develop for scans and wet prints

[presspass]

I have been trying to find a developer/dilution/agitation routine that will give me scans without blown highlights and will still wet print somewhere between grades 2.5 and 3.5 using Ilford Multigrade. I have tried Xtol straight down to 1:3, regular agitation and semi-stand; D-23 diluted and as a divided developer with Borax and with Metaborate; and D-76 1:1 regular agitation. So far, not as much success as i would like. Suggestions?

 

[Tim Gray]

I use XTOL 1:1 with regular agitation. No problems printing at grade 2 on Ilford Multigrade and scanning on a Nikon Coolscan. All kinds of film - Tri-X, TMZ, TMY, Plus-X, HIE, etc.

No problems with blown highlights.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I just develop normally. The times/developers/etc. that print well on grade2 scan perfectly. If you get blown highlights, it is likely your scan settings, not the film, at fault.

 

[raytoei@gmail.com]

presspass, after 1 year of scanning, i finally figured out I should turn the AE (Auto Exposure) to Off from the default ON setting... hahahah.

 

[Freakscene]

What film and scanner are you using?

The difference between my negs on conventional B&W films specifically for scanning and those for wet printing using a diffusion enlarger is about 1.5-2 grades of contrast - I need grade 3-4 graded paper (or 3.5-4.5 if using multigrade paper) to wet print negs for scanning, while the wet print negs print well at grade 1-2 (1.5-2.5 if using multigrade paper).

If you try, however, to scan negs developed for wet printing and you have a scanner that doesn't resolve details well through a thicker neg (typically if you're using a flatbed, however good it is) you'll get considerably reduced quality.

Pyro development can help, because it adds contrast and density in wet printing that scanners don't seem to have a problem with, but generally the answer to this question is, unfortunately, "get a better scanner".

Marty

 

[presspass]

Marty:
The scanner is a Nikon Super Coolscan 5000 ED. The scanner is at work; I was at home when I wrote the original question and didn't remember all the details of the scanner model. I apologize.

 

[Tim Gray]

If you have a decent scanner like a Coolscan 5000, you should have no problems scanning negs that print fine at grade 2-3.

 

[DNG]

I don't wet print, but, I found that if I scan a tad flat on contrast, I get much better results that I can bring up in editing. I also scan at 5000dpi for a TIFF of about 75mb. I turn off all the auto fix options, and manually adjust the curves and histogram with my scanner. I develop in Xtol Stock or 1:1 at spec temp/time. agitate 10s every 60s. (For Acros 100 at 100), my negs should wet print on a 1.5-2.5 paper... If I wet printed. I used to, but cost has prevented me from starting up again.

 

[Freakscene]

A Coolscan 5000ED should do fine with most negs. When you say

So far, not as much success as i would like.

what are your problems or difficulties?

Marty