Ilford PanF as Lab-film

pulling a camera film into the darkroom to become a lab-film

Don’t fall for the “curve” bull; most film can be useful as a lab film. Always was. For most of the life of photography, film has been meant for use in a camera. Specialized process, specific to color printing, called upon the skills of emulsion makers to ease the task of color production.

It isn’t unusual to make masks of differing density ranges to modify different portions of the original’s curve. The lab film list from 1970 era would have been:

  • Kodak Pan Masking Film 4570, which had no anti-halation backing, making it near perfect for unsharp masks
  • Kodalith Pan Film 2568 which had a very steep curve. This was controlled using the “Ds” D-19, D-11,D-8 (not Ilford ID-11)

The following is updated from an Ilford Cibachrome datasheet, which anyone using the product should have noticed.

The difference between those who ride and those who shovel.

The exposure layout, using enlarger as light source.

A: Light (Enlarger set to height for projecting a 35mm to 8×10 size). Lens at f/16. First trial exposure for 10 seconds.

C: Glass to hold the Original in close contact with the un-exposed PanF (mask to be)

D: the Original (chrome) facing emulsion down (away from light)

E: is the PanF film — emulsion side up.

F: BLACK backing paper – reduces flare

G: baseboard. I use smooth black-rubber sheet from electronics supply houses.

3M silver tape aids in placement of “curly” PanF film. Small spots work well.

Developer: Ilford PQ Universal [1:20] 68F, 3 minutes tray agitation (constant)

Alternate: DK-50 [1:4] instead of the PQ Universal.

If the development time is too short, or if the film has a warmtone tint, add Benzotriazole (BZT) solution to the developer (either PQ or DK) . An initial point: 10ml of 1% BZT to 300ml of working developer (tray)

BZT solution must be mixed at125F, otherwise the powder won’t dissolve. You can also buy prepared anti-fogs from Bellini, or Moersch.

According to Kodak’s “Processing Chemicals and Formulas for Black and White Photography”, publication J-1 1973, Kodak Developer D-19 is designed as a higher contrast developer for continuous tone films. It provides short development times. While primarily aimed at scientific applications, it has utility where high contrast is desired.

It is not as active as D-8’s extremely high contrast or D-11’s very high contrast. Both of those are designed to fully utilize the line reproduction possibilities of lith films. Kodak says D-19 produces, “brilliant negatives with short development times. It has good keeping properties and high capacity. D-19 is recommended especially for continuous-tone work that requires higher-than-normal contrast.”

Calvin and the Shallow Market

The try-buy: one order to try, then done.

A one-buy try and done. The curious will lead you into market deserts — a product for his own use if more useful.

The pigment market exists because of the failures of …. nope. It exists as an extension of the alt-photography born in the alternative 60s. Finding a different way, a distinct path was a significant landscape of the 60s conversion of photography and art. Pigment printing, gum or carbon is advanced as being archival, long-lasting, and durable; far more lasting than dye-based photography.

“After two years of research, the Natural Pigment color pastes are now on sale. I also restocked the synthetic pigments, and updated the yellow. “ 2022

I thought the pigments didn’t succeed in market, but reading his current site, they are all in stock, in different packaging than before, ready to ship.(Jun 2023) ‘rl’

Often, shallow markets are maintained by persons supplementing their worklife, bringing skills of one field into another. Electronics crosses into chemical darkroom.

// pools: why don’t they readily form? LFF /Kodak requires proper intermediate — success bridge gap// age-skill

ability to recover. resilience after failure. time to fail. Salvich/Efke ..

//how does Backer Market work, succeed in funding success.

Can it support you, how well, for how long. Can you grow; more people, more products.

Why aren’t others making, doing what you do? Questions any investor would ask; ask yourself. Sometimes the only answer is that it is the only thing you can do to satisfy the deeper part of yourself. That part unreached by financial analysis.

Your reason can be, as many people’s are: you hangout with interesting people.


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