the 40 and 50s there is often a mention on waxing, shellac, and ferrotyping, I have a heated ferrotype dryer, but when I want a glossy print I don't plug it in, I squeegee the print onto the plate, and let it dry until it pops off. I use a distilled water final soak with Kodak print flattener, I have a few bottles left that seem to work after decades of storage. Still, maybe 50% are perfect, the others I rewash and redry. And I clean the plate with auto chrome polish, the old fashion stuff used on classic cars.
Try Selenium toner on Ilford's latest MG RC paper. 1min in 1:7 doesn't change color bumps up the blacks. Try it. Selenium not stinky sepia tonersWith warming:
I like the toned print a lot more, but I don't tone anything. Just straight B&W, and try to keep the image as neutral as possible in terms of shades or color.
Try Selenium toner on Ilford's latest MG RC paper
10%So what did you establish as the drydown factor for Ilford RC? Thanks
pentaxuser
I'm still using up a 250 sheet box of MGIV, all my experience with the new stuff is on 5x7 prints from medium format negs. I'm sure as with every change will take a bit of getting used too.somewhat OT but I have the most difficult times getting sth as basic as decent contact-sheets from this new paper.
MGRC IV was wonderful but V is a basket of problems (imo).
I had the drydown effect with RC prints. Eliminating stray light in the darkroom, particularly from the enlarger, and bare minimum use of the safelight, significantly reduced the drydown effect, resulting in prints with good contrast and whites.
It reduced the unplanned flashing of the paper...which is great thing.I had the drydown effect with RC prints. Eliminating stray light in the darkroom, particularly from the enlarger, and bare minimum use of the safelight, significantly reduced the drydown effect, resulting in prints with good contrast and whites.
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