Contact Printing

[Two23]

One of my goals for this year is to start contact printing. Mostly this will be with 8x10 and 5x7 film (FP4+). I don't have a dark room but use an interior bathroom. I'm looking at a very simple set up, like a 7w bare bulb and a contact printing frame, such as a Patterson. I have a Patterson red light but don't have a yellow light. I already have the trays etc. for processing 8x10 film. eventually I want to try contact printing wet plate negs but that's not my initial goal.

So, what paper should I be looking at? I've never made silver prints before. I'd like something cheap but easy to learn on, and later transition to something more "arty." I've been looking at youtube videos. Is there one that's really good?


Kent in SD

[Vaughn]

Hi, Kent. I would keep it simple and use an RC paper. Perhaps not the Glossy surface, but someone will probably will chime in with recent experience on what's available. RC paper will fix and wash much faster (using less water), and can take a tougher handling -- both in processing and as dry prints. The info on the photo paper will recommend a safe light filter for their product.

Bare bulbs are quite traditional -- but can be tough on the eyes going between safelight to white light and then back again. I would suggest getting an incadenscent enlarger bulb, and stay away from any that might not stop emitting light quickly once turned off...or perhaps be slow to build up to full power. Enlarger bulbs tend to be a little more robust than household bulbs.

[Two23]

I'll add that I do have a big black Gra Lab timer. I've been using it for processing film.


Kent in SD

[LabRat]

Exposure times are very short on fast RC, and lamp is close to paper, so buying an enlarger timer that will expose on 10's of a second will be needed... Plenty of them floating around cheap...

Diffused vs point source light produces different quality/sharpness on print so you can test different sources to see what you like... You will only need the lowest wattage lamps you can find, as your times will be short... You can also bounce light off white ceiling over printing area for softer effect, and if you have a light holder that can take a MG filter, you can cut contrast and produce a long scale effect...

Steve K

[Two23]

I have the older version of this timer, so I think it will do the job. I'm also used to taking exposure tests in strips for wet plate. Looks like prints are slightly different than film to process but use the same chemicals, and I've been developing my own b&w film for a couple of years now. Would I be better off buying something like the Patterson contact easel or a regular wooden contact printer with folding back? Or, doesn't really matter? I'm guessing I should use single grade paper rather than multigrade to start since I'm not using a lens on an enlarger, and want to keep it simple?

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...10090301008005


Kent in SD

[Willie]

Adox Lupex contact printing paper is a good choice. Not cheap - but why not use a very good product made for the specific type of printing you want to do right from the start?
Might check with Paula Chamlee at http://www.michaelandpaula.com to see if Lodima is still available. Older boxes of Kodak Azo is still around. On Paulas website try reading some of the Azo articles. They are still relevant.

Using papers made for contact printing will get you on the right track.

[koraks]

I have a Patterson red light but don't have a yellow light.

You don't need a yellow light; red is just fine.

I have the older version of this timer, so I think it will do the job.

Might be OK for the dedicated contact printing paper @Willie mentions (Lupex, Lodima, Azo), but on regular printing paper (variable contrast or graded) even with a small 7W bulb at considerable distance you might find the exposure times too short to reliably time with your Gralab. You might have to add a neutral density filter of some kind; basically anything that blocks a decent amount of light will do. Other than that, any kind of enlarging paper can be used just fine for contact printing. Resin-coated papers are nice because they lie very flat so you could even use a sheet of picture glass instead of a contact printing frame. Fiber based paper has more of a curl to it usually, so you need to use a printing frame or at least some clamps to sandwich everything together firmly. What you use in terms of a printing frame etc. doesn't really matter as long as you maintain good contact between the negative and the paper.

I would personally consider using variable contrast paper instead of anything graded because it's just nice to be able to adjust the contrast to the negatives you may already have. Especially papers like Lupex etc. require tailored negatives that fit with the long tonal scale of the paper and if you already have some negatives, they may not be up to this paper, whereas they will print fine on VC paper. @LabRat suggested fashioning a filter holder so you can use multigrade filters; that's a very good idea indeed. Alternatively you could use a blue & green (or even RGB) led bulb instead of a plain old incandescent bulb. There's cheap ones out there that come with a remote control with which you can set the color (and thereby contrast on VC paper). But multigrade filters may be more intuitive if you're not familiar with modern led lighting systems & associated gizmos.

There's plenty of ways to skin this cat, so you'll get lots of different views on how to do it 'right'. Truth is that many approaches will work just fine, so just give it a go with the materials your instinct tells you to use and take it from there. It's a pretty simple endeavor so usually pretty easy to figure out an effective workflow.

[jmdavis]

RC Variable contrast can be fine. But if using VC, you need to set up a way to use filters, or you are stuck with grade 2.5. Tim Layton has a free article about this on his blog in a post from 2020. You can find it with a Google search of "Tim Layton portable contact printing"

It's basically an art board box with a 7w bulb that allows you to use vc filters.

Good luck.

[jnantz]

Exposure times are very short on fast RC, and lamp is close to paper, so buying an enlarger timer that will expose on 10's of a second will be needed... Plenty of them floating around cheap...

Diffused vs point source light produces different quality/sharpness on print so you can test different sources to see what you like... You will only need the lowest wattage lamps you can find, as your times will be short... You can also bounce light off white ceiling over printing area for softer effect, and if you have a light holder that can take a MG filter, you can cut contrast and produce a long scale effect...

Steve K

Steve K is right.
if your negatives are on the thin side your exposures will be pretty fast. if you discover your exposure times to be too fast and you can't raise your bulb high enough &c you might consider using a rheostat to go between your light source and plug. aristo (the cold light people) used to sell them specifically for their bright D2HI cold light heads (im not sure how available they are on the 2nd hand market ). not really sure if they were built any differently than a dimmer switch and something you fashion yourself from the hardware store but it might be something to think about. if you decide you want to do the enlarger route and can't find a dedicated economical (read: cheap ) portable enlarger you can use an inexpensive LED panels for light sources. you can insert one behind the ground glass of your favorite camera and convert it to an enlarger ( like the olde "graflarger back" ). It will give you the ability to use a lens' F-stop.

[Tin Can]

I have used enlargers without a lens raised as high as possible

I reduced the light with a few sheets of paper

I checked my print surface with a spot meter and found a couple stops loss at edges

Made a paper center filter with a pencil, darker at center tapering outward