Reversal *printing* - Is there such a process ?

[nick mulder]

Hi,

I've been developing all my film recently as positive (its reversal B+W 16mm Plus-X) and among the motion footage have seen some frames that I would like to enlarge as stills prints ...

Is there a method of doing reversal print with standard B+W print papers ?

expose ...
develop ...
bleach ...
re-expose ...
re-develop ...
wash ...
enjoy ...

?

I'm keen to experiment whatever, but need to know where to start with the bleach, I'd try just the same orange juice (sulphuric acid and pot dichromate) I use for the negs, but print paper isn't neg, so thought I'd ask here first ...

I understand there are positive process papers, but they are mostly contact print ?? I can do that with my pt/pd stuff but want the enlargement as 10.26mm x 7.49mm is a mite too small, in any case I'm keen to use the load of paper I got along with my enlarger, both have been unused since I got into cine ...


cheers for any help,

Nick

 

[Photo Engineer]

Nick, the big trick to this is developing to get a low contrast. Films are low contrast and the reversal process is done in a way to achieve high contrast, but papers are high contrast and must be developed to yield a final image that is low contrast.

Also, papers have a short latitude whereas films have a long latitude for the same reasons, contrast.

So, yes it can be done. IDK how the quality would be with a negative paper. Reversal papers, when made, had a contrast of about 1.0 as compared to a contrast for negative papers of about 2.5 (this is for a normal contrast paper). I suggest you start with a grade 1 paper or lower if you can. This might get you into the right ball park. Again, IDK for sure.

PE

 

[nick mulder]

Thanks for the info. I'll see what grade papers I have, I think they are just all bundled in a darkbox though, no idea what I have really...

with the same bleach and clearing bath as for film ?
(pot dichromate + sulphuric acid for the bleach and sodium sulphite clearing bath)

I'd use print developer though.

I'll give it a try one day - experiment! woohoo! probably crappy results! etc... however trevor, the labor of setting up a darkroom would work out in any case, because if it failed I could still make some neg prints to scan and invert in photobelch (I don't have a transparency scanner)

 

[Photo Engineer]

Paper has a lower silver level and the silver negative image is bleached more easily than film. I would go easy with the bleach time or concentration to make sure that the paper image was not injured. Also, FB papers might stain and decompose in the acid bleach if it is too strong.

Cibachrome print material uses an acid bleach and must be coated on a plastic like support to prevent destruction of the paper base. So, be careful.

PE