Polaroid Type55 - OK for alt printing?

[cperez]

I bashed my head against the wall of forgetful stupidity last weekend. I tried to print a TMax100 neg on Pt/Pd. Yes, I know. I was stupid. I'd forgotten about the UV layer.

In an attempt to avoid future stupidities, are there any issues printing through Type55 negs in Pt/Pd? Anything I should remember before I launch off and hit my head against the wall again?

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

People do it, but you'll want to experiment with extended development times to see if you can get the density range you need for a satisfying result.

Why not use FP4+ or Efke/Adox PL100, or do you need something that comes in packets?

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I've tried printing T55 negs in Pd. You can do it, but a neg that has a more than adequate contrast for silver printing has a very poor contrast with pt/pd. I had to add a significant amount of NA2 to my pd sensitizer to get something other than muddy and flat for results. As a result, I have not tried again. I suspect that the film base may have similar anti-UV qualities to the new Tmax 100 film base.

 

[ann]

i have used them with vandyke brown print, and it worked fine

 

[bill schwab]

I had to add a significant amount of NA2 to my pd sensitizer...

I've never gone more than a drop, but this is the route I usually take and have had great results IMO. I have also been able to successfully control contrast with exposure as well. It can be done quite nicely. If you see anything in your polaroid print when you pull, you haven't exposed it enough yet.

Of the images below, the top one has a total of 10.5 drops of sensitizer... 5-FO, 5-PD and .5 NA2. The bottom image is without any NA2 at all. Quite a difference.

Bill

 

[cperez]

Bill, at what concentration was the .5 drop Na2?

 

[buggy]

If you see anything in your polaroid print when you pull, you haven't exposed it enough yet

I agree. If the print is white, or nearly so, the negative will probably be great.

 

[cperez]

I was looking for a quick way of producing a few negs I could work from. If I were to use Ilford/Efke/Kodak in 4x5, then I might as well work in 8x10.

I have a growing stack of 8x10 negs expressly produced for this kind of work. But I need something smaller and quicker to print than standing in the dark for 30mins at a time to get my negative processing "just right". I'm slightly neurotic about such things. Polaroid might help eliminate one step in my long path of neurosis.

People do it, but you'll want to experiment with extended development times to see if you can get the density range you need for a satisfying result.

Why not use FP4+ or Efke/Adox PL100, or do you need something that comes in packets?

 

[bill schwab]

Bill, at what concentration was the .5 drop Na2?

That was a 20% solution.

B.