RA-4 Printing, pt 2: The Basics
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2024
- This is part two of a three part series on printing color RA-4 process in the home darkroom. Here I cover the basic technique of establishing your print exposure time and how to correct the color balance to get a proper color print. Part one covers the necessary tools and materials, and part three will look at some more advanced techniques.
I am using a rotary drum process as demonstrated in part one: • RA-4 Printing, pt 1: T... .
This image was shot on Kodak Portra 400 and processed in my darkroom using Kodak C-41, and I am printing on Fuji Crystal Archive CA II using Kodak RA-RT chemicals.
Some useful links:
Kodak J-39 Tray, Drum, and Rotary-Tube Processing with Kodak RA Chemicals
imaging.kodaka...
Kodak CIS-49 Preparing Smaller-than-package-size Amounts of Kodak Chemicals
125px.com/docs...
Kodak RA-4 RT Developer 10L:
www.uniquephot...
Kodak RA Developer Starter:
www.uniquephot...
Kodak RA Bleach/Fix 10L:
www.uniquephot...
Arista 2 Liter RA-4 Kit:
www.freestylep...
Arista Color Printing Filters 3 inch kit:
www.freestylep...
Arista Color Printing Filters 6 inch kit:
www.freestylep...
Channel Merch, Discord, and more:
linktr.ee/The_...
Music by Hooksounds: www.hooksounds...
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Thanks so much for this video, I have been searching CZcams for ages for an informative and well explained video on RA-4 printing, I look forward to the 3rd part of the series
Well explained! Your Video can be a standard tutorial series. Very recommended. There should be way more subscribers
Thank you for these videos. Now that I'm retired, I was thinking about getting back into film, B&W and Color. The good thing is that I never got rid of my stuff during the Digital revolution as other photographers have done. I still have my old functioning darkroom. Digital is great no doubt, but getting nice prints from the digital work-flow can be as frustatrating if not more than the analog way. Plus it's not as much fun.
I'm under no pressure to start a Business or offer a any services right now so I have all the time in the world. These videos are crystal clear and certainly help with things I have forgotten, or never really go a hang of due to digital. For example i never knew that Freestyle sold "CP" or Color Printing filters in kits. I tried findidng these filters on eBay and it was highly frustrating. I really don't need the Color Printing kits since I have a Dichroic head with built in color filters, but it's good to know what that the color head is doing behind the scenes. I have all the time in the world so why not ?
Wow, this was fun to watch. I used to colour print at a pro lab back in the 90's, then Photoshop, film scanners and inkjet printers killed that industry.
Great video, thanks.
What a well organized presentation. I have found that if you are using the same enlarger/colorhead, chemistry, and printing paper, once you have a fairly normal print "zeroed in" for the color filtration required, subsequent (different) prints will not require much change to the filter settings, if any. So, I have tended to buy paper in the largest size I plan to print and in a box/quantity sufficient to last me for a couple of years (which is kept in a freezer).
Thank you very much for this mini serie on color printing. There are so few videos on youtube about ra-4 printing.. it makes your videos stand out even more !! Looking forward for part 3 !
These videos are extremely helpful! I always felt afraid of trying out color printing but you make it look so easy. I'll definitely try it out, thanks!
This is so amazing. I had no idea this process was still a thing, and I've been consuming film photography content for at least 2 years! THANK YOU!
Thank you! I watch this video frequently. It helps with my ra-4 processing a lot !!!
What a good video I will attending the third Best regards from ARGENTINA
Awesome. Yeah, no more fear of color printing for me. Thanks for sharing! And congratulations on 1,000 subscribers!
This is great! Thank you so much. Subscribed! Love from Spain. 😍
Thank you for this video and for your entire channel! A pleasure to watch, to listen and to learn from! One thing that I've noticed in my yesterday's very first RA-4 session was that the Kodak filters (which I've managed to find after a loooong search) have a black and white side. By chance I did not notice it and started using them on the black side and nothing made sense. Then I've realized that there is a white side with the opposite instructions (i.e. the correct ones for correcting cast, such as using a magenta filter to correct a green color cast with the correct instructions to either reduce magenta or increase Y/C equally). It took me a while to realize this, so it might be helpful for others as well. :)
I’ve done that before! lol
Really informative! Thank you :-) SOOOO Looking forward to pt3 :-)
Hello are you going to show us how to make a color print using the individual colored filters that would really be a good idea. Thank you very much for the great videos and keep up the good work thank you Mark.
