Re: Carbon printing

Luis Nadeau (nadeaul@nbnet.nb.ca)
Sat, 04 Apr 1998 02:38:46 -0400

At 3:14 PM -0700 98/04/03, Wayde Allen wrote:

>On Fri, 3 Apr 1998, Luis Nadeau wrote:
>
>> At 9:21 AM 98/04/03, Wayde Allen wrote:
>> ...
>> >Yes, I'm making my own tissue. I can't say I've turned out anything
>> >spectacular yet, but it is improving. Right now, my biggest problems are
>> >the creation of enlarged negatives, and the correct pigment concentration
>> >needed for the carbon tissue manufacture. I've just started experimenting
>> >with using Lith film for enlarged negatives
>>
>> You are making your life complicated.
>
>Wouldn't be the first time <grin>.
>
>> At the learning stage you should take
>> the easiest route. One you are comfortable with the process then you can
>> experiment. I suggest you use 4"x5" continuous tone negatives (enlarged or
>> not).
>
>Actually, I think I'm doing what you suggest. I am using 4x5 continuous
>tone negatives. I recently finished building a 4x5 camera partly for this
>purpose (OK that was the difficult approach I admit), and the Lith film is
>what has been recommended on this list before as a low cost approach to
>making enlarged negatives. Developing this film in Dektol 1:10 does
>appear to work, and at around $10 for a box of 50 sheets this is
>reasonable to play with.

I'm not sure I'm following you here. Are you using continuous tone
negatives or are you using lith film developed as "continuous tone"?

I have yet to see *excellent* carbons from lith films. This is not to say
it's impossible but I have yet to see one. If you can't get excellent
results from lith film it may not be because of your carbon technique. It
could be the film.

Luis Nadeau
NADEAUL@NBNET.NB.CA
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
http://www3.nbnet.nb.ca/nadeaul/