Two bath Lith

[Gary Holliday]

I'm looking through the gallery on the Moersch site and very impressed with the techniques used...

The first image is Moersch Easy Lith and Catechol
The second image has been split toned with lith

Can someone explain the process of two bath lith?


Thanks

 

[doughowk]

Tim Rudman's The World of Lith Printing has a short chapter on 2-bath dev. Moersch has created the Polychrome Lith system that increase tonal possibilities. Tim & others have also explored various combinations of Lith & other developers as well as toning the Lith prints. I'm still in the one-bath stage so can't comment directly.

 

[tim rudman]

Hello Gary
This is indeed a sad way to be spending New Years Eve !

2 bath lith can be a real eye opener and either similar or totally different in appearance to 1 bath lith prints.

For example, you can use 2 lith trays (separated by a stop and wash) - a strong lith developer to give the high contrast and cold tone shadow tones, and use then a highly diluted lith bath to give the extended highlight range and stronger colour, but without the reduced Dmax and warm blacks that it would give, as that has been already laid down in the 1st bath.

Or you can use 2 developers of different properties, one of which is Lith, to give the properties of each - as with Polychrome, or say Lith + amidol.
We spent a day with this on my lith courses at the Photographers Formulary this year (and will again next year) and I think some of the participants are APUG members and might possibly chime in here

It isn't at all difficult, but it does need a longer process line with more trays.

Tim

 

[Gary Holliday]

Don't worry after my dinner I'll be downing a few Hobgoblins!

So in the first photograph, catechol is looking after the darker tones and a dilute lith bath for the highlights? Two lots of snatching?!

Happy new year

 

[Wolfgang Moersch]

Hello Gary

Technical details are described here: http://www.moersch-photochemie.com/daten/lith-zweibad-eng/lith-zweibad-10.htm
Basics: http://www.moersch-photochemie.com/daten/lith-zweibad-eng/lith-zweibad-1.htm

It´s a never-ending game.

Both developers have to be adjusted in their effect to the quantity of light used during exposure.
First of all, the exposure time for the first developer is to be determined. The quantity of light that generates the dark shadows while in the lith developer after 2 to 5 minutes is to be used for the second developer as well. The dilution of the second developer is to be chosen, as to fully show the light and mid tones after a developing time of 1 to 3 minutes.

Happy new year
wm

 

[Gary Holliday]

Where else would you get world experts answering your questions? Thanks. Those first links are very useful Wolfgang.

I'm hoping that the Adox Fine Print Vario Classic FB and Maco Multibrom FB (Varykon) are still the same paper.

 

[tim rudman]

Don't worry after my dinner I'll be downing a few Hobgoblins!

So in the first photograph, catechol is looking after the darker tones and a dilute lith bath for the highlights? Two lots of snatching?!

Happy new year

As Wolfgang has described, (nice to see you here Wolfgang !) the norm is that the lith lays down the shadow tones in cold toned high contrast and the other developer gives most of the mid and light tones (depending on technique).
Hope the 'Hobgoblins' went down OK

best wishes
Tim