Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/12/31
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Thanks Mark, Kip, and others I may have missed. Sounds like the cause may be some veiling in the fix. I'm trying to mentally compensate for the "too light" effect. I'll also try the squegee test. That will be interesting just to see what it looks like. I may try that Luminos paper again. It seemed that I couldn't get the shadow detail I wanted but I may have been just printing too dark. I like the surface texture of their matte finish paper. Mike D > >You've got to take the print out of the fix and squeegee it to see the highlight densities. >And especially with fiber you've got to let the fix clear it first 30 to 45 >seconds in regular strength fix. >With RC I think it clears in 15 seconds, you've got to take that out and >squeegee that too! >When you place it back in the fix you'll immediately see it wash out again. >Confirming the fact the print can not be judged in the fix. >Mark Rabiner > >I just finished making about 1000 prints as Xmas presents, mostly from Leica >negatives on Ilford Delta films and printed on Ilford MGIV RC paper. (I make >these for the grandparents and other family members - they got bound into 8 >different books before being given away.) I believe they were the best set of >books I've made in the 20 years or so I've been doing this because for the first >time I simply mustered the faith to accept a light print when I first view it in >the fix. Like you, I find that what looks like a washed out highlight at first >will have some detail by the time it goes into the wash, and by the time it >dries will have some real texture. I had the same experience when I used Kodak >Polycontrast RC papers as well, but haven't tried other papers. I don't know >why it happens, but have experienced it consistently for many years and so have >assumed it's a characteristic of the paper. I haven't used fiber base paper in >years, so don't know if it has the same characteristic. As I say, I got good >results this year by just disciplining myself to accept a print that seems too >light at first. > >Cheers, >Kip >