> While regarding XP2 as a great film for the purpose for which it is made,
as the
> film negative has an overall violet tone, I had always assumed that it
would not
> be a good film to use to make contact prints when the light sensitive
emulsion
> of the putative print is restricted in sensitivity to the violet end of
the
> spectrum.
>
> Terry King
Terry, I think you are getting confused here. Properly processed XP2 negs
have a 'slight' purple tint to the film base (definitely NOT violet). It can
actually be completely washed out if it was a problem - but I don't think it
should be. (It washes out more easily if you increase the time in the bleach
fix - excessive purple is a sign of either exhausted blix or inadequate
washing or both - as in the case of my local minilab)
The image is actually a fairly attractive brown colour - no violet her
either - quite like the kind of tone I used to get from Portriga Rapid in a
warm tone developer. I'm using the Photocolor II chemicals - others might
give slightly different results.
I can easily produce negs with XP2 that print well on Grade 1 paper - or
softer - there are no problems with getting the kind of contrast appropriate
for most processes. I see no reason why is shouldn't produce great results
in platinum etc - as it can in silver.
Peter Marshall
Family Album/Gay Pride - http://www.dragonfire.net/~gallery/index.html
Also on Fixing Shadows: ----------- http://fermi.clas.virginia.edu/~ds8s
Future Press and elsewhere... E-Mail: petermarshall@cix.compulink.co.uk