Mark Madderra that would be awesome indeed ! Just to see if you can obtain same results or if is really worth it to get a color head
@@loicmathys4057 I have an old bessler l don't think you can use a color head. Mark
The illumination to examine the print is one important next is while to put test strip it must cover high light to the shadows keeping mid tones in between and first is the proper exposure in Yr case magenta over corrections occurred as while Magenta was in the colour head it should remove Magenta referring the Golden rules of filtrations still soo Noble that to remove a cast use the same colur and to increase to use it's complimentaries..nt only fr colour printing it readily applies where filtration be consider be it opticalfilter over cam lens or fr colour printing....sir nice of ur deliberations that means still people are interested in making colour prints tech nt able to dump it totally so sir it is delighted that u are just a right help ...thankssirdada and Nomo❤stey
Wow! Thank you so much for running through this process! I imagine that probably took a really long time to put together. Print looks beautiful as well! Really makes me want to try this sometime (but I need a bigger darkroom first).
Aside from the enlarger, this can be done on a bathroom or kitchen counter. My previous “darkroom” was an enlarger in a bedroom closet and prints were processed in drums at my kitchen sink.
man i luv ya videos! thank you so much!
I would also love to know how you deal with dust on your negative and paper when printing. In black and white you can simply mix up a shade of grey inks for spotting, but colour is a whole different beast with matching the exact colour where the dust occured.
I intend to do a color print spotting video in the future
@@TheNakedPhotographer Great, thank a lot! Can't wait.
Excellent tutorial. Thank you.
Ditto to all the positive comments below. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Excellent! Thanks!
Excellent video. You area great teacher.
Love the detail, right on with the process. disappointed in your choice of subject to enlarge. My kodak color enlarging booklet came with a print and a negative of "Shirley". A little sexist perhaps but there was no mistaking your results. And whatever happened to the diffusion filter and the CC cube you placed over the paper to determine the starting filter pack? In those days the amateur photographer was really catered to by the photo industry. Except for you(tube) we're pretty much on our own today
Thank you so much for your videos ! They help me a lot. Are there any alternatives to this kodak color viewing filter kit. It's quite expensive and hard to find here in germany !
Greets from Berlin
Hi again. So i bought some Arista color cor. filters to use in my durst m601. In the filterdrawer but i have yet another question. When making my test strip print lets say, as you do, 2-10 sec starting out with filter 40 m and 50 y sholud i then stack these two filters i the filterdrawer? ( would it be the same as when you are dialing in the numbers on your dichronic head?) thanks. :-)
Yes, stack them in the filter drawer
The Naked Photographer thx :-) looking forward to try.
How come you don't need to change the initial time of 7.2 seconds when you change the filtration? I have to adjust the time after every filter change, even if only changing by 5 points.
Sometimes it is enlarger design.
I know this is an old video, but kind of curious if those viewing filters have any application in digital editing. I've been moving away from negative lab pro and doing conversions manually on photoshop by manipulating the red, green, and blue curves. I'm trying to get better at arriving at balanced images and wonder if filters like that could potentially help. Would love to know your thoughts!
It’s useful when printing via inkjet, but the monitor may be difficult as your monitor may not be accurate, the color space chosen, etc
I've heard that afterglow from the enlarger bulb can affect color printing (but not B&W). That being said, how do you handle the exposure timing/process of your test strips?
I treat it just like b+w. Since I’m not concerned about color during the test strip phase, any color shift from different exposures are inconsequential.
@@TheNakedPhotographer Gotcha. I wasn't sure if the afterglow caused problems for color or exposure. Good to know its hopefully just color. (Mainly a concern since the lamp is often switched on/off incrementally for each segment of the test strip.)
Hi.
Fine explanation. But don‘t you blow dozens of dust particles into the wet layer when you use a hair blower? Do you use this only for your test prints and then let the final print dry slowly without the dryer?
Also: I assume once you have the color balance correct on the smaller print, you can use the same balance also for a bigger print and only have to adjust the density by extending exposure time, right?
