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Print Help
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Hi
Been a while since I posted and I was wondering if anyone would like to give a suggestion for the below shot, I’ll be printing soon and just wondering has anyone any ideas on grades or paper type, Im having a problem with the black area as I want it inky black but am having trouble preventing it bleeding into the white any suggestions for masking should I cut a mask to fit.???
Thanks
If using variable contrast papes (as I do), I would print at grade 4 or 5 to get a strong black and if this blows the whites, then flash the paper before hand to help the whites tone down and show their detail.
Cheers I will be using variable contrast, when you say flash beforehand i assume you mean at grade 4/5?
gavin wrote:
Cheers I will be using variable contrast, when you say flash beforehand i assume you mean at grade 4/5?
Hi Gavin,
No, flashing involves exposing the paper or part of it to unfiltered light (although you could flash using filters but thats a different story).
Flashing can be done with your enlarger (without the filter and neg) or with a simple flashing device from RH Designs.
Read this link at RH Designs as it is a good explanation of what flashing is about.http://www.rhdesigns.co.uk/darkroom/html/flashing_and_fogging.html
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask me.
Peter
Thanks great article I completely misunderstood flashing…..not sure if this is of any use to you but I found quite interesting
http://www.shutterbug.net/columns/the_darkroom/0505darkroom/index1.html
Again thanks
The only thing i suggest is very careful burning using a small circle cutout and holding it quite close to the paper. If you have lots of patience try splitting the printing between grades. If you could get the black as you like it with a hard grade you could burn in the feathers with a lighter grade. Here is some more detailed information on it http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/ktphotonics/pdf/BasicSplitGradePrinting.pdf
As regards paper the Ilford multigrade papers will do justice to the image, i would avoid warmtone papers, i see this image with a coldtone.
Its a fine image, hope you get a good print out of it.
Thanks guys you’ve both been very helpful and feel like Im starting to make some in-roads into the more technical side of printing.
Eddie’s suggestion of split grade printing is best but you wouldn’t even need to dodge the black area when exposing the paper with the soft graded filter as you will already have maximum black. The soft garde exposure won’t change that.
I also agree with Eddie’s cooltone suggestion.
Again guys thanks a lot, both of you have given me some great insights here. I’ll let you both know how it guys as I’ll be printing on sunday.
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