pre-flashing the paper

can anyone explain the process, and what it achieves?? :confused::confused:

If you read through this archived thread it will give you a bit of the explanation.

It helps you deal with highlights that would otherwise lack detail.

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Matt

There are several texts including "Way Beyond Monochrome" that discuss flashing of the paper. Its primarily used for graded papers wherein you want to print a high contrast neg on a lower grade of paper (or in between grade). The higher the grade of paper, the lower the density range of the negative.

I've used the technique on both enlarging paper and contact printing paper. With enlarging paper, you would stop down the lens and give the paper without negative a brief exposure, eg 3 sec (and then place paper in covered container). Then place the negative back in tray, focus and then expose as normal.

For contact printing as with AZO or Lodima, its best to have a timer such as Beseler audible that can give shorter than a second exposure time. Or use the enlarger as above to increase the paper sensitivity.

I have a spot-reading light meter with logarithmic scale that is calibrated in Zones. I designed and built it. The calibration is adjustable for paper grade and sensitivity. I have also a variable light source attached to the side of my enlarger that can flood the easel. When I have a negative that is to high in contrast to fit the paper I have, I set exposure by the enlarger diaphram for the shadow (Zone I or so) and set the exposure for the highlight by adding overall illumination from the attached light. The light added for the highlight barely changes the Zone reading in the shadow. The gradations in the print are not much different from those I would have gotten by using the appropriate contrast grade of paper, provided the correction is not too great. I call it "While Flashing."

Hi

Les McLean has a great article on his web site. You will find all the information you need on pre and post flashing there.

http://www.lesmcleanphotography.com/articles.php?page=full&article=27

Stoo

great link Stoo, thank you!

Very useful when applied selectively. I use it on a regular(ish) basis.

Blighty said:

Very useful when applied selectively. I use it on a regular(ish) basis.

Click to expand...

Regular(ish) basis? Do you mean smooth(ish) bottom? Or maybe periodic(ish) fundamental aspect? I'm looking through Roget's Thesaurus and can't find a pair that gives a reasonable meaning to the phrase.

I should have said 'Very useful(ish) when applied selectively(ish). I use it on a regular(ish) basis(ish)