From: Judy Seigel (jseigel@panix.com)
Date: 08/31/00-04:13:00 PM Z
On Thu, 31 Aug 2000, Joachim wrote:
> I had also tried contrast reduction for litho with Farmer's diluted and
> found results so erratic that I abandoned it. Can you tell us what
> Soermarko's low contrast developed is, and something about it? Thanks.
I think it's been noted that the bleach is NOT Farmer's reducer, which is
used on the developed print -- or on the developed negative. SLIMT is a
pre-bleach, that is, as I recall (a quick check shows that my notes are in
the OTHER file), you expose first, THEN bleach, then develop. I'll add
that Farmer's reducer NEVER in my experience worked to lower contrast...
no matter what the books say about proportional, super proportional, etc.
etc. Every single variation I tried, Farmer's *increased* contrast. (And
Farmer's on a print tends to go brown in selennium. I would NOT spot
bleach on a good print without prior check.)
SLIMT lowers contrast. My recollection, BTW (& Rod, or whoever has been
to the Web site can correct me) is that Kachel said it would work also
with a dichromate bleach.
Off the top of my head, I would prefer SLIMT to the low-contrast developer
for direct duplicating high-contrast film (tho my tests of that are long
ago & far away), because (my impression is that) low-contrast developer
neg is soft & brown in color, good for positive but perhaps not ideal for
final neg. Of course I'd prefer the 4168 duplicating film (or whatever it
is now -- SO339???) to any, but last I heard that was $4 per sheet for 8
by 10 & doesn't come larger (AFAIK).
Again, I assume difference in use between print and film. For one thing,
it is more trouble than just expose-develop -- for a negative you do it
once & that's it. For a print you've got to do it each time. Of course
it's easier than masking -- but what isn't?
Judy
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