Using a transmission step tablet to gauge exposure

In browsing some alt process prints a local APUGger received I noticed that some of them had a step tablet printed alongside the negative. I figured this is probably to substitute for test strips with the long exposure times often required. How is this done? Would it work with gelatin silver paper as well? Thanks!

- Justin

I use step wedges in the manner outlined in the Sullivan & Weese book on Pt/Pd printing - its basically a good guide for both contrast and exposure times of different combo's of paper/exposure/contrast agent/developers etc...

With a light box they can be used as substitute densitometers by simply comparing the lightest and darkest points of a neg - then looking at your pre-printed test strips in paper you can then figure out which combo will work best for the print (usually just exposure and contrast)

The book takes a chapter to explain it - I hope I have made at least a little sense ...

And yes, I guess there is no reason not to use them with silver (multigrade especially)