Basic split grade printing



Fig 1
Soft test print

A while a go I was on the FADU forum in the articles section reading up on another subject, when I came across an article by Les Mclean on basic split grade printing. I had a quick read and printed a copy off to read again and give it a try. It is suggested that using this method leads to a more finely toned photograph. Is this the case?  And how difficult is it to get right?

 

Before the introduction of Multigrade and varitone papers photographers used to buy individually graded papers. This led to a working method that was tailored to what grade of paper they had on the shelf. To a certain extent I still do this aiming to produce negatives that print well at grade three. Then burning in (more light) or dodging (less light) areas to gain a well balanced final print.

 

After reading the article several more times to get the basics into my head I was ready to give it a try. I chose a negative that  had a very wide range of tones, that would normally require burning in. The negative used was taken  on Agfa APX 100, ISO 100 developed in PMK Pyro. These negs on average print well at about grade two and half.

Fig 2
Hard test print

Split grade printing requires you to produce two test strips. One at grade zero a soft test strip (Fig 1)  and the second at grade five a hard test strip (Fig 2). Quite simple until you put it into practice for the first time! It maybe an idea to produce an idiot list, for a procedure prompter,  to help jog your memory hopefully reducing the mistakes.

 

First of all it is a good idea to start with a fresh print developer as it may take more prints than you expect to arrive at the end result. For this test I used whole sheets of Foma variant 311 gloss RC 10 x 8. Developed in Moersch 6 blue tone. I will also process a print in my usual way as a reference.

 Sequence:

1.           The first test strip should always be the soft one at grade zero which in my case I dialed in to the enlarger head. You can use individual multigrade filters. I have set the enlarging lens to F8 which is what I would normally set.

2.           I have used five second intervals to obtain the right exposure for the soft print (fig 1) If you feel you need to refine the tonal separation then you can do a further test strip of two second intervals. I have kept to the five second test strip to keep things simple.

3.           Once the test strip is processed and preferably dry, under good lighting check the strips. The trick is to look at the bright tones of each segment the one that produces the best bright tones is the one to choose. In this case about 16.9 sec's. The contrast has to be forgotten about it is all about tone. (fig 1) Be careful not to over do it as it can lead to a muddy looking final print.

4.           This is the start of the hard grade test strip (fig 2). Place a new sheet of paper in the easel and expose the whole sheet at grade 0 at your chosen time (16.9 sec). Be careful not to move the easel. I also covered the photographic paper with a piece of black card to protect it from any stray light when I turned on the enlarger, so I can see the dials when adjusting them to grade five. This is where I think using pre set filters has the edge.

5.           Cover a section of the exposed paper as a reference point from which you can see the increase of contrast. Now expose the following sections at  two second increments. (fig 2).

6.           Once the test strip is processed and preferably dry; under good lighting you are looking for the best section of tonality and contrast that will provide you with the image for your taste. In this case I have chosen eleven seconds.

7.           Now you are ready to combine both the times in the one print. Begin with grade 0 the soft settings (the tonal exposure) this should always be done first as it has the most influence on the final out come; then grade 5 the contrast setting. The picture oppsite shows the result. I must admit the outcome is brilliant in more ways than one. It has an unexpected vibrancy that conveys how sunny and warm the day was.

 

The picture below, is my reference print as you can see it requires more work to produce the tones for the wall in the background and sky. I get the sense that this image is lacking in something. A subjective notion that is a very individual interpretation.

 

Conclusion

Les Mclean's article sets the process out in a way that is easy to understand. I have followed it to the letter and the result speaks for itself. When embarking on new processes there is a certain amount of settling in. Once you are past these initial stages you are only two steps away from a finely toned image, that anybody, novices included would be more than pleased with. I think it is a more efficient method of producing prints and in some cases possibly more cost effective. This is only a basic introduction to the use of split grade printing but I can already see that it has advantages over the standard grade print, achieving a better toned image more easily.

 

 

The masking frame

Also called an easel they come in different sizes. It is a good idea to pick one that is larger than your current needs therefore not limiting the proportions of your enlargements. The main reasons for using a masking frame are to hold the paper flat, to reconfigure the composition, allow the margins to be adjusted to the various format sizes you wish to use and to crop out some of those bits that creep in at edges, that you didn't see before you pressed the shutter. 

