>Hi there folks,
>
>Having read most of the reference books on currently alternative photo
>processes that I can find in the area, I feel almost ready to plunge into
>the world of 8x10 contact printing, using the british-made paper available
>through B&S.
>
>Since I have had little success finding all of the information in one place,
>I'd like to post these directions, hoping to be corrected where I am in error.
>
>1 Take my 120 b&w negative (which hopefully meets the requirements for
>a proper negative in this post-Zone System era) and have a 3.5x enlargement
>copy made of it on 8x10 film, assuming no cropping. Have the negative
>overdeveloped by ~60%.
>
>2. Place sheet of gelatin contact paper carefully on my ad hoc contact
>printer, without touching it with my fingers.
>
>3. Put clean mylar sheet over this contact paper, emulsion side up.
>
>4. Put negative, emulsion side down, on mylar sheet. Check for good
>registration.
>
>5. Close contact frame.
>
>6. Either wait until May for sunlight (I live in Seattle) or turn on
>light source over frame. (I am open to suggestions for tubes, sources, and
>sizes, preferably something that won't break the budget. Can I use aquarium
>grow lights? Sodium lights? How many lumens do I need at a distance of two
>feet?)
>
>7. Inspect every eight or so minutes until the image emerges.
>
>8. Once image is sufficiently dense, remove sheet from frame, again
>without touching the paper with my fingers.
>
>9. Rinse contact print in plain water @ 19 C. in tray for about one
>minute, until the water is no longer milky. Ignore color changes.
>
>10. Place contact print in tray with selenium toner solution, gold toner
>solution, or sepia toner solution per directions on package.
>
>11. Fix with non-hardening hypo in tray for five (?) minutes.
>
>12. Rinse for between five and sixty minutes, depending on whether or
>not a washing aid is used.
>
>13. Either hang to dry, place in blotter book, or in drying rack.
>
>14. Mount print in some fashion.
>
>
>How'd I do?
>
>Thanks
>
>Gordon Cooper
>Seattle, WA