Color contact printing?

domaz · 10-08-2008, 11:54 AM

I have been thinking about getting into large format for the purpose of contact printing lately. I like the idea of a print that is amazingly sharp and pretty much a 100% representation of the negative.

However, I do like to work in color occasionally and I was wondering how feasible contact printing is in color. What equipment do I need to do it? Just an enlarger with a color head and contact printing frame? What paper is best to use for this purpose? RA4 or Ilfochrome?

Nick Zentena · 10-08-2008, 12:01 PM

Whatever process you like.

It's no different then doing a colour contact sheet.

Dug · 10-08-2008, 12:41 PM

I have done 4X5 Ilfochrome contact prints for one of the early postcard exchanges. Ilfochrome chemistry has been reformulated (again) and is not for the faint of pocketbook. I would do color negatives with RA4 to start. I am in Seattle so if you need assistance PM me.

Robert Brummitt · 10-08-2008, 02:13 PM

I'd do 8x10 for size, use Fuji Crystal Archive for paper and that would lead you to use RA-4 chemistry.

domaz · 10-08-2008, 04:51 PM

Thanks for the replies- but just to clarify you need to contact printing under the light of an enlarger with a color head to do this?

David A. Goldfarb · 10-08-2008, 04:54 PM

That would be the easiest way. You need to be able to filter the light to adjust the color. I suppose you could also just use a lamp with a filter holder on the reflector, like a gel holder, if you don't already have an enlarger.

Chan Tran · 10-08-2008, 05:56 PM

May be you can do it with RGB LED lamps? Build an array of these LED and control the exposure time for the red, green and blue LED's separately. Just an idea.

Jon Shiu · 10-08-2008, 06:53 PM

You could use a black and white enlarger with yellow and magenta CC gel filters.

Jon

jolefler · 10-09-2008, 03:30 PM

Wouldn't you need cyan, as well?

Jo

Photo Engineer · 10-09-2008, 03:36 PM

All color neg-pos papers are very fast and therefore you can use an enlarger for both enlargments and for contact prints. Cibachrome is so slow, you might not want to use an enlarger. IDK.

You will need C/M/Y filters for Cibachrome but only M/Y for color papers under normal conditions. If you need C for neg-pos papers, the light is improper or something else is wrong and colors will probably be degraded.

PE