What to do with color paper which I won along with other B+W paper?

baachitraka · Apr 16, 2015

I don't print color at home but I can printing B+W negatives on color paper. Right now I do not what to expect? Any experiences or ideas?

pdeeh · Apr 16, 2015

my personal experience is that ...

You can expect a lot of fogging as it can't be handled under a normal safelight, and if you manage to get a print onto it without fogging it, you'll have awful Dmax.

Plus if it has back printing you can't use it for paper negatives if you're hoping to contact print (might be ok for scanning, but then again the colour response is a bit weird)

Or if you have some C41 chemicals you want to play with, you can try colour printing with it and expect some trippily weird colour shifts and inversions

baachitraka · Apr 16, 2015

Its just 20 sheets...I may throw it or try lumen prints.

Will it lith, in case if I manage to print in total darkness?

pdeeh · Apr 16, 2015

Sorry yes, you could try lumens.
Never bothered to try lith with it, but must be worth a go just to see.

tbh it's not that hard to print in total darkness, so long as you always have your trays in the same place and you keep the floor clear, and move moderately slowly. I found it a bit annoying making the test strips to establish a time, but why it should be annoying to me in total dark when it's not under a safelight I have no idea

summicron1 · Apr 16, 2015

or you could put a "Free to good home" ad up and give it away for the price of the postage.

pentaxuser · Apr 16, 2015

I have heard of a user getting neutral results using a clear piece of C41 film between the light source and B&W negative and applying 15M and 12Y. This was Fuji paper. Kodak might require a different combination. The enlarger was a LPL. Enlargers in another group might need other Y and M combinations to get the equivalent to LPL 15M and12Y

What may be common to both Fuji and Kodak papers is a near balance between M and Y but this is just me speculating.

It doesn't need to be total darkness. A DUKA sodium safelight on a low setting is safe and quite bright or you can use a very dark green filter on an ordinary safelight. The green filter will just about give you enough light to avoid stumbling.

Clearly it can be done. Mini-labs print from B&W negs onto RA4 paper all the time and can get a very neutral tone.

Best of luck

pentaxuser

baachitraka · Apr 16, 2015

Wolfgang Moersch has replied for the lithability of color papers,

"Grab what you can get. And when you have enough of it, please send me the link (US ebay?) It is one of the most beautiful papers ever!!!! Studio111, Bromoil, Mural - they all lith."

baachitraka · Apr 16, 2015

But I do not know what procedure he will follow though...

pdeeh · Apr 16, 2015

pentaxuser said:
e. Mini-labs print from B&W negs onto RA4 paper all the time and can get a very neutral tone.

k

But they aren't doing it with black and white developers, they are using the RA4 process.

I've replied on the basis that I think baachitraka is talking about using black and white developers in an existing b&w darkroom (meaning no sodium safelights, no RA4 chemicals)

baachitraka · Apr 16, 2015

Yep, I am interested in lithability of those papers. Only problem in total darkness is to find the snatch point...

pdeeh · Apr 16, 2015

hmm a sdoium safelight is expensive for only 20 sheets

David Lyga · Apr 21, 2015

Color paper in Dektol will achieve only a semblance of density. There simply is not enough silver to get a black. Thus, you will get weak prints, but sometimes actually portraying the wanted emotion with certain scenes. But they will be WEAK. - David Lyga

What to do with color paper which I won along with other B+W paper?

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