Printing Colour negs in B&W

[darkroom_rookie]

Panchromatic B&W paper is still being made by Harman. RC version is called Ilfospeed RC Digital and FB bears the name Harman Galerie FB Digital, both only in rolls. If someone knows how to get hold of the latter in Europe, please let me know!

[holmburgers]

I'd love to see an example of a b&w print from a color negative; anyone got one handy?

David, about the orange mask, as far as I know you can't easily get rid of it. It's present in the film just like the couplers, only it's destroyed image-wise during processing, leaving deposits of masking dye inversely proportional to negative density. Rollei digibase c-41 film doesn't have this mask however..

Working on Ilfospeed RC digital would be fantastic, assuming its fixed grade character was suited to your negatives. Moreso if it works well with carbro... alas, it's hard to get a hold of in small quantities and so no one(?) has been able to do the necessary testing.

[jnanian]

holmburgers

it looks like a orthochromatic image often times.
the reds convert to blacks ( red brick wall, red lipstick appears black ),
and other times you can't even tell the difference and think the negative was a b/w one.
there are ways to achieve this look with panchro film .. i think it is an orangy-yellow filter
or you could use a paper negative, and there won't be excessive development, or mask to deal with.
i used to always print color negative film on black and white paper ... and often times i would project a chrome
and make a paper negative ( internegative ) and then contact print that ..

have fun !

john

[keithwms]

One idea would be just to make an enlarged interpositive on panchromatic b&w film and then off you go. You can play color filter games in that step, which could be interesting.

Otherwise you may want to use an in-camera filter to shift the tones to something that will be appropriate for the contrast you want.

Don't forget the mask. If I were trying this, I would go for the maskless rollei digibase.

[holmburgers]

Orthochromatic film is fantastic for subjects in shadow, portraits of course and landscapes with strong structural features. That might be a good criteria from which to choose C-41 negs..

cheers!

[jeffreyg]

I've made a few B&W prints from Portra - 160 (120) on to Ilford MG IV FB using an Aristo VCL4500 light source. They required a rather contrasty light setting and some burning especially the highlights but it worked well and had very good tonal range. I wouldn't make a habit of it but they were of grandchildren and those particular images went well with other B&W's I had of some of the others.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

[Existing Light]

One idea would be just to make an enlarged interpositive on panchromatic b&w film and then off you go. You can play color filter games in that step, which could be interesting..

I think this might be the best approach. Either enlarge on to LF film to make an interpositive, then contact print that to make a negative, then contact print that on to paper. Isnt that how the process goes? I've never done it, but seems the best way to get the contrast control you would need/want.

If I were trying this, I would go for the maskless rollei digibase.

That's a possibility, too, but wouldnt the reds in the film cause problems with printing, or would it effectivly look like an orthochromatic film print?

[keithwms]

That's a possibility, too, but wouldnt the reds in the film cause problems with printing, or would it effectivly look like an orthochromatic film print?

Well, at least the (negative) colours wouldn't be coupled with the mask, so I guess you could more easily filter in whatever way pushes all the info into tones that can be properly rendered by your b&w film or paper.