Vandyke: long scale, OR large Dmax ?

[buze]

I did print a few scales/wedges with vandyke, trying to see what my "usual time" showed as a grad scale. Turns out that my "favourite" time for max shadow density on quite a few of my negs is 4:20, but at that time the shadows on the wedge are almost completely blocked up... about half the scale is "black".

On the other hand, if I reduce the exposure one stop (2:10) I get a beautiful, almost continuous scale, but I don't get the density and deep black/brown I have when I expose more...

Is there a trick, or do I have to live with it ? I double coat the paper of course...

 

[sanking]

I did print a few scales/wedges with vandyke, trying to see what my "usual time" showed as a grad scale. Turns out that my "favourite" time for max shadow density on quite a few of my negs is 4:20, but at that time the shadows on the wedge are almost completely blocked up... about half the scale is "black".

On the other hand, if I reduce the exposure one stop (2:10) I get a beautiful, almost continuous scale, but I don't get the density and deep black/brown I have when I expose more...

Is there a trick, or do I have to live with it ? I double coat the paper of course...

If you are printing real negatives, as opposed ot step wedges, I woud recommend that you develop longer to get higher CI. What you describe above is the result of negatives that don't have enough contrast for vandyke, which really shines with negatives with DR of 2. 2 and higher.

Sandy King

 

[Jim Noel]

I totally agree with Sandy's reply. An appropriate negative is the answer.