Contact printing with Lodima

[Bruce Barlow]

Lodima is lovely. Michael is adamant about NOT using Dektol - he says the print color is terrible. That said, I've tried it, and true to Dektol it's a cooler color than, certainly, Ansco 130 and amidol (both of which I've also used).

I have amidol, and use it, and follow Michael's example of the "one glove" technique, which keeps my fingernaails from turning black (I am not a Goth).

I also like Fine Art VersaPrint II, from the Formulary. It's a glycin-based developer that I prefer for just about every paper I would ever use. Since glycin oxidizes, mix up your developer, store it in liter-sized plastic drink bottles, and in my experience it will keep for at least three years. Dilute 1:1, or 1:2 water, depending on your methods. Ansco 130 keeps likewise. Both have huge capacities - you can run a lot of prints through them before they get tired.

In any event, try Lodima.

[Jan Pedersen]

150W will in my experience be to much light for the Lodima paper of course it depends on the distance also. Lodima is a much faster paper than Azo although they are both slow compared to Silver Gelatin papers.
For Azo i have used 300W bulb but for Lodima i found that 75W was the best compromise if you need some time to work on the print. my light bulbs are 2 feet above the printing frame.

You may not need to use a water bath, it is just an added benefit from Amidol that it will continue to develop even if you move the paper from the developer to a water bath, by doing so you can reduce the contrast and with experimentation of your timing in the developer find the best tonal range for your print. 30 seconds in Amidol before the water bath is long, the print will have developed close to completion in 30 seconds and there will be very little change after that.
One full minute in Amidol work well for a completely developed print.


As for the Chinese Amidol, it is correct that there is a yellowish stain in the first couple of minutes in the wash but if you filter the developer through a coffee filter before use the stain will disapear very quick.

[blueribbontea]

I have both grades of Lodima and develop in Amidol. Some of my older negatives are just too soft to print even on the grade 3. For that I switch to Ilford Warmtone and develop also in Amidol. Overall I am well satisfied with the Amidol developer and the Lodima paper. I get my Amidol from Artcraft and have never got a bad batch. And I know it goes against the common tale that "amidol oxidises rapidly and is only good for a single session" but I commonly pour the developer into an accordion bottle, squeeze out the air and save it for a second and sometimes a third session. One thing to note, Lodima seems to have a tendency to flake off at the paper cut edges so requires careful handling. Well worth the effort.

Bill

[Greg Y]

Bill, I had the flaking problem on the test run of Lodima but haven't broken into my stash of the newer stuff.... Does it still have that issue? I used to print 5x7 negs on a full sheet....but now I cut both Lodima & Azo in half. The Azo stock is dwindling....but man I love it.

[Sal Santamaura]

...Lodima is a much faster paper than Azo although they are both slow compared to Silver Gelatin papers...

Both Azo and Lodima are gelatin silver papers. They are slow compared to enlarging papers, which are also gelatin silver. The difference is that Azo and Lodima contact-speed papers employ silver chloride emulsions, while enlarging papers use silver bromide or mixed silver bromide + chloride emulsions.

[Jon Shiu]

I use a 60W with 8x10 AZO and it works fine.

Jon

[blueribbontea]

Bill, I had the flaking problem on the test run of Lodima but haven't broken into my stash of the newer stuff.... Does it still have that issue? I used to print 5x7 negs on a full sheet....but now I cut both Lodima & Azo in half. The Azo stock is dwindling....but man I love it.

Greg: My pack of Grade 3, which I received a few months ago, has the flaking problem. I was lucky enough to get 1000 sheets of unopened 5X7 AZO grade 2 from a firend who found it at a yard sale, exp. 1972, and it prints perfectly. The only difficulty is a lot of curl. I use these sheets to test before I use an expensive sheet of Lodima. I've found that the flaking happens whether I cut the 8X10s or not.

[Greg Y]

Thank you Blueribbon, I was hoping that wasn't going to be your answer.... but I'll have to live with whatever happens when I open the package. Still hoarding my Azo 2X3...for my best negatives.

[Ben Calwell]

Wow. 300 watt bulbs -- negs must be absolutely bullet proof.

[swmcl]

Thanks a million guys,

I'm glad I checked back.

Taking John Shiu's advice I think I'll suspend a 60W halogen edison type bulb from the ceiling (R63). I'm not really going to care much about the time so long as I've got some time. A 30 sec exposure would be good. It allows a little leeway.

I hear the negative density issue too. I sure wish there was a modern film going past D 3.0.

Thanks all.