Printing C-41 B+W negs

[richard littlewood]

Recently I did some work that involved copying on to film some archival papers - about 80 images in total. To cut a long story short I ended up using Kodak BW400cn - the wrong film! I say wrong film because 1. Kodak has it down as a B+W film suited to making B+W prints using the colour process, and 2. I can't get decent prints from it using MG paper.

What I'm wondering is, would this film possibly be suited to fixed grade paper better (I have none in at the mo) due to the film base colour - it's warmish brown, and any one ealse used it with any success?

Thing is I have to make a decent 10x8 off each neg - I can't do this with Ilford MG paper - I get close tones, no contrast, and a dirty looking image, and I have to say the negs are exposed OK, and look like they should make good prints.

 

[Dave Parker]

We used to print the CN films on color paper all the time in the lab I worked at with good results, but it does take some experimentation to come up with the correct filtration to get a good B&W print, but this particular film was really not designed to print on the current crop of B&W papers so you will probably have to test a few different ones to get the correct contrast and tone you need.

Dave

 

[aj-images]

Richard - I print CN negs on B&W paper all the time, mostly with good results. I use color heads and print on Ilford multi paper. I use the magenta filter to dial in for contrast. I usually keep it at 25 points or below because adding contrast to these negs makes them extremely grainy. So my advice (if you are using polycontrast filters) is to start with number 1 or 2 and see if that works. - Jim

 

[srs5694]

I've made a couple of satisfactory prints from Kodak's C-41 film using Agfa MCP310RC variable-contrast paper. I seem to recall having to kick the magenta filtration way up, but I'm not positive of that, and my notes aren't handy. Of course, your standards might be higher (or just different) than mine, or other factors might conspire to prevent you from getting good prints.

Another option that occurs to me is to try Kodak's Panalure Select RC paper. This paper is a panchromatic B&W paper designed for making B&W prints in conventional B&W chemistry from color negatives. I've never used it, but I'd hypothesize it might be easier to get good prints from Kodak's C-41 B&W films because it's designed with the orange base in mind. Also, because it's panchromatic, you've got to take extra care with your safelights -- see the data sheet for details.

 

[geraldatwork]

I mostly use the Ilford C-41 and get good results but shot one roll of the Kodak version. All on Ilford MG fiber and RC. With the Kodak C-41 the negatives were very orange. I needed a longer exposure and more magenta for contrast but the photos came out well. If exposed and developed properly you should get good results on VC paper.

 

[thedarkroomstudios]

A # I've seen good results from my darkroomers using Tcn is using the color head with a setting of 100M 0Y 0C -fwiw

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I've shot lots of the T400cn and print it on b&w vc paper. I mostly use Bergger fiber-based paper. I also always give it a bit additional magenta filtration. I usually shoot the film at 100 instead of 400, which gives a bulletproof neg (and thus very long printing times), but ZERO grain. I've printed cropped 35mm negs to 16x20 and they still look grainless. T400cn looks muddy if you shoot it at 400.

 

[Neal]

Dear Richard,

Consider using Kodak Portra Black and White Paper and Photocolor RA chemicals. Prints process easily in trays if you can work with the lights out and examination golves. One tip if you try this, add a water bath between the developer and stop. Seems to keep the stop cleaner (probably not necessary).

Neal Wydra

 

[winger]

I usually use a higher filter than I would with straight B&W film (like starting at 3 1/2 instead of 2) and I print mostly on Ilford multigrade fiber. I did once get a great print using the #2 and #3 filters at the same time, but that was an accident and may not be replicatable (long night, long story, and the title for that photo will now always be "If I only had a brain")