Re: Pyro article in PT


Judy Seigel (jseigel@panix.com)
Sat, 16 Oct 1999 13:43:34 -0400 (EDT)


On Sat, 16 Oct 1999, Carl Weese wrote:
 
> I wouldn't say that platinum is tied to any particular tone
> scale--there's a wide range available--but it does lend itself naturally
> to a very long and smooth scale. I don't know enough about carbon and

I knew you'd say that! And no doubt correctly -- the expectation may
simply have been because among the many platinum printers (surely more
than carbon) *most* seem (at least from here) to follow or intend to
follow the "classic" tone scale...

> There may not be much of a mactch-up between "what's different" about
> pyro and the special characteristics of gum. As you say, you don't want
> extended range in the neg. Still, replacing silver image with delicate
> stain *could* make a visible difference in a gum print, I just can't
> predict whether or what it might be.

As soon as heaven opens up my calendar and inserts X time for the purpose,
I intend to try pyro on lith. However, it's not likely to tell much about
pyro for gum as a "rule," because styles of gum printing are so
all-over-the-map.... I would hesitate to generalize from tests even with 3
or 4 approaches. Meanwhile, though, the "pyro" neg I REALLY want is one
will print a one-coat gum and, say, a VDB or long scale rich cyano from
the SAME NEGATIVE... (Tho probably the digital neg will do that with its
rapid-fire variations... in fact some captains of digital may have got
there already.)

> As to the last question, I'm afraid what's going on in the illustration
> is that they elected to reproduce both Pt and silver versions of the
> same negative, and instead of showing how well pyro works for this
> purpose they instead showed that their repro isn't up to the task. The
> silver print is too dark and heavy and the Pt print is too weak and all
> middle gray. C'est la vie.

Then maybe it's just as well they NEGLECTED TO PUT THAT INFO IN THE
CAPTION !!! Although now that you mention it, that explains why the border
around 1B is wide and rough, and the one around 1A is not a border but a
thin even edge. Anyway, thanks for fill-in.

> While I'm at it, the illo showing a pyro
> negative is too yellow: a good neg should be distinctly more green than
> that, but I hope the illo is still some use.

I doubt exact color is expected -- and would also guess it's possible that
different issues got somewhat different color repro anyway...

Judy

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| World Journal of Post-Factory Photography > "HOW-TO and WHY"
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