Best film for making negative enlargements

[adelorenzo]

I was at a fellow photographer's place today. I was talking to him and he uses some kind of positive duplicating film to enlarge 4x5 negatives to large sizes (like 16x20) for doing contact printing processes. His enlarged negatives look great (the film is really clear) and his platinum prints from these negatives look amazing. I'd like to try this out.

The only positive duplicating film I can find using google is this ultrafine stuff but I can't seem to find much on the 'net about people using it.

The other option is I use something like Arista or Ilford ortho film which would produce an enlarged positive that I would have to then contact print onto another sheet of film to make a negative.

Any thoughts or suggestions appreciated!

An yes, I know I could do digital negatives but I don't have a scanner that will handle LF negs nor do I have an inkjet printer. So a couple of boxes of film is a lot cheaper than buying all that hardware.

[Erik Larsen]

You can use the ultrafine, but it has a very blue tint to it so if your friend is using a direct duplicating film it probably isn't ultrafine. You can use lith film which will be clear and reversal process it which works well. There is a how to article on unblinking eye.com that explains the process. Why not ask what film he uses for his process?

[Leigh]

Why not ask what film he uses for his process?

+1

... and ask where he gets it, since that appears to be a concern.

- Leigh

[smithdoor]

I have made enlargements 16x 20 with 35mm and kodak pan x work great took little in time the darkroom with contrast filter.

Dave

I was at a fellow photographer's place today. I was talking to him and he uses some kind of positive duplicating film to enlarge 4x5 negatives to large sizes (like 16x20) for doing contact printing processes. His enlarged negatives look great (the film is really clear) and his platinum prints from these negatives look amazing. I'd like to try this out.

The only positive duplicating film I can find using google is this ultrafine stuff but I can't seem to find much on the 'net about people using it.

The other option is I use something like Arista or Ilford ortho film which would produce an enlarged positive that I would have to then contact print onto another sheet of film to make a negative.

Any thoughts or suggestions appreciated!

An yes, I know I could do digital negatives but I don't have a scanner that will handle LF negs nor do I have an inkjet printer. So a couple of boxes of film is a lot cheaper than buying all that hardware.

[adelorenzo]

He was getting huge sheets of litho film from the local newspaper, back when they were using it to shoot the layouts and then burn them to plates for the printer. I sent them a note to see if they have any of the stuff kicking around but I'd imagine that they've moved on to a more digitally-based process.

The article on reversal processing litho film is very helpful. Looks like what I'll do is try the Arisa litho film out, maybe I'll try reversal processing and also try duping a positive enlargement back into a negative and see which one works best for me.

[Drew Wiley]

Not cheap, but FP4 can be obtained in these big sheet sizes, and it is an excellent film for the double neg method.

[Andrew O'Neill]

Don't forget x-ray duplicating film. 8x10, 14x17 sizes available. Around $60 for 8x10, 100 sheets.

[StoneNYC]

Well, there's Ortho litho film new for sale from various vendors including ilford... If you want that kind of copy film

[Jim Noel]

I have direst positive film, Litho film and Ilford Ortho. Of these, I prefer the lith film, Between making the positive and hte new negative I have a lot of control over shadow density as well as overall contrast. It takes a little effort to learn, but as Franklin Jordan said in his 1937 book, "I'll take your word for how dumb you are, but even you can learn to make a duplicate negative in one evening."

I used to teach the process in a 3 hour class at the college. It really is not difficult, but good notes are essential.

[bob carnie]

I have been making enlarged negaives/separations directly onto rollie ortho 25, I am now trying Ilford Ortho 25 , and a specialty film from the printing industry.

The Rollie works fantastic , but very hard to secure.

I should add that I am making the exposures using RGB laser, from files edited in Photoshop. I have been tray processing up to 30 inch x 40 inch, and I am now converting a colenta processor to handle the film.

We have made film for four colour separation- made plates then print with inks on etching press. We have made film for Carbon Transfer, pt pd, and gum over.

As well we have found that we can make the blocking power of the film high enough to make fantastic black and white silver contact prints up to 30 x40 using Ilford Warmtone, and also these negatives can be modified for lith printing and solarization printing.

I asked the people at Ultrafine if they would produce a 30 inch roll for me to try and they rudely shut the door on me.

I should point out that in the 90's before I got the digital laser device, I would use ortho 25 to make a contact positive, and then enlarge onto 16 x20 FP4. These would make beautiful negatives for pt pd printing and is tried and true method.

Both materials can still be purchased.