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Contact paper question



 
 
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  #1  
Old February 15th 04, 08:49 PM
Collin Brendemuehl
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Default Contact paper question

Ok, now that LF is taking my free time it's time to get
contact printing (& enlarging as well) done right.
Or at least to understand it more fully.

So, let's pursue 8x10 contact printing for now.
1. Is there a "best" contact printing paper?
1.1 Any online examples of AZO vs. whatever, to show the difference?

2. Do chemicals make any difference here?

Any other things to look at that you can think of?

TIA,

Collin
  #2  
Old February 15th 04, 10:03 PM
Nicholas O. Lindan
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Default Contact paper question

"Collin Brendemuehl" wrote


So, let's pursue 8x10 contact printing for now.
1. Is there a "best" contact printing paper?


Since there is only one (?? - or are there 2)
it is not only the best, but also the worst.
In sum, it is thoroughly mediocre.

1.1 Any online examples of AZO vs. whatever, to show the difference?


Enter "azo paper" into Google - then click on the images tab.

2. Do chemicals make any difference here?


Do you dip the cracker into the wine or do you take the wine
and cracker separately?: Episcopalian churches in Kansas City
had schisms on this issue. (Unitarian urban legend)

When all is said and done the developers (outside of the
obvious, such as what color toner was used) make little
difference. IMHO: only the person making the prints would
can one he developed in Dektol from the one he developed
in Ansco 130.

And after saying that, I'm killfiling this thread.

Any other things to look at that you can think of?


Mountains, rivers, forests, flowers, women ....
It is necessary to look at these things first.

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics.
  #3  
Old February 15th 04, 11:54 PM
Joe Smigiel
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Default Contact paper question

Kodak still makes AZO. Bergger has a new contact paper which I haven't
used. And then there is Centennial POP which I prefer.

Centennial is akin to the old Kodak Studio Proof gelatine silver chloride
printing-out-paper and has a nice purplish tone which responds well to
several toning formulas. No developer needed in the processing. It is
available through Bostick & Sullivan as well as Chicago Albumen Works.

AZO is also a wonderful paper if treated correctly. Michael Smith sings
its praises on his website.

Contact prints on any of these papers will blow away any enlarging paper
print in my experience. They are hardly "mediocre" IMHO.

Joe



(Switch the vOwEls in my email address to reply directly.)

"Nicholas O. Lindan" wrote:

"Collin Brendemuehl" wrote

So, let's pursue 8x10 contact printing for now.
1. Is there a "best" contact printing paper?


Since there is only one (?? - or are there 2)
it is not only the best, but also the worst.
In sum, it is thoroughly mediocre.

(snip)


  #8  
Old February 16th 04, 03:51 AM
Gregory W Blank
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Posts: n/a
Default Contact paper question

In article . net,
"Nicholas O. Lindan" wrote:

And after saying that, I'm killfiling this thread.


That's because he knows he is going to get a lot of flack.
--
LF website http://members.bellatlantic.net/~gblank

  #10  
Old February 16th 04, 02:27 PM
Reciprocity Failure
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Posts: n/a
Default Contact paper question

Azo is a very nice paper if you don't mind working with single weight paper
which wasn't a problem for me. I used Azo as long as the negative could be
printed in grades 2 or 3, or adjusted within these grades by use of a water
bath for part of the development time. Those were the only grades in which
Azo was generally available in 8x10 when I used it. If the negative called
for something other than grade 2 or 3 I switched to Polymax Fine Art and
used my enlarger's variable contrast light source.

Developers make a big difference with Azo. Amidol produced a warm tone,
Ilford Universal produced a noticeably blue cool tone which I didn't like.
The main thing I didn't like with Azo and Amidol (other than the need to
contstantly put on and take off gloves when using it) was the fact that out
of the fix the paper has a slightly greenish cast to it that has to be
removed with Kodak rapid selenium toner. The problem with that was that the
timing in the toner had to be almost perfect. If left in the toner too short
a time the greenish cast wasn't removed, if left in too long a time the
toner produced that purple selenium look. I wanted a neutral tone so it was
a matter of wateching each print with an eagle eye and pulling at just the
right time.

I should add that Michael Smith recommends highly dilute selenium to remove
the greenish cast, something like 1:120. I never tried that, I used a
stronger combintation, something like 1:10. Possibly if I had tried his
recommendation the timing wouldn't have been so critical (I forget now why I
didn't try it). As I'm sure others must have told you, Michael Smith is the
source for Azo paper and also the fount of much available knowledge about
it. You can find out a lot of information by visiting his web site.

"Collin Brendemuehl" wrote in message
om...
Ok, now that LF is taking my free time it's time to get
contact printing (& enlarging as well) done right.
Or at least to understand it more fully.

So, let's pursue 8x10 contact printing for now.
1. Is there a "best" contact printing paper?
1.1 Any online examples of AZO vs. whatever, to show the difference?

2. Do chemicals make any difference here?

Any other things to look at that you can think of?

TIA,

Collin



 




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