I printed for the first time today!

[swifty63]

Hi all, I'm feeling pretty happy after my first attempts at silver printing today! I set up a makeshift darkroom and had a go. I have a used Durst 600, and set up an emergency safelight using an LED headlamp, a baking dish and an Ilford 602 filter. Chemical trays in the bathtub.
So I did a few test strips and chose exposure times. Just used a 2.5 multigrade filter with MGIV RC Pearl. Some of my negs will require higher contrast, I will get around to experimenting with that later.
This is so much more fun than scanning! I've been using an Epson V700 previously. I started developing about a year ago and always intended to print - now I am on my way.

Here's a couple of my efforts. The coolest thing is I can now print my father's old negatives, the last image was taken by him in 1965.

 

[RichL]

Very nice (not 'nice for a first try', simply nice). Are people now going to have to start scheduling bathroom time?

 

[Gareth Rees]

Keep up the good work and enjoy

 

[zsas]

Congrats! Enjoy the fun of silver printing!

 

[Roger Hicks]

Fun, innit?

Loved the 1965 image.

Cheers,.

R.

 

[taskoni]

Congratulations! Looking good 🙂

Keep it in fun!

Regards,

Boris

 

[TheGodParticle]

Awesome! Congrats!

Do create a tutorial so more people can start printing at home and keep film alive

 

[gho]

Congrats and have fun!

 

[skibeerr]

Good on ya.

 

[Vics]

Good for you! Keep it up. When I had an enlarger like yours, it took me a long time to realize that it had a diffusion filter in the filter tray. My prints were all very flat til a PJ friend of ours looked at the Durst and said, "get that filter out of there!" Those were fun days. Read Fred Picker's book "Zone VI Workshop."

 

[smiling gecko]

yippeeee!!!

congrats and keep it up. your first prints look just fine...as you are learning contrast is "one" of the fine points of wet printing...

...i hope you have discovered the joys (and aggravations) and wonders of dodging and burning. if done well it can lift a print from bring so-so to exceptional.

the more you print, the better a printer you may become...up to a point.

one thing that helped me go up a level or two was having a friend who was a very,very good printer walk me through some of his techniques. he showed me new and better ways to use what i had already learned AND how to use some of his techniques that gave me better results...with that and lots and lots and lots of practice i have become a pretty decent printer. in the past i printed for commercial studios, photo processing labs and for my own clients.

btw, dodging and burning is one way of limiting or ading exposure on a part/area/etc of a print...and burning is one way of adding exposure on a part/area/etc. dodging is basically blocking light from your enlarger from reaching the print.

sometimes dodging will help bring out detail in a print that has a really dark area this can be done using your hands and fingers (or both) or different cut sizes of mounting board or some very nifty commercially made implements - called dodging wands (seriously). they usually come in set of different shapes of cut board mounted on 14-16" length of thin sturdy wire...

...whew, hope my explanation makes some sense...not sure i explained things very well. 🙄

breathe, relax and enjoy....oh, and print more!!! 😀
laugh more, smile more...i do whenever i get near a mirror. 🙂 😀 🙂
smiling gecko, aka kenneth

 

[John Bragg]

Good results. I am so envious as I presently have no room for a darkroom and have to exist on scanned negs. Damn I must get going again ! Seriously though, very good prints and enough to whet your appetite. Keep it up.

 

[leicapixie]

congrats.well done. using a scanner the other night, i thought where has my craftsmanship gone? Keep up the good work. i guess the red light is going to be back on.
You gave me the push.

 

[swifty63]

Thank you for your comments all! Lots of good advice and knowledge on the forum, as always.

 

[shadowfox]

This is so much more fun than scanning! I've been using an Epson V700 previously.

That's the most important part that most people nowadays need to hear.

And of course, good job on the prints (not just a pat on the back).

TIP: Try pre-flashing your paper just a tad for the last print. That one is worth some sweat to get it closer to perfection 🙂

 

[oftheherd]

Looks good so far. I haven't been able to do any printing for a while, but hope to get back in to it soon.