Nick Masson
New member
Hey all -- another question concerning silver-gelating technology...:
I was wondering how grading of multi-grade paper corresponds to contrast outcome. A few questions, then:
First, if I use a #3 filter on multigrade paper (to make it grade 3, mid-grade), will I get the same results as not using a filter at all?
Secondly, more importantly, as you go up/(down) in grade, will one grade number correspond to one stop of expansion/(contraction)? Is there a distinct correlation?
A hypothetical scenario: let us suppose I print a landscape image where the trees in the foreground are in zone 3, and the clouds zone 5, a two stop difference. If I increase the paper grade by one number (say grade 3 to grade 4), and I print the new image keeping the clouds at zone 5, will the trees be pulled down to zone 2 (a 3 stop difference)? Is the paper emulsion's response linear throughout the different graded papers (or within what range can a linear response be expected?).
I would also be very keen to learn about some of the chemistry behind multi-grade paper (I suspect that it is composed of several different emulsions that have varying responses depending on the incident light. Grade 5 (yellow filter?), would be a high contrast emulsion that is more sensitive to high-intensity light (thus pulling down shadows in the print), than the emulsion for mid-grade...).
Anyway, i've been wondering about many of these specifics for a while and would love to understand them better so I can more accurately anticipate my results. Thanks in advance for any insight!
Cheers,
-Nick
I was wondering how grading of multi-grade paper corresponds to contrast outcome. A few questions, then:
First, if I use a #3 filter on multigrade paper (to make it grade 3, mid-grade), will I get the same results as not using a filter at all?
Secondly, more importantly, as you go up/(down) in grade, will one grade number correspond to one stop of expansion/(contraction)? Is there a distinct correlation