I loathe spotting prints.

[Steve Roberts]

Like Vaughn, I enjoy spotting (not that I'd go so far as to end up with dusty prints intentionally!) It's a nice feeling when a white or grey speck disappears under a carefully matched and applied dab of Spotone.

Steve

[Roger Thoms]

There is some useful info in this thread. http://www.apug.org/forums/forum41/9...ng-prints.html

These helped my spotting technique immensely. http://www.doneganoptical.com/optivisor.php

Roger

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Luckily I don't have to do it very often.

My saving grace is that I print on matte or textured paper, which means spotting is infinitely easier. Compressed air in the darkroom is the best thing I've ever found to get dust off the negative before I load it in the enlarger. Some say always use glass negative carrier, but I just don't, and don't care about the slight inferiority of focus, and it saves me a TON of time in spotting.

I've also learned to store my negatives such that dust doesn't have a chance to get to them until I bring them out to print. They are in PrintFile sleeves in an archival 3-ring binder within an archival box that seals out air flow. This has made a huge difference to me, and I really hate digging out old favorite negatives to print, because they are usually dustier from not having been stored well at the beginning of their lives.

Finally - diffuse light source helps a lot.

[jglass]

Thanks for the resources, I'm about to get started doing this.

[Roger Thoms]

Like Vaughn, I enjoy spotting (not that I'd go so far as to end up with dusty prints intentionally!) It's a nice feeling when a white or grey speck disappears under a carefully matched and applied dab of Spotone.

Steve

Yeah it's magic!!!

Roger

[Mainecoonmaniac]

I hate spotting too. I always keep a air bulb at my enlarger to dust off negs. I also extend the bellows of my Beseler 45MX take out the lens board and tap the sides to dislodge dust. As I get older, spotting is less fun. I avoid it like the plague.

[jordanstarr]

I would normally reprint but it's on the new Ilford Art 300 in 20x24, thus, I cannot afford it!

I managed to get a presentable final print. My saving grace is that it's a Holga photo with lots of deep tones. Spotting lighter tones is more difficult in my opinion.

Hiring out spotting isn't a bad idea! Jordanstarr.. wanna swing through Kansas City and make a little extra cash?? I'm also willing to pay extra in good beer or KC BBQ

Anyone know a good source for spotting technique? The info I've come across is, well.. spotty.

Maybe if you were in Cali or NYC I would. Ha.

I actually find the lighter tones a lot easier to work with in my opinion. Deeper is harder to match for me, but the great thing about deeper blacks is that if you don't quite match it and go too dark, it blends in a little better than going too dark on a light spot.

I don't know a good source, but since this has come up quite a bit, I was thinking of making a short instructional video and putting it on you tube (I also thought of doing one with bleaching). It's one of those advanced techniques that you can't find any great information on and even the ones I do find on You Tube don't really teach you a lot. I just don't have a camera that does good closeups and would also need someone to film it for me to do it right.

[f/stopblues]

Ah a video would be awesome for spotting and bleaching. You should make that happen, especially since there's such a gap in information out there. I have a print that needs a bump in local contrast in certain areas and bleaching would be perfect.

[Roger Cole]

I see lots of tips and "information" about spotting, but what I think I probably need is someone to demonstrate, then watch me try and offer feedback, "no, make the point of your brush smaller...pick up less dye...move it this way...that's right but do this more..." or whatever. A video might be the best thing we can have online and better than just written instruction. I normally do very well with written instructions but some things you just need to see, and motor skills you need to practice doing.

[Mike Wilde]

I find the best is to spread the spotting ink out to dry in linear artist' paint pallete
I have a glazed ceramic one. A drop of each colour, one per tray spot, left to dry
Then a drop of distilled water to each to wet each slightly and tip the tray and jostle it lightly.
Left to evaporate, the higher up the 'drip spalsh' the fainter is the tone.
I find this makes picking up the right amount of dye easier to judge.

I feel spotting is a necessary evil. I strive to minimize dust. Spotting proficiency is one of those skills I wish I practiced less.