How do you know exposure time for paper when making print

[Tin Can]

Bob I’m going to try your method.

In a another field we call that ‘Loop Tuning’.

Thanks for sharing.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Soon, I will try. At the moment, I am glad the enlarger turns on and doesn't make funny noises. Yes, we have a place close by that offers classes on making prints I believe. Art Intersection, in Gilbert, AZ/

[bob carnie]

Soon, I will try. At the moment, I am glad the enlarger turns on and doesn't make funny noises. Yes, we have a place close by that offers classes on making prints I believe. Art Intersection, in Gilbert, AZ/

This would be worth it to go in and have someone show you the basics, rather than try to muddle your way in the first stages of your printing career. There is nothing better than good teachers, I had a few and I forever am thankful to them.
Don Dunsmore, John Kippen, Slobodan Filipovich, Leo Scirino, Iggy Broks to name a few.

[aaronnate]

What bob said. It is possible to get book/internet learning but without hands on training you are going to make mistakes. Take a community college course. That is what I did and it was great.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Agreed. I am looking at some different possibilities in the way of printing. Maybe I can apprentice. I am old, but always ready to and eager to learn.

[Pere Casals]

different possibilities in the way of printing.

Of course nothing substitutes real darkroom practice, but something that helped me a lot was prototyping with Photoshop.

Specially at the beginning, adjusting the print in Photoshop will show what aesthetic alternatives we have, and we'll easily find our sweet point for the look. Then obtaining the same in the darkroom can be a real challenge, well, it can be really frustating not achieving what we can in Ps... but that exercise (IMHO) should force us to excel in the darkroom, and finally allowing even a better result for the integral optic way.

[jnantz]

OP sorry for my seeminglysnarky comment before ..
what i meant to say, nicely, was that through experience
with materials you might have a easier time with paper exposure.
not sure any other way to gain exposure numbers except through test strips ...
some folks like small test strips but IDK its hard to get an idea with a small test strip
.. paper is cheap

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Ifs all good. I didn't find your comment or any others snarky, etc. I amearning this new way of making prints and I find it fascinating the endless possibilities. All comments and suggestions are welcomed!

[Chuck Pere]

I use a homemade test strip maker that lets me push the paper(usually 4x10) under a slot open to the enlarger. So I can view all at once a part of the print at several different exposures. I normally use a highlight and try to get a shadow area also to get some feel for contrast. Yet another way to get to the exposure time. Hardest thing for me is looking at the print done with several different contrasts and exposures and picking the one I like. Takes time with some things.

[Tin Can]

I have a Durst test strip 'maker'.

It has interlocking flip up panels.

I have yet to use it...