Printing questions

[jj_calabro]

<p>Durring the printing process, i would like to have true blacks but avoid "muddy" spots, if that makes sense. Also in one of my more recent prints, on the contact sheet it was in focus and look good, when i went to enlarge it the picture was very out of focus even after tampering with the gain focus. What could cause this?</p>

[glen_h]

<p>There is a forum for printing, separate from this one.<br>

But people might answer here, too.<br>

Usually I can come pretty close to focus without the grain focus device. If the device is out of adjustment, though, it might give the wrong focus.</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Can you describe your enlarger, enlarging lens, and which lens carrier/board you're using. Often when we cannot focus properly with enlargers there's a mismatch somewhere in the equipment.</p>

<p>To get good basic b&w prints, it's best to begin with standard techniques. There are many basic books available to teach the basics. Also, Ilford's website offers many written tutorials in PDF format. Here are a couple of links to basic b&w darkroom printing techniques:</p>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.ilfordphoto.com/applications/page.asp?n=27">Printing in b&w</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.ilfordphoto.com/aboutus/page.asp?n=96">B&W printing techniques</a></li>

</ul>

[Charles_Webster]

<p>Perhaps the negative isn't really sharp enough to support the amount of enlargement you are using. It's often difficult to asses negative sharpness from a contact sheet.<br>

Total black in the print is the result of minimally exposed areas, proper exposure of the paper under the enlarger, and proper paper development. A failure in any one area can cause muddy blacks in the print.<br>

<Chas><br /><br /></p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>Assuming that your other negatives focus fine, I would say the one that wouldn't focus was probably simply out of focus. With the grain focuser, you focus on the film grain. Once the grain is in focus, the rest of the image simply is or isn't. If the grain is in focus and the image isn't then you got it out of focus when you shot it.<br /><br />As for muddy shadows, there are many variables. But one is to make sure you fully develop the print. One mistake I made when I was starting was to pull a print from the developer as soon as it looks correct. But if it hasn't been in long enough, that can result in muddy shadows. You have to leave it in for the full 90 seconds. (That's the recommend time for Dektol diluted 1:2 and most papers.) Two minutes is even better. If you give the prints a solid two minutes every time and keep the time consistent, you will get all the black the paper is capable of producing and you will eliminate the variable of inconsistent development.<br /><br /></p>

[Mike Gammill]

<p>Craig nailed it here. Insufficient time in developer will cause muddy blacks and can sometimes cause uneven development. I try not to look at a print when it develops. </p>

[glen_h]

<p>I used to think it was 90 seconds, but more papers now seem to be 60 in Dektol 1:2.<br>

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/e103cp/e103cp.pdf<br>

<br />Says 45 to 180 seconds, without mentioning which papers.<br>

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/g21/g21.pdf<br>

for Polycontrast III says 60 seconds for Dektol (powder) 1:2, but 90 seconds for liquid Dektol (1:9) which I have never seen. Also 90 seconds for Polymax T 1:9, which I do have. <br>

Polycontrast IV is 60 seconds for all listed developers.<br>

I usually pull them early if the result is going to be all black. Better than nothing.<br>

But usually I use my "Projection Print Scale" to get the right exposure, and so develop that one for the full time.</p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>Polycontrast RC had developer incorporated into the emulsion, which probably made it come up faster and therefore Kodak's recommended shorter time. But I always developed it for the full 90 seconds anyhow. I'm not sure if this is technically true, but it has always seemed impossible to overdevelop paper. I suppose at some point the paper could go completely black, but within the range of 2-3 minutes it seems that the blacks only get richer without the lighter tones going too dark.<br /><br />Keep in mind that Kodak stopped making B&W paper in 2005, so Polycontrast, sadly, is gone.</p>

[stephen t]

<p>Be sure you have the same brand/weight paper in the easel when you are focusing as you are using when you are making the enlargement. Otherwise, you will have a focus plane difference.</p>

[glen_h]

<p>I pretty much always focus on the easel without paper. With the lens at least two stops down, it should have enough depth of field to do that. Papers are so fast these days so that is rarely a problem.</p>