Should I bother with colour printing?

rpavich · Sep 12, 2017

tomfrh said:
For room temp, do you need a room temp. compatible kit? The kits all seem to have 35 degrees on them.

I don't think so. I use Kodak Chems from Unique Photo and I do my printing at whatever temp the room happens to be; in the winter it's 65 deg f and in the summer it's more like 75 deg f.

Ed Sawyer · Sep 12, 2017

IMNSHO, nothing equals well done optical RA4. (Well, maybe well done dye-transfer, but that's it.)

RPC · Sep 12, 2017

tomfrh said:
For room temp, do you need a room temp. compatible kit? The kits all seem to have 35 degrees on them.

I use Kodak Ektacolor RA Developer/Replenisher RT, in this forum known as Kodak RA/RT developer. It is designed to be used for minilab machine replenishment, but can be used to develop prints at room temperatures (68-75F) for two minutes with excellent results. For some reason, Kodak does not promote this capability, but it is endorsed by our resident expert, Photo Engineer. Other RA-4 developers may work as well at room temperature but I have not tried them. Following development (in trays), I use Kodak Bleach-Fix for 2-2 1/2 minutes, then a four-minute wash.

Sirius Glass · Sep 12, 2017

Only if you want to.

Wayne · Sep 12, 2017

tomfrh said:
For room temp, do you need a room temp. compatible kit? The kits all seem to have 35 degrees on them.

Most people who are printing at room temps seem to be using the Ektacolor chems as mentioned, primarily because we know it works thanks to PE. I have also used Arista's RA-4 kit, but only once or twice to see if I liked tray printing. I did. Using Ektacolor is more economical so thats what I use now, but there may be other chems that work.

twelvetone12 · Sep 13, 2017

I use the Adox kit, which should be just a rebranded Tetenal 2 part kit, simply because it is the only I can source easily and cheaply in Switzerland.

CMoore · Sep 16, 2017

To print from color Negs, it all has to be done in a Black Room...no red light, is that correct.?
Thank You

twelvetone12 · Sep 16, 2017

I have a "color safelight", a very very dark amber Kodak one. It WILL fog the paper if you aim at it even briefly, but I found no difference in results if you keep it far away. I always keep it on, it makes it much more tolerable for me than total darkness (and I can see the clock for timing)

Wayne · Sep 16, 2017

I use my Kodak color safelight mostly for help navigating to the sink, which is 25'+ from my enlarger. Once the paper is in the tray I usually shut it off just to be safe, although I have left it on with no apparent ill effects. They are very dim but better than total darkness

CMoore · Sep 16, 2017

I have no intention to print color. I have a LONG Way To Go with learning B&W.....i am just Curious/Interested.
Is there any kind of tutorial that gives a basic explanation of the procedure for making a color print.
For example...focusing.
Do you do that like you would for B&W.....with the Red Light on... line it up the way you want, focus....then turn off the light, slide in a sheet of color paper, and hit the timer.?

Bob Carnie · Sep 16, 2017

CMoore said:
I have no intention to print color. I have a LONG Way To Go with learning B&W.....i am just Curious/Interested.
Is there any kind of tutorial that gives a basic explanation of the procedure for making a color print.
For example...focusing.
Do you do that like you would for B&W.....with the Red Light on... line it up the way you want, focus....then turn off the light, slide in a sheet of color paper, and hit the timer.?

No focus in total darkness no red safelight when printing colour .

twelvetone12 · Sep 16, 2017

CMoore said:
Is there any kind of tutorial that gives a basic explanation of the procedure for making a color print.
For example...focusing.
Do you do that like you would for B&W.....with the Red Light on... line it up the way you want, focus....then turn off the light, slide in a sheet of color paper, and hit the timer.?

I found some tutorials on the 'net, some stuff here on APUG, and a couple books on the subject. The steps involved are really no different from BW. I focus in total darkness with the grain focuser I use for BW, the difference is that it is more difficult to see the dye clouds. Then I turn on the safelight, and frame exactly as I would for BW, and make a test strip in the same way. I dial in the "default" M and Y values I have for my pack of paper, slide the paper, hit the timer. 2 minutes dev, stop, 2 minutes blix, turn on lights, rinse the print and repeat until I'm satisfied!

CMoore · Sep 16, 2017

OK.....Thank You

Wayne · Sep 17, 2017

twelvetone12 said:
the difference is that it is more difficult to see the dye clouds.

Damn near impossible.

Should I bother with colour printing?

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