I haven't trashed the cold head... I just want to see what my new dichro head can do for printing black and white.

What is a good starting point for printing? I keep the Cyan stable. Good starting point for M and Y will be appreciated. I know that to increase contrast one adds M... and to decrease add y.

This will be my first time printing B&W with a color head. Any tips and suggestions would be appreciated. Those who enjoy printing with a dichro head.... I could use any and all information possible.

Additionally, I do have graded paper. Should it matter what the color settings are for graded? Is it really possible to add a little contrast to a #2 graded paper? Should I use the white light fixture on the enlarger or allow for the filtration.

The enlarger is an Omega C-700 Superchromega.

Thanks... I hope to be printing like some of the posters on this board.

christian

-- Christian Behr (info@christianbehr.com), May 15, 2002

Answers

I think the only thing you'll get if you print through filtration on graded paper is longer exposure times -- based on my experience.

My dichro head's instruction manual came with yellow and magenta settings to match paper manufacturer's variable contrast filtration. The settings on my Beseler unit for Ilford multigrade are not linear, by the way, so do some testing if you don't have a manual.

-- John O'Connell (boywonderiloveyou@hotmail.com), May 15, 2002.

Zero filtration will give you around grade 1-2 with most VC papers. For more contrast add magenta; for less contrast add yellow.

-- John Hicks (jhicks31@bellsouth.net), May 15, 2002.

Greetings,

You really need to do some testing to figure this out, but most (if not all) VC papers come with a chart that gives starting points. Additionally, I think this information is available from both Kodak's & Ilford's WEB sites. It will vary from paper to paper. I have found my setup to be way off from the manufacturer's recommendations, which is why you need to test.

Regards, Pete

-- Pete Caluori (pcaluori@hotmail.com), May 15, 2002.

Paul Butzi has an interesting article about using a color head and VC papers:

http://www.butzi.net/articles/vcce.htm

His other articles are interesting too.

Marc.

-- Marc Leest (classicphoto@leest.net), May 16, 2002.

Ah... Forgot to say that I only use splitgrade printing (Steve Anchell, The Variable contrast printing manual) when using the color head. Otherwise I use the Multigrade filters in the filterdrawer.

-- Marc Leest (classicphoto@leest.net), May 16, 2002.

If you are printing on graded paper, then you should print with no filtration. Changing the filtration will not affect the contrast of the print. With Multigrade or other variable contrast papers, you will get about a grade 2 if you use no filtration. Depending on your negatives, you will probably want to start with either no filtration, or about 10-15 points magenta (which will give about a grade 2 1/2).

One great thing about using a color head is that you are not limited to 1/2 grade increments. I suggest not worrying too much about what the grade equivilant is; if you need more contrast, just add magenta (or take out yellow); if you need less, add yellow (or take out magenta). The only thing you need to keep in mind is that the farther you are from zero, the more filtration change you will need to change the contrast.

David Carper ILFORD Technical Service

-- David Carper (david.carper@ilford.com), May 17, 2002.

I recommend a step tablet and a series of tests with your paper of choice. You can just turn the dials for more or less contrast, but you will be making a lot of test prints and test strips. If you make a series of prints of the step tablet keeping the exposure constant and varying the CCs of Y/M, you will not only know the contrast effects but can make a reasonably accurate (especially if you get a 31 step tablet) estimate of the necessary change in exposure time.

This way, you make a first test strip out of a full or half sheet of paper at a certain contrast. Decide you need such and such level of exposure, but with more/less contrast, and you are ready for your final print (especially if you can estimate dodging and burning from a full page test strip).

Anchell's Variable Contrast Printing Manual describes this in detail. Burzio's description was also good, but his method presumes more linearity to adjusting the Y/M settings than my color head gave, so I ultimately just relied on simple Y/M settings and doing a little math in my head (e.g. 12 seconds x 1.5 = 18 seconds, then compensating for the darkening of drydown -- see other postings on this topic.)

-- Eric Pederson (epederso@darkwing.uoregon.edu), May 17, 2002.

Soory, I meant Paul Butzi (in the above post).

-- Eric Pederson (epederso@darkwing.uoregon.edu), May 17, 2002.

Thank you everyone for your input. I'm still new back in the dark... and I appreciate the level of help I've gotten here.

christian

-- Christian Behr (info@christianbehr.com), May 20, 2002.