printing on liquid light

[Wayne]

I've used LL for glass plates before but I was trying to enlarge on it last night and had some issues. The instructions suggest a wide-open aperture and 20 seconds might get you in the ball park. For testing I projected a 4x5 enlargement from a 6x7 negative onto index cards double coated with LL and ran test strips wide open at 10, 20......50 seconds. The strips were indistinct, the image was faint but present. Thinking maybe the porous surface was interfering somehow I then did a test with a single-coated glass plate and got an extreeeemely faint image. Finally I did another index card at 30 second intervals and at least I could distinguish the strips this time but it was still faint, flat and horrible. I'm thinking I may have to get upwards of 5 minutes exposure before building adequate density.

Does it sound like there's something wrong here, or is this just par for the course? The glass was subbed, the cards were not, and I used D-72 1:2 for 2-3 minutes to develop. I didn't agitate aggressively because I didn't pre-harden, but I kept up a gentle rocking of the tray.

 

[M Carter]

I've never used LL, just Foma's liquid. I just treat it like photo paper though, run a test strip and dial it in. Had no idea liquid light was so slow.

So, if you go hunting for other products - the Foma is luscious stuff. Nice deep blacks, about a grade 3 contrast-wise. Really excellent product - LL always strikes me as more of a "play with this and have fun" product, though that may be a misperception.

 

[Wayne]

I've never used LL, just Foma's liquid. I just treat it like photo paper though, run a test strip and dial it in. Had no idea liquid light was so slow.

So, if you go hunting for other products - the Foma is luscious stuff. Nice deep blacks, about a grade 3 contrast-wise. Really excellent product - LL always strikes me as more of a "play with this and have fun" product, though that may be a misperception.

Yes I wasn't even aware of the Foma stuff until my order was on its way here, and before it even arrived I realized I bought the wrong stuff.

 

[removed account4]

hi wayne

did you do the test that rockland colloid suggests to do to make sure your emulsion is "good"
take a piece of paper with emulsion coated on it
put a coin on it turn the room lights on, then off again
then though the developer $c ,,, if it isn't black and white you have trouble in your midst.
if it is, you need to adjust your expoure time !
old rockland emulsion can be contrasty, but it requries a lot of light !

 

[Wayne]

I havent tried the test, but when LL goes bad doesnt it get darker (more "exposed" rather than lighter? I tested the old batch I had form 10 years ago that way and it came out way darker than what I'm getting with the new batch, and it wasn't exposed to anything but safelight. I suppose I should do the test anyway just to make sure, but I think its just sloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

 

[tezzasmall]

Sounds like a dodgy batch to me, as my new bottle of Rollei branded emulsion has exposures similar to printing papers. An old bottle I bought cheaply has a grey tinge instead of a creamy colour to it but I am going to try a restrainer on it before it gets binned - but in comparison the old emulsion I have is slowwwww and gives a really dull and light print with no tones!

Also two reviewers seem to complain about the product they received, so you are not the only one:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/45028-REG/Rockland_LLE8_Liquid_Light_Photo_Emulsion.html

 

[removed account4]

I havent tried the test, but when LL goes bad doesnt it get darker (more "exposed" rather than lighter? I tested the old batch I had form 10 years ago that way and it came out way darker than what I'm getting with the new batch, and it wasn't exposed to anything but safelight. I suppose I should do the test anyway just to make sure, but I think its just sloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

wayne
why not call rockland and tell them your problem
they will replace your bottle ...

 

[Wayne]

wayne
why not call rockland and tell them your problem
they will replace your bottle ...

I'm not sure there's anything wrong with it yet, and I'm not sure I want any more. I'm not going to be around to use it for a while anyway.