Printing colour with a BW enlarger

tomalophicon · Aug 2, 2011

Is this possible, just using the multigrade filters, to make 'acceptable' colour prints from negatives with a BW enlarger?

mopar_guy · Aug 2, 2011

There are available color correction filters for condenser type enlargers. Beseler used to make them for their enlargers. To see what they look like check out eBay item #260826156229.

tomalophicon · Aug 2, 2011

Interesting, thanks for that.

John Meyer · Aug 3, 2011

Or you can use Illfords Ilfochrome filters like i use and they work just fine
Can still get them new or used
John

Bob-D659 · Aug 3, 2011

Last time I was there, www.photocentral.ca has some on their clearance table, email them for price and availability.

Wyno · Aug 3, 2011

I used to use a B&W Fujimoto 4x5 enlarger with Ilfochrome colour filters to do my Ilfochrome prints. Never had a problem.
Mike

ic-racer · Aug 3, 2011

Back in the day a "Color" enlarger just had a filter drawer. The complete filter sets should be available but may be hard to come by these days; dichroic heads were an expensive luxury! You certainly don't want to use B&W multigrade filters for color printing.

tokam · Aug 3, 2011

I have a set of Unicolour filters designed to fit in the tray of the enlarger. Also have a Unicolour colour print matrix which assists in determining the filters to use. (You place it on top of a sheet of paper and use a diffuser, supplied, to expose the paper through the filter matrix. After processing look for the grey segment and follow a chart to seee what filter adjustments are necessary. Anyway these are in Sydney, Aust and you are welcome to them for the cost of postage, The filters come in a metal box.Haven't been used or opened in 25 years. Just hope the dyes in the filters are stable.

Neanderman · Aug 3, 2011

Bear in mind that color papers are designed for tungsten illumination. If you have a cold light head on your enlarger, you'll have problems correcting for it.

Ed

Mike Wilde · Aug 3, 2011

I started with colour this way. I 'rebought a filter set last year to remind me how it all used to be. Yes, the old unicolour matrix I have looks to be faded, but gets you going in the right direction.
Kodak and beselar (I think) made similar things

A small calculator to figure the new exposure time when swapping out filters was the best tool, yet biggest pains with discrete filters. The Kodak print viewing filters had a cardborad insert that has the filter factors of 05 to 50 of each colour printed on it.

As other posts have noted, the print viewing filters are a very powerful tool when you are starting to learn how to print colour. A printed ring around is close to as useful, but Ai still likelt the viewing filters more.

ann · Aug 3, 2011

I have several sets of color printing filters if you can't find them someplace else.

They are the 3x3 size.

tomalophicon · Aug 4, 2011

Thanks for all the help everyone.

Printing colour with a BW enlarger

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