>>Hi everyone! I'm new to this list and hope I'm not redundant in asking for
information on making GOOD enlarged continuous tone negatives on
orthochromatic/lithographic film for use in alt processes.<<
We have tried many systems at Kingsway College London.The best so far
produces a negative which is not strictly continuous tone but does give
the impression of full tonal quality when printed , as follows-:
Make a RC print using normal enlargement technique make the print slightly soft
with plenty detail in the shadows and highlights, ideally the print should
look slightly soft and heavy.Take this print down to the repro-shop and get
them to make and identical print on there colour printer we found the canon
800 and above which gave a copy that looked identical to the original, it
is only when this copy is examined with a loupe, that the image can now be
seen tobe made up of lines of varying thickness.
Take this repro-print back to the darkroom and contact onto your ortho
lithographic film, make sure you have contact printer that gives very good
contact.
Develop this film in a normal print developer, we found it
advantages to give the exposed film a print soak in warm water for about 30
secs before development.
>>However, I teach courses in
alternative processes and wish to provide the students more low tech
options. Vandyke brown printing and gum printing both allow for a much
longer tonal range than the negatives we're using can produce.<<
The resultant neg should have
the same look as a normal continuous tone negative, and will print very
easily on any Photo Alt process. A very useful attribute when teaching a
number of processes at the same time as you describe.
Hope this helps
pete
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