Ortho Film & Platinum Printing

**John Kasaian** · 13-Jun-2010, 21:42

I was wondering if anyone here had made platinum prints from negatives taken with ortho film?
I've just begun experimenting with Adox Ortho and I was wondering how it might be suited for platinum printing, or if there is an advantage of it over APHS?
Have any of you souped ortho in pyro for a continuous tone?

**Brian Bullen** · 13-Jun-2010, 22:05

Hi John,

Here is a test I did last year with halftone/hard dot film from a graphic arts shop. It was developed in a staining developer(caffenol) and printed with palladium on 11x14 westons diploma parchment. This print is a crop from an 18"x24" neg.
Sorry, but I don't have a scanner that can take 11x14 so this is a digi pic without corrections if I recall. The actual print looks great.

**John Kasaian** · 13-Jun-2010, 22:57

Originally Posted by Brian Bullen

Hi John,

Here is a test I did last year with halftone/hard dot film from a graphic arts shop. It was developed in a staining developer(caffenol) and printed with palladium on 11x14 westons diploma parchment. This print is a crop from an 18"x24" neg.
Sorry, but I don't have a scanner that can take 11x14 so this is a digi pic without corrections if I recall. The actual print looks great.

Wow! I love those tones---you've inspired me to play more with ortho and staining developers---thanks!

**Vaughn** · 13-Jun-2010, 23:00

Some of my best carbon prints have been made from Kodak Copy Film negatives -- one can really control the contrast (really bump it up!)

**Jim Noel** · 14-Jun-2010, 09:51

Are you talking about orthochromatic film for camera use, or Ortho Lith?
They are two different films. There are ortho films for in camera designed to make full scale negatives, while ortho lith films are designed for making high contrast copies. The lith films can be developed for full scale as many are doing, but their films speed usually works out to about 3-6.
I use ortho films frequently when I need to open up shadows. Most of the time I dig into my frozen cache of Tri-X ortho but I have also used Ilford Ortho for the same purpose.

As for printing with Pt/Pd, they work out well because it is so easy to get the necessary contrast. I also use them for slat prints which require far more contrast.