Correct, I only use the dryer for test prints. Color paper is funny stuff. Sometimes you do need to tweak the color when making a larger print, but not usually by a lot.
any advice on where to find a set of color print viewing filters? the lee and Kodak sets are no longer available
Not at this time. I’m trying to find a reliable source.
The Naked Photographer I’ll just keep watching the Channel and scanning the web. Thanks!
Bought a new sealed set about a month ago from Silvestri srl Firenze for E 72. Item Code EK1500735. Best E-mail them as I can't find it on their site! Be aware, there was an earlier version in the Kodak coloured cover!
@@williampower2333 thank you
I guess i will start off with yours..and make my own refferences.
The Naked Photographer yeah.. i will do just that. Thank you for your help.
More in regards to where i should start. Or..rather what is a good start off numbers?
What numbers do you start dialing in when making your teststrip? And what do you base those numbers on?
Do you not adjust your times when adding more filtration? Or did you just not mention that step because it is included in the instructions of the filter viewing kit?
You definitely need to adjust your time if you use separate filters, but a dichroic system doesn’t need much, if any change.
@@TheNakedPhotographer Thank you, I'll try not adjusting my times next time and see what I end up with!
This series is 5* !
Thank you!
So would this colour correction process be required for every different photo on the roll? Or once dialed in its good for that camera set-up? If assume maybe some slight tweaking per photo but how much of the settings per colour actually change per shit with the same camera
If you use the same kind of film and process it consistently, your color balance across the roll will be fairly constant. Each shot may a little tweaking, but the starting point will be about the same. Different film type will need its own starting point.
regarding having to adjust exposure time to compensate for adding or subtracting filtration. do you recommend getting the color straight first then readjusting the density? TIA
At that point, yes, if it’s small adjustments.
Do I need a water conduit in a darkroom or could I get a pressurised water tank?
Hi Thanks for the good video! Unfortunately the Kodak color filter viewing kit has become extremely expensive... Do you know of a cheaper alternative? Kind regards
There aren’t any current filter sets available
Do you have a preferred drum for doing print processing? I noticed that the cut-scenes in this video use Jobo drums, while you spend most of your time in the previous video showing a Simma drum (or what looks like the photo labeled "SIMMA" on the KHB website). Got the impression that you need a couple (to handle cleaning/drying), and I might want the smallest possible one for test strips.
I have both, but I use the Jobo mostly. I have more of them, and I like to stay consistent.
@@TheNakedPhotographer I'm starting to stock up on Jobo equipment myself (and currently waiting on a machine, which will take a while). I just wish I didn't have to resort to eBay to actually find most of their print drums.
Try the classified section of Photrio.com, people sell them there. You can get a 4x5 drum for test strips.
@@TheNakedPhotographer As I stock up on Jobo drums, I have two more questions:
First, those drums you're using say they take 100mL of chemistry but can do two 8x10 prints at once. When doing a single 8x10, do you one-shot a full 100mL or somehow get away with reuse and/or less volume?
Second, what motor base are you using with those drums?
I admit I use 100ml regardless of whether I have one print or two in the drum. I use it one shot, and I am using an Omega motor base.
Will increasing the filtration (like you did for magenta) effect the exposure ? More filters = darker ?
Only in large amounts of filter changes
I see a new way of your video and I have a question Have you ever yous a color analyser ? I receive one Beseler PM2L and I do not understand very well how to use it, Best regards
I’ve never used an analyzer
Do you think it would be helpful for me to take a picture of something in my darkroom and compare the results with how it looks, trying to match it?
No, but you could take a picture of a photo gray card out in the sunlight and match the print of it to itself.
Thank you for this video, I was wondering if you know of the photographer Jamie Hawkesworth - he is renowned for his warm, saturated colours in the darkroom. Would you possibly know how to achieve a similar effect? Thank you in advance.
No, I’ve never heard of him.
@@TheNakedPhotographer oh no worries then - do you know how to achieve warm saturated colours in the darkroom though?
Does the exposure time need to be adjusted if a moderate amount of colour filtration is changed?
Yes, it will
With black and white you can sort of take the same setting from print to print assuming the negative was exposed properly. Is this true of RA-4 or do you need to do this filter changing for every negative?
