Contact Print Paper/Developer Suggestions

I'm looking for suggestions on papers and developers for 4x5 contact

printing. I know the AZO/Amidol is highly favored but I don't want

to invest in a 100 sheet box of 8x10 AZO yet. Anyone have any other

suggestions? My negs so far are either Agfa 100/Rodinal or Tri-

X/HC110B. But, I'm on the verge of trying a pyro developer with Tri-

X.

Alex, Maybe I'm wrong about this, but unless you want to try an alternative process where you'll coat your own paper, the only other currently manufactured contact paper besides AZO that I'm aware of is Centennial "POP" paper. Good Luck!

Any fine enlarging paper will do-I like Forte Polywarmtone. J and C Photo is also

starting to carry some specialty European papers-bromoil papers and a "semi-contact"

paper from FOMA-slow speed intended for contact prints but can also be used with

enlarging source. And you could try someone like Ranier Photographic in Seattle?;

they may still carry AZO in 25 sheet packs. Maybe Mike Smith could start selling

TESTER PACKS with several sheets of paper and enough Amidol for one or two sessions

of printing??? MIKE??? GOOD QUESTION......

I've recently started using the Forte Polywarmtone FB museum weight too - in Agfa Neutol WA - very nice. (but FB papers just drive me nuts - it's so dry here that the damn stuff is almost curled in half before you even use it - once it been through the dev and wash and dried it's almost curled up on itself...)

 

I know it's heresy, but I also get really nice contacts from Ilford MG IV Portfolio RC :-)

Someone replied somewhere (here or on another forum) that

using Azo and Amidol will save you money because you will use

far less paper. Of course, I believe it is the only way to go if you

want the best results and don't want to waste incalculable

amounts of time.

Alex,

I will strongly second the comment on Azo/Amidol as the very best for contact printing using a silver process. There simply is no comparison to conventional graded or ungraded enlarging papers.If you want to see what Azo is capable of doing, give me a call. It may be worth your time when your in town the next time.

 

Insofar as using a Pyro developer with TriX, my experience has shown that the highlight densities block up really easily with this film. This is not a condition of pyro but rather a condition of TriX.

In my system the maximum that I can develop this film with ABC is 7 1/2 minutes. If I go to 8 minutes, all of the beautiful highlight separations end up in a pile.

Alex, I don't know what AZO is selling for these days, as I still am working on my last box of Grade 3(I suppose I'll find out soon enough when I start shooting the 12x20!) but AZO is well worth it. You can get nice prints using enlarging paper, but AZO, ...wow! Good luck!

OK, you guys twisted my wimpy arm hard enough. AZO it will be. Thanks for the twisting! Alex

I would suggest that you use Azo whether or not we were Azo

dealers. I do hope you will consider getting your paper from me

and Paula. If we are not supported, Azo will disappear. Recently,

solely due to our efforts, Kodak rescinded their discontinuance

of all Azo except Grade 2 in 100-sheet boxes--the only Azo

product they were going to keep in the catalogue. We are

committed to keeping this paper alive, but we do need

everyone's support. Thank you.