Printing out calotypes

[NedL]

Hi Everyone,

I have a nagging feeling this is a stupid question. But here it is.

Everything I've read and experienced has suggested that for salt prints and other silver chloride printing out processes, a negative with plenty of contrast is desirable.

Here's where I get confused. I've seen many of pictures of calotype negatives, posted online and in Alan Greene's book. They don't look particularly contrasty. In fact a lot of them look to my eye slightly flat. Yet these were used for printing out, and still are.

What am I missing? Am I just wrong and not seeing the contrast in the negatives ( maybe because of the color? )

Ned

 

[Barry S]

I've seen a fair number of calotypes in museum exhibitions and they've all been very contrasty. It may be the poor reproduction in books that's misleading.

 

[NedL]

I've seen a fair number of calotypes in museum exhibitions and they've all been very contrasty. It may be the poor reproduction in books that's misleading.

Thank you! That answer makes perfect sense.

 

[Loris Medici]

The color of the negative plays an important part too: Silver chloride is sensitive to UV and blue light. The brownish-yellowish-greenish tints present in calotype negatives are all strong blue filters - think of Pyro negatives...

Regards,
Loris.