a. Test exposures (and subsequent trials) are essential. You should write down the
magnification, exposure time, f/stop, filtration, and anything else that is changed from one test to
another. It really doesn't matter what exposure and filtration you use for your test as long as you know
what it was and can relate to it for subsequent test comparisons. Kodak does recommend a starting
exposure for a 35mm to 8- by 10-inch print of about 10 seconds f/8.
b. As we stated before, select a negative that is properly exposed and processed. The negative
should have gray card in the image area. The negative should be of a typical subject with typical
lighting. Finally choose a negative that is free of defects such as scratches, stain, fingerprints, etc.
2.
Place your negative, emulsion side down, into the negative carrier of your printer. Make sure
your negative is free from dust. Dial in your starting filter pack, make a test-strip series of four
exposures at the same magnification that is to be used for the final print. Expose one strip for 5 seconds
at f/5.6, another for 5 seconds at f/8, and one at 5 seconds at f/11. By keeping the time consistent, you
have little problem with reciprocity failure.
3.
Elimination of stray light around the edges of the negative image is absolutely essential. Masks
of black paper or black masking tape in the negative carrier will prevent stray light from fogging the
paper.
Learning Event 2:
JUDGING AND MODIFYING THE TEST PRINT
1.
Study the color balance and density level of the test print. Look at the gray tones area and see if
there are any variations from neutral color balance. If any variation is recognized, think of it as an
overexposure or underexposure of one or more of the paper emulsion layers.
a. For example, if the grays appear bluish and light, the yellow dye has been underexposed. On
the next test print, more light of the color to which this layer is sensitive (i.e., blue light) must be allowed
to strike the paper. You can accomplish this by subtracting the yellow filter from your filter pack.
b. If the print appears yellow and dark, hold back the blue light by adding yellow filtration to the
pack. If the print appears red, subtract cyan from the filter pack, but if there is no cyan or cyan is not
used in the filter pack, then you have to add yellow and magenta, which is the equivalent of a red filter.
Most manufacturers balance their paper so the use of a combination of magenta and yellow filters in the
printer light source is usually required to make a balanced print.
c. After you have determined what color is in excess, you then have to determine how much
change is desired to alter the color of the exposing light reaching the three emulsion sensitive layers of
the paper. You determine the "how much" by three categories. Table 3-2 will assist you to select what
filter adjustment should be made.
21
Previous Page
