Platinum/Palladium question

[Herb Cunningham]

Just about to get into pt/pd. Got most all I need but chemicals. B&S advertises a Sodium pt/pd mix for digital negatives.
Anybody have experience with that? They also offer the traditional chemicals.

[Pete Suttner]

Good place to start, no real reason to do anything different.

[jp]

AFAIK the kit for digital negatives does not have any chemistry options for adjusting contrast. (You'd do that solely in photoshop preparing the digital negative).

[Pete Suttner]

B&S kit includes:

Ferric Oxalate Solution #1 - 25 ml
Palladium Solution #3 - 25 ml
5% Sodium Platinum Solution Na2 - 10 ml
4 plastic droppers
32 oz. Ammonium Citrate Developer
500 g EDTA Clearing Agent

5% Na2 is the contrast agent

[Doug Howk]

According to the chart I have, a 5% of Na2 is only grade #2. And 1/2 of that would be grade #1. So it does suggest reliance on the digital negative/PS for more extensive contrast adjustments.

[Bob Mann]

Contrast with Na2 process involves how much of the 5% solution is added to the total amount of solution you use in coating a sheet of paper. Most methods involve counting the drops as you mix using an eye dropper before coating. A bottle of 5% will last a very long time, as very little should be used in making one print. Many users also dilute part of the 5% into lower percentage solutions so you have a choice of percentages to fit the needs of your negative.

[Eric Biggerstaff]

If you are making prints from digital negs, you can almost eliminate the need for Na2 in my experience. You do your contrast control in PS and then print the digital neg. I do keep 3 different Na2 dilutions on hand, 5%, 10% and 20%. Dilution much below the 5% mark will not impact the contrast much. What B&S has done is simply provide a 1/4 strength solution to fine tune the image. Also, the Na2 is the platinum salt if I remember, so without any addition of it to the mix, the print is a pure palladium image.