RA4 Issues-Monochromatic Prints

nuckabean

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Oct 22, 2008
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51
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35mm
I've recently dived into color printing and the RA-4 process. I'm using a Philips PCS-150 additive color enlarger. I'm enlarging onto Kodak Supra Endura and processing using Kodak chemistry at room temperature in cibachrome drums. I did my first test strip yeterday which was a disaster because I found out that its very difficult to identify which side of the paper is the emulsion side in the pitch black. I processed it upside down and got a very splotchy print. I made my second atttempt today with much better results. I figured out a way to diferentiate between the two sides of the paper and I've got my paper to come out nicely developed and bleached with one big problem; they're monochromatic. This is really a troubling thing to me as I can't see why it's happening. I set the dials on my enlarger to the reccomended filter pack (0c 55m 65y) and my first print came out purple. I checked my enlarger head and found a loose connection but my next print came out orange. I'm not sure what's going on here but I was hoping someone might be able to offer some advice. Is my color balance really that off? It doesn't seem possible to me but I guess it could be. I'll try checking it with a color meter we have sitting around.

The only other thing I could think of would be the way I mixed my chemicals, I didn't use starter for the developer because everyone on here said not to. Would my measurements not being perfect cause these kinds of problems? I only mixed 1 liter from the 10 liter kit.

I hope I can figure this out, as I'd really like to make my own color prints.

Here is my latest attempt. I apologize for the spots, those are from dust and splotches on the scanner.
 

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Photo Engineer

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Apr 19, 2005
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Overexposed, way out of balance. It is so far off, I can't even guess how far. It is at least several stops over.

PE
 

nickandre

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Oct 22, 2007
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Seattle WA
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What he said.

Lick your fingers. The sticky side is up.

Also I've found the starting filter pack to be absolute garbage. I use something like 25Y 15M (or vice versa, can't remember off the top of my head.) I got that look when I forgot to stop the enlarger down after dusting and refocusing the negative.

This is the method I use: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)
 
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