Viewing filters for color printing, etc...

[Poco]

Well, I decided to give color printing a try and am wondering, is this the kind of filter kit we're talking about for establishing the enlarger filter pack?

http://www.leefiltersusa.com/NewCameraProducts/CamNewProdViewingKit.html

And if it is, could someone give a quick run-down of how to use them? I just want to have a rough idea what's ahead of me.

Also, to start I'm going to limited to tray processing. The Tetanol Mono PK kit is usually mentioned as the wey to go for this route, but the Professional PK 5liter kit also allows for processing @ 86 degrees and, after testing, I see I can keep my trays at a consistent temp of up to 90 degrees if I put them on a food warming tray. Might the Professional kit work for me then? It's quite a bit cheaper than the Mono kit.

Oh, I should also note that with for favored photographic subjects absolute color fidelity is NOT critical. But some degree of control and repeatability would be nice, obviously.

Thanks...

-Michael

 

[Nick Zentena]

Basically you make your intial print. Then you take the filter that is hopefully near what you need. You flick the filter in front of the print looking for the one that gives the best result. Don't leave the filter in front of the print for long periods of time or your eye will adjust. You then look at the filter you picked and adjust your enlarger filters by the set amount. Make a new print then recheck with the filters. Repeat.

I know some people swear by the filters but I never got the hang of things. I just used my bare eye and adjusted. Also after awhile I came up with a set of enlarger settings. If you stick to a small number of films then you can get pretty close with the intial print using the same settings. Assuming you made a good negative to begin with.

I like drum processing. With very little equipment it's possible to have total temperture control. The main thing you want is something that's repeatable.

 

[GeorgesGiralt]

Bear in mind that the better color darkroom tool is a notebook and pencil !
Write down and keep track of all parameters every time you print !
It will save papers, chemicals, time and effort. (same film on same paper : start with previously found color printing filter pack. you will be spot on or near of it.)
As to the filters, they are usefull when starting printing to find the correction eeded, the more experienced printer does not feel need for them, once your eyes have developped a sense of color. And this is good because filters fade with time ,-)

 

[Bob Carnie]

Hi Micheal
As Nick suggested you flick the filters in front of your eye to see the colour changes. I find these filters very useful , I will make a correction in my mind without using these filters and then use them to verify my thoughts on the colour.
Laying them closer to the print the effect is stronger, halfway to your eye and print is the normal proceedure, and right on your eye the effect is less strong.
Micheal, doing a colour ring around is a critical step in learning about colour and how the enlarger dials affect the balance.
To do a colour ring around will take the better part of an afternoon but once done properly you will have a reference that is invaluable for all your future colour corrections.

 

[Poco]

Thanks to all for the input so far.

No doubt I'll have to take careful notes while I play with all this stuff.

Bob, what is a "color ring around?" Is there a website that describes how to do whatever it may be?

 

[Bob Carnie]

Hi Micheal
You should be able to look into old Kodak manuals for colour printing, I did my first ring around in 1974 and an intern here did his first ring around last week.

A colour ring around is a test pattern that I use to help me , and students learn to colour print.

Basically you make a nuetral print and then do variations to this print using the colour dials of your enlarger. In case of the enlarger I use the yellow and magenta filters are moved and the cyan stays based at zero.

nuetral print. then.
plus 5, 10, and 20 changes to yellow , blue, magenta, green, red and cyan
plus 5 , 10 and 20 changes to yellow red, magenta red, blue cyan, green cyan.
plus 5 , 10 and 20 changes to yellow green, blue magenta.

If you get lost , just make the nuetral print again and start where you left off.
I would pick a negative that has a good nuetral as well as a nice colour range.

this will give you a total of 36 *off* colour prints to the one nuetral print
as well I would do a density shift of the nuetral print plus/minus 5, 10 15%

I then mount these prints around the normal and when printing use the chart as a guide for colour reference. ie if your test print is yellow green, you will find a coresponding print that looks like your test on the chart and you then work backwards and apply the opposite correction that you did to make the chart print.

I find these charts immensely helpful in correcting colour as you will find that usually a colour correction is a combination of colours rather than just one colour.

Micheal I will have Mac send you an email with an attachment of how this thing is to look like as well with the graph that lays out the test pattern, only if you are interested and ready to do this, You will need at least 50 sheets of 5x7 to to this test.pm me with your email if you want to do this.