In theory you can use the same settings for a whole roll, but in practice I find I still need to make small changes shot to shot.
The Naked Photographer thanks for the response! With black and white I usually estimate the first exposure/contrast, and can get reasonably close on the next print with some educated guessing. Seems I’ll be back to test prints and strips :)
I just found a color enlarger and drum processor cheap locally and see paper is somehow cheaper than black and white. These videos are so helpful, not many doing this
May I ask you if the Lee viewing filter kit (the one with 6 cards made of 9 squares) is equivalent? Because apparently seems to, but has no indications of the corrections to make on the enlarger.
Lee made two versions. One was exactly like the type I use, and the other is what you describe. I’ve never seen that type in person so I don’t know if it has correction amounts printed on it.
@@TheNakedPhotographer it seems it hasn't. Anyway can you confirm that the corrections are the following?
Blue= add M+C or subtract Y
Yellow= add Y or subtract M+C
Green = add C+Y or subtract M
Cyan = add C or subtract M+Y
Red = add M+Y or subtract C
Magenta = add M or subtract C+Y
For the amount of filtration i have to check the relative number right? E.G. if the filter kit square used is the 20 blue i have to add 20M+20C or subtract 20Y, if the filter used is 10 Cyan I have to add 10C or subtract 10M+10Y.
Is everything right?
Thank you!
Typically you don’t use the cyan dial at all and only change the magenta and yellow dials. A 10cc filter will require a 5 point change for the enlarger. I don’t know if your card has labeled the strength of the filter or the amount of correction to be used. The Kodak kit I have lists the correction amount, not the density of the filter.
@@TheNakedPhotographer the filters are just labeled "clear, 0.25, 05, 10,15,20,25,30,40" per each color. How can know if is the strength or the amount of correction?
Looking at the photos online I think the numbers are the density and you should use half the value for the filter change, so if the print looks right through the “20” filter, dial in a 10 point change
Do you have any information on how to use the electric color analyzers. Such as the beseler PM2L?
Thank you
I’ve never used an analyzer, so I can’t give you any info.
@@TheNakedPhotographer ok no problem. Thank you
So even for the larger drums (16x20+) the rotating base works well?
I use up to a 20x24 inch drum without issues.
@@TheNakedPhotographer perfect, could you spell out the name of the brand of the roller you like? I couldn't quite catch it. Thanks and have a great sunday!
Simma Roller, it’s also sold as Omega, but Unicolor and Beseler rollers are great too.
@@TheNakedPhotographer Thanks for sharing your knowledge, it is invaluable to those starting out!
That's what I'm here for
Ok..you say 60 M and 40 Y ..but why excactly those two numbers?
They were from some of my printing notes that I made from the last few prints I made. They were still off by 25 magenta though, weren’t they?
Ok so i just did my VERY FIRST color print EVER. While it was a success becuase i had a picture that i could see, it was crap because i put it in the Cibachrome tube upsidedown. So how do you know that you developed the correct side? How do you know you put the paper in right side up for the proper exposure by feel? Is there another way to know for sure you have it correct side up!
It’s just a matter of practice. I figure out which way the paper is laying in the box, then after the exposure I roll it up for the tube without delay. It can be easier with a safelight made for RA4 such as a #13 Kodak safelight filter.
"It's kinda like how your brain adjusts from a 5.000K source to a 3.400K light source"
Yeah, I don't know why people buy the most expensive lights. Just get the cheapest one, your brain will adjust quickly anyway! 🤷
Don't spend 3.400K. Just get a $2 light source and you're all set; your brain will adjust the same! 🤣🤣
Your comment does not make any sense. Are you under the impression that the 5000 and 3400 were prices? They are colors of light in the temperature scale of Kelvin.
@@TheNakedPhotographer the two smiley faces indicate it was a tongue-in-cheek, semi nonsensical affirmation. ;) Even if it wasn't that funny. :(
But the question on "why to wash and dry, if the first step is to presoak - then why not wash and start a new print" is serious though.
This series is 5* !
Why is cyan filter even in the color heads if it's not used?
Printing from positives, but Ilforchrome and Type R materials aren’t made anymore.