Palldium or Platinum ?

[Fred L]

Have a question for those who make Platinum and/or Palladium prints.

During an alt process workshop, we worked with Palladium.

Since the workshop, I've only been working with Platinum and was wondering why one would choose Palladium over/instead of Platinum. Is it more a question of tone/colour or is there something more subtle such as range of tones ? I'm very happy with Pt but just wondering what others are doing and why.

fwiw, I prefer neutral looking tones and am not really a warm tone person.


tia,
freddy

[BrianShaw]

Tone/color and cost

[Pete Roody]

Na2 Method for Contrast Control

[Fred L]

Na2 Method

haha, I was looking at this as well. What's the advantage over trad Pd or Pt ? I understand the Na2 can be more cost effective as one doesn't need very many drops.

[Pete Roody]

haha, I was looking at this as well. What's the advantage over trad Pd or Pt ? I understand the Na2 can be more cost effective as one doesn't need very many drops.

Replacing some of the Palladium Drops with NA2 gives you fine control of contrast. Helps allot if your negs aren't perfect.

[Vaughn]

I use about a 2/3s palladium and 1/3 platinum mix (no contrast control agents). Develop in warm Potassium oxalate.

The mix, paper and developer all affect color and contrast. Have fun!

[Alan9940]

I use about the same mix as Vaughn and develop in 110F PO. I like warm prints. Printing with only platinum is fine, but it does produce a cooler more neutral image, is grainer, and requires longer exposure for a good print. Back in the "good 'ole days", many alt printers (myself included) used mostly palladium because it was significantly cheaper than platinum. Therefore, I could print more. But, nowadays, the cost of palladium is about the same as platinum, so it comes down to personal preference. One caveat is that if one uses Na2, you cannot have any platinum in the mix.

Good luck and have fun printing!

[Fred L]

I use about the same mix as Vaughn and develop in 110F PO. I like warm prints. Printing with only platinum is fine, but it does produce a cooler more neutral image, is grainer, and requires longer exposure for a good print. Back in the "good 'ole days", many alt printers (myself included) used mostly palladium because it was significantly cheaper than platinum. Therefore, I could print more. But, nowadays, the cost of palladium is about the same as platinum, so it comes down to personal preference. One caveat is that if one uses Na2, you cannot have any platinum in the mix.

Good luck and have fun printing!

thanks Alan !

interesting about the exposure times. Some of my 8x10 and 7x17 negatives, developed in Pyrocat HD Glycol have had me cooling my jets for about 30 minutes or so, sometimes longer. The negs don't look dense at all, so maybe a combination of some base fog and the brown stain ?

Wonder if it's worth trying Pt/Pd and adjust the drop counts so I can get finer grain BUT still get that neutral tone I prefer.

[Fred L]

I use about a 2/3s palladium and 1/3 platinum mix (no contrast control agents). Develop in warm Potassium oxalate.

The mix, paper and developer all affect color and contrast. Have fun!

thanks Vaughn ! I guess my preference for neutral tones is locking me into Platinum and normal temp PO.

[Fred L]

Replacing some of the Palladium Drops with NA2 gives you fine control of contrast. Helps allot if your negs aren't perfect.

thanks Peter,

chatted with Bostick and they said Na2 has to be used with Pd as I asked if Na2 could be mixed with Ferric Oxalate and then coat but that's a no go.