Your Darkroom Work Flow for Color Printing

[RedSun]

I just wonder how you manage color printing in your darkroom. I suppose you use regular enlarger and rotary drums, like Jobo. Assume you use a large drum and can process multiple prints. Do you accumulate several prints and process them at same time? or just print one or two prints and do not want to wait?

[Larry Gebhardt]

I now use an Ilford ICP roller transport, so I just load one print in as soon as it's done in the enlarger. When I used the Jobo I would usually do one at a time if I wasn't sure on the exposure. I'd fill the drum if I could. I now only use it for 20x24, so the drum is always full.

[marfa boomboom tx]

I just wonder how you manage color printing in your darkroom. I suppose you use regular enlarger and rotary drums, like Jobo. Assume you use a large drum and can process multiple prints. Do you accumulate several prints and process them at same time? or just print one or two prints and do not want to wait?

I'm very old school...
--- i keep 'delay' time to same, therefore, for high volume souping, I delay the first print, including test...

however, in keeping with old school, I don't rotary process. I do deep tray, or baskets in tanks...


respectfully submitted from Marfa, where we have enough space that we have to have enough time.

[frotog]

The goal of any good color printer is to print for neutral - no color casts. This entails making a test print, evaluating the print under full spectrum light, determining the bias of the print and then making the necessary adjustment to your filter pack. Depending on the printer's ability this process of color correction means making repeated attempts at a negative. An experienced color printer with good eyes will oftentimes make fine adjustments (as small as 1/4 pt. cc) when dialing in accurate color. Roller transport machines are a must for anyone desiring to optimally print ra-4 for two reasons -consistency and speed. Rotary processors like the jobo are simply not capable of delivering either one of these and as such are not viable tools for a photographer intent on getting the most out of their color printing. Durst printo, Thermophot (later rebadged as beseler) and the fujimoto cp-32 and cp-51 are all good machines for the home user - relatively small footprint, small amounts of tank chem. and computer monitored speed and temp controls. Of these three machines the fujimoto is the best design. A brand new fujimoto cp-51 runs close to 15k but can oftentimes be found used for less than what people are paying for the cpp-2.

[Drew Wiley]

I have a big roller-transport machine on hand, but haven't bothered hooking it up. I do test
strips in small drums and then the big one. I used a modified CPI 30x40 drum processor,
which I spent yesterday afternoon taking apart for thorough maintenance - cleaning, adjusting, checking motor brushes and elec contacts etc. I am allergic to most color chem
so have the entire rig on a big cart I can push outside in favorable weather for the actual
processing. The drum is obviously loaded in the dkrm. This is one of the big advantages of
drum processing in my case - minimal exposure to the fumes.

[frotog]

Drew's post brings up the single most important aspect of the color darkroom - adequate ventilation and proper vent-hood placement. RA4 chemistry is significantly more toxic than most b/w chemistry. Proper handling and proper lab safety are a must regardless of processor type. Drums filled with color chemistry are potentially big risks for exposure as much as roller transport machines venting off fumes.

[SpeedGraphicMan]

The goal of any good color printer is to print for neutral - no color casts. This entails making a test print, evaluating the print under full spectrum light, determining the bias of the print and then making the necessary adjustment to your filter pack. Depending on the printer's ability this process of color correction means making repeated attempts at a negative. An experienced color printer with good eyes will oftentimes make fine adjustments (as small as 1/4 pt. cc) when dialing in accurate color.

Here Here!

Despite, all the bad stigma surrounding color printing, it is actually very easy!
I have just as much fun printing color as I do B&W!!

Start with a beginning filter pack and adjust until you get the print you want.
Using a self-made test neg (what we use to call a Shirley, Google it!) that includes a gray-card and a skin-tone is a big help for finding the correct filter pack.
Write down everything, and use the same film/paper/chemical combination and you will only have to make minor adjustments!

Easy-Peasy!