Any Tips On Calibrating PDN For AZO?

[Jeremy]

Jeremy,

I suggested that you use VC since you can usually get it more easily than graded paper. Also you wouldn't vary the grade, just use grade 0 or 1 all the time. With my Saunders LPL enlarger with a dichro head, a 120 cc of yellow provides a very soft long scale with Agfa or Ilford MG.

Don

I would probably order it from an online store anyway and they are all stocked up on graded paper, at least B&H was when I checked earlier today. The other reason that I would go with graded paper is that I wouldn't easily be able to use any filters--the darkroom at the house had to be taken down and I'm not about to move a desk-mounted D5XL from the garage up the steps and into the bathroom every time I print--I would just use a regular light bulb.

[L Gebhardt]

I would also stay away from VC paper with inkjet negatives produced with colored ink. I imagine the colors could act as local VC filters.

[donbga]

I would also stay away from VC paper with inkjet negatives produced with colored ink. I imagine the colors could act as local VC filters.

Larry,

Have you tried VC paper with Mark's or Dan's digital negatives? I'm curious to hear of your experiences.


Don Bryant

[Jeremy]

I would also stay away from VC paper with inkjet negatives produced with colored ink. I imagine the colors could act as local VC filters.

Good point, Larry, I never thought about that.

*Note: your print was shipped yesterday, it was made by Mark's digi-neg system and the cheapest ($60) printer has on the market right now (that I could find anyway)

[L Gebhardt]

Larry,

Have you tried VC paper with Mark's or Dan's digital negatives? I'm curious to hear of your experiences.


Don Bryant

Don, I tried making a negative with Dan's system and was able to get the full range to print on both AZO (15 minutes through white film) and on VC paper. The VC paper had a strange look to it - almost mottled (sp?). The AZO tones were better. Both exhibited very grainy highlight areas however, with the VC looking worse than the AZO. I attribute some of these differences to the VC paper, but I have not done further tests. I have had a chance to look at Mark's system through a friend, though I didn't actually make any negatives with it (I figured that would be unethical since I don't own it).

What I am doing now is using a film recorder to write out to FP4+. The results from this are far and away better than the inkjet route for me.

With the right subject (lots of detail) however I could be satisfied with the inkjet negatives. Given that Mark's PDN method uses color inks to get the densest negative with the least ink it could turn out to be significantly better than Dan Burkholder's curves only method. This might also solve the ink pooling problems I was having with OHP. I might give this some more effort so I can print bigger than 11x14.

I use an Epson 2200 by the way.

Larry

[L Gebhardt]

Good point, Larry, I never thought about that.

*Note: your print was shipped yesterday, it was made by Mark's digi-neg system and the cheapest ($60) printer has on the market right now (that I could find anyway)

Thanks for the update Jeremy, I look forward to seeing it.

[Jim Moore]

Has anyone used, or know anyone who has used the new Epson 4000 printer to make LARGE negatives?

Jim

[Jeremy]

Has anyone used, or know anyone who has used the new Epson 4000 printer to make LARGE negatives?

Jim

Jim,
you might want to check with the Alt Process list http://www.usask.ca/lists/alt-photo-process/ as I know a number of peoplea are using the large 7 and 9000 series printers to print 24+" negatives.

[donbga]

Has anyone used, or know anyone who has used the new Epson 4000 printer to make LARGE negatives?

Jim

Hi Jim,

I beleive Darryl Baird on the Alt Process List is working with the 4000. Since it uses Ultrachrome inks it should work fine. The problem is getting media that large and it's not cheap. Roughly $5-$10 per sheet.

Sandy King mentioned this web site as a source for 17x22 media.

http://www.digitalartsupplies.com/newtranfilm.html

Don Bryant

[Jim Moore]

Sweet! Thanks guys.

Jim