What can you do with litho film?

[BetterSense]

I bought some Arista II litho film in 4x5 because in the past I have wanted to add text to some images (such as add "merry christmas" to my postcards). I'm not up on this stuff, but it was my understanding that litho film was designed to be essentially infinite contrast, like photoresist for etching circuit boards and microchips. I thought that you developed it in paper developer. However the box says to use special litho chemicals for developing it to high contrast, and that you can process in dilute paper developer to achieve continuous tone results. That second part is probably why I heard you could use paper developer. Can you achieve a very high contrast result, for reproducing text, etc. with common B&W chemicals? And what kind of pictorial results can be had by using it as a continuous-tone film? What other uses does litho film have, besides reproducing line-art and text and so on? I generally use regular 4x5 film to dupe color slides; does litho film work well for this?

 

[David William White]

Yes you can -- it's film. Generally high activity developers for high contrast and heavily diluted developers for continuous tone. I often duplicate 4x5's on APHS (then cut them up and make collages for contact printing). I use ordinary paper developer at half-strength, or even 'film strength'. You also control the contrast of the litho film with exposure. Like short exposure, strong developer for high contrast, or long exposure, weak developer for low contrast.

The real beauty of ortho litho film is how thin it is. Oh, I forgot -- workable under safelight. Collages, contrast masks and the like.

 

[Mike Wilde]

As far as duping color slides, unless you want to buy panchromatic lith (it is/was made) most lith is othrochromatic - it does not sense red, which is why you can expose and develop it under red safelight if you want to.

As far as titling photos, I know this may be heresy to say it here, but I find it easier to at least start with text printed on a laser printer, and then copy that onto overhead transparency film in a photo copier, and cut and sandwich the overhead to suit the use.

Overhead blanks are often found abandon in stationery cabinets of many companies since the rise of powerpoint and portable LCD projectors.

 

[largeformat pat]

If you wanted to make composite negs for you titles, all we used to do years ago was, rub down letters onto a white or black card, with the opposite coloured letters. Photograph and process. you would then sandwich with you main neg or tranny and print like normal. We used to print pictures for the real estate with their logo and details on the photo of a special house.

 

[Vaughn]

This is suppose to be good for continous tone negs:

David Soemarko's LC-1 developer

 

[Mike Wilde]

Ah - Letraset

... all we used to do years ago was, rub down letters onto a white or black card, with the opposite coloured letters.

I work for an engineering design firm, and before CAD and plotters the tilting larger than could be stencilled using a Leroy set (another defunct technology, particularly because that took a real 'touch' to do well), was to rub down Letraset. When we moved the office around the old cabinet of the stuff got tossed; the stationary ordering clerk guy figured that we must of thrown out about $3000 (in 1975 dollars) worth of partially used sheets.

 

[Mike Wilde]

Oh - some of the newer photcopiers give you the option to reverse text if you dig down far enough in the menus; the other option is to dig around in your print driver if you print the things, because tonal reverse is possible there too. Worst up, define the font as white, and shade to 100% in word's font edit options.

 

[Rick A]

Ilford Ortho plus developed in D-76 1+1 gives nice continuous tone, great for portrait work. Without filters, renders dark skin tone, with green, lightens complexion, accents lips. Also works for landscapes. The wonderful part is working under a red safelight. Can be used for copy work, and making internegatives for special effects.

Rick