Re: Bleaching for a lith effect.

[Bertha Adamson <badamson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tim Rudman wrote:
> 
> > I'm not sure why you guys are going through all of these gyrations of
> > bleaching with feri on Ilford warm tone paper. Very similar results can be
> > acheived by toning in selinium of various dilutions. Nix the bleach and
> give
> > it a try. Maybe I'm missing something because of the limitations of the
> > computer image but I just don't thing your are gaining anything with the
> > bleach. Also try some semi-mat Ilford warm tone. It will give different
> > colors.
> >
> > Don Bryant
> ________
> 
> Oh dear, I guess I have to take some of the responsibility for this!
> 
> Actually there are quite a few good reasons for using bleach and redev
> techniques, but only as and when you need those results - like everything of
> course.
> 
** snip **
> 
> I got further involved in it with lith printing and found that it could be
> used not only to change the way papers respond to toners, but could make
> 'unlithable' papers lith print too.
> 
> It can also do other things. I'm working with more stuff at present, but
> amongst the virtues of the process are: to reclaim a print poorly processed
> first time round (which of course applies to noone here!), to reclaim after
> faults appear in (some) toners - and then go round again, to change the Dmax
> or contrast or colour or other properties of the print - grain etc. To make
> papers respond to toners they won't respond to, or change the way they do.
> To make papers lith print. To change the properties of a manufactures
> mixture of emulsion halides &/or developer to what you want by altering the
> halides via bleaching. and no doubt other stuff too.
> It is very controllable when you start to add water bathing &/or 2 bath
> development etc.
> 
> I would be very interested to hear of other successes and uses people are
> having, thru' the group.
> 
> Tim
> 

Yes, I didn't see much point in B&R myself if you could do the straight Lith. 
However, I realized that many of the points Tim makes above are valid.  A
friend that I converted to the world of Lith has a large and varied collection
of papers that she experimented with as straight Liths.  Many were a complete
bust.  But some of those responded very well to bleaching and redevelopment in
Lith developer, giving a result much closer to the "Lith look." I have a 50
sheet box of 11x14 Luminos Classic Glossy Cold Tone that does not Lith as
beautifully as Warm Tone, but seems to hold much greater promise when run
through B&R. You betcha I will try to turn an expensive disappointment into a success.

Another benefit is that B&R can be done in the light and can be quicker than
regular lith, a boon for those of us with limited darkroom facilities.  I use
a community center darkroom.  They have one big common room and two small
private rooms on a first-come-first-served basis. I have to make sure I am the
first one there to rent a private room to set up the chemicals and control the
conditions for regular Lith. But for B&R, I can make straight B&W prints in
the common room (several of those in the time it takes for a few Liths) and do
the B&R another time, or even in the laundry room at home.

And it is fun to watch the development process and some of the color changes
while redeveloping in the light. It helps me understand some of what is going
on in the developing tray in the darkroom

And it may be the limitations of the scan, or that print is not the best
example, but you can get some really neat multicolor effects from the
combination of B&R and toning.  (I know, I know, I need to get some new prints
up on my web site. It is on the lists of things to do the next few weeks while
I ignore the "millenium" silliness.)

Bertha

-- 
Email:  badamson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.netcom.com/~badamson/
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