This tells me that you would be better off using longer development times for your "usual" exposures (which themselves should end up being shorter).I have tried a little snatching (small-kind) a few times in the darkroom in the past w/ regular prints. Just overexpose the heck out of things w/ the enlarger, then grab the print out of the developer when it looks 'right. You know, they looked no better and no worse than the usual exposures.
Put the paper image side down as fast as you can to make sure it is evenly covered. Keep agitating the tray for the entire development time as you need to the developer to do its magic.
Great tips Rachelle. However on this one I disagree; I haven't ever noticed any need to put the paper especially fast into developer. By placing paper picture side down is enough - with a gentle push from the middle of the paper. Also I did a test between "stand" development and constant agitation and I couldn't notice any difference in time. You can leave the print alone in the print after first minute agitations. I think this tip is really helpful because it is quite a work to agitate a tray for 10 minutes straight.
I guess for me it's about starting with well-known and established techniques
But I still think it's good technique to do constant agitation, for me, anyway, it's not like I can do anything else during that time.
Red light and gloves. It's helpful to know when black is black. I usually print full frame so the border and sprocket holes are there to compare.
Warning: lith can be addictive. The schedule of positive reinforcement is the same as gambling. The intermittent jackpots keep you coming back.
Warning: lith can be addictive. The schedule of positive reinforcement is the same as gambling. The intermittent jackpots keep you coming back.
Just buy some Moersch EasyLith and FOMA Fomatone MG 131 and you are getting lith prints. .....
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Snatching the print; you will learn it by trial-and-error. Get a red bike LED light for examination during development if you want.
I’m just beginning to lith print with EasyLith and Fomatone 131….my first images are much too orange colored in the highlights. I’m looking for a more peachy or buff tone highlights. The prints have a pronounced grainy lith look in the shadows which is fine, but the orange is not what I want in the highlights …..I used 15A : 25B : 1000ml dilution. Should I be using a stronger or more of the developer or the opposite dilute even more? Any suggestions appreciated…
Virtually every paper can be made to 'lith', with the exception of a few developer-incorporated papers. But the results vary dramatically. 'Unfit' papers tend to give massive peppercorn-like grain, develop uncontrolled blotches, produce little to no color and/or the rate of infectious development proceeds asymptotically with the snatch point being very elusive. The good news of all this is that in all likelihood most of the papers you have there can be used for testing and they will lith in one way or another. With second pass lith, the success rate will increase and the process will also be easier to control, so that's a reasonable alternative if regular lith doesn't pan out.
However, on my mind it would make sense to get a pack of known-good lithable paper so you can get the basics down. Once you get the hang of it, try whatever you can get your hands on and enjoy the results. The other way around will also work, but may be much more frustrating.
About Foma paper, the only heads up is that there was an issue with some batches that had a modification affecting Lith.That would be my own choice, yes, because of the convenience aspect. Current production Fomatone MG glossy still liths AFAIK. But if you happen upon a box of let's say Forte Polywarmtone, I wouldn't hesitate to use that, for instance.
Not myself, I do know there is "ModernlithEZ" modified Lith process so the Ilford Multigrade papers work in it.Has anyone here tried Ilford Multigrade RC Warmtone paper for lith? I know Ilford Multigrade FB Warmtone paper have semi-lith qualities.
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