Re: [Leica] Question on V35 color printing and filters

[Harrison McClary <harrison@mcclary.net>]

Pascal,

Each maker of paper has a "recommended" setting for daylight film shot in 
daylight.  This is just a starting point.  Each color filter pack will 
change from paper batch to paper batch.  Film type to film type (Fuji 400 
takes a totally different pack from Kodak 400 on the same paper), light 
source to light source, and according to what you judge to be the 
"correct" color.  

Judging color is also biased as to what kind of light you are printing 
and judging under.  DO NOT print and judge your prints under tungsten 
then display them under flour scent light...the color will look totally 
wrong.  Same holds true for all kinds of light.  Always try to print 
under the circumstances under which the image will be viewed.  Also only 
judge your color correction after the print is dry, a hair dryer comes in 
very handy here.

The good thing is that once you have determined a good balance if you 
write down your filter pack you can generally get the same print again 
from the same light source relatively easily.

Also most times when printing I was taught to leave the cyan at 0 and 
just use the yellow and magenta to correct colors...has something to do 
with shifting the time.  If you change your exposure time you change the 
color pack, best to change exposure using aperture, so I was taught.

Kodak makes a pack of correcting color filters to be used when printing 
called the "Kodak color print viewing filter kit."  This allows you to 
view your prints with differing amounts of color correction for 
Magenta/Green, Yellow/Blue and Cyan/Red.  Works with neg and chromes both.

Good luck.  Once you get the hang of it I think you will find it quite 
fun and you will get to be like most people are about B&W...thinking you 
can do it better than the lab does.

>how one does determine the correct
>yellow-magenta-green settings on the colorhead of a Focomat V35 enlarger for
>printing color negatives and color slides?
>Are there preset values for each emulsion/paper combination that can be
>used?
>Is it only necessary to change filtering on specific negatives/slides if one
>wants to change color cast?
>In other words: can one safely rely on an "average" (preset) setting of the
>colorhead filters for a type of film/paper, without having to go through the
>hassle of changing the settings for each and every negative/slide?


Best regards,
Harrison McClary
email: harrison@mcclary.net
http://www.mcclary.net
preview my book: http://www.volmania.com