The frames come with two or four independently adjustable blades on a yellow or white base. I have noticed that some blades are not set at right angles to each other so it is a good idea to check them at various settings with a set square to make sure they are true. Also make sure that the edges of the blades are not bevelled under. This will reflect the light and produce a thin black line around the edge of the picture. It can be a nice affect but one you should have control over. The light colour of the baseboard is so you can see the projected negative, enabling you to frame the image before you put the photo paper in place.

When using single weight papers on a white baseboard, it is possible for the light to pass through the paper and be reflected back, changing the value of the exposure. You can stop this by laying a dark coloured card on the baseboard with the light sensitive paper on top.

The most versatile of the masking frames is the four blade, it allows you to mask the image by only having to move the blades of the frame without having to re-a line the whole easel each time. It also gives better control over how big or small you make the margins and in some cases gives you the ability to produce borderless prints. The versatility of these frames makes them quite expensive to purchase.

Luxuary Darkroom.

Some more kit for those with a bit more space and money.

1. Enlarger with auto focus, tilting base and better lens.
2. Enlarging easel 30 x 40 cm (12"x16") with four blades.
3. Wall mounted safe lights and one white light.
4. Automatic darkroom timer.
5. Two timers one for developer and another for fix.
6. Dishes 30 x 40 cm (12"x 16") and or slot processor.
7. 50 ml measure.
8. Four heaters with built-in thermostats for dishes.
9. Four thermometers, alcohol.
10. Double sided glazier with thermostat.
11. Electric print dryer.
12. Roller squeegee.
13. Printing paper FB.
14. Vacuum mount press.
15. Film drying cabinet.
16. Paper washer.

This is not a definitive list.

Test strips before printing.

The test strip is the foundation to obtaining a good final print. Unless you have one of RH designs excellent Analsyser Pro enlarging meters. If not the most common way of producing a test strip is with a sheet of card moved at timed intervals across light-sensitive paper. There are several things you need to set before doing the test: the size of the print, the aperture of the enlarging lens and making sure you have sharp focus.

10 x 8 test strip.

Once all this is done how big should the test print be? This is down to personal choice but you should consider whether the use of whole sheet, half, third or strips give the best test results. If using a test strip of about two inches (50 mm) you need to make sure that each segment includes a full range of tones from the lightest to darkest so you can see at which timed interval gives the best high values and shadow areas. It is much easier to achieve this with the larger test strip.

What should the time separation be? A good starting point for prints around the ten by eight size is five seconds. These intervals will give you a rough idea of what the exposure should be. This can be refined with further test strips of two and/or one second if needed.

On what grade of paper should you make the test print? Grade one is standard practice. If the method you use places your negatives at a particular grade In my case it is grade three then you should do your test print at that grade unless you are using the split grade method.

Related posts:

Evaluating your test strips

First Rule of printing

The first rule.

Printing stark black and white enlargements will not hide a lack of technical experience. You should develop your printing technics to such an extent that it improves the expressiveness of your photographs.

Enlarger

An enlarger consists of:

Enlarger for 35mmm negs
only. with out multigrade
head. Condenser type.

A baseboard on which enlargements are made; a column, which serves as a slide for the support arm, that holds the enlarging head, which consists of the lamp housing that contains the bulb; a single or double condenser; negative carrier, a place to fix the lens; a means of focusing and lastly a red filter that swings in front of the lens.

The lamp contained in the light housing is of the opal type and has a power output of 75, 100 or 150 watts. The pearlescents of the bulb with the help of a condenser distributes the light evenly across the negative. The lens focuses and projects the negative image on to the baseboard or rather an easel with paper on it. The higher the enlarging head is from the baseboard the closer the lens is to the negative the greater the magnification. The closer the head is to the baseboard the greater the distance the negative is from the lens the smaller the magnification of the picture. The typical focal length of lens for 35mm negative is 50mm and for a medium format (6x6) is about 75mm.

A multi format Enlarger with multi grade head.
Diffuser type.

The negative is clamped in the carrier which incorporates a mask that is the same size or format as the film and then placed in the light box. It is not a good idea to cut the negatives into single frames, it is better to leave them in strips to make it easier to line the frame up with the mask in the carrier, this also means you are less likely to scratched them.

Focusing is usually done manually, although there are enlargers available with automatic focus, these are usually more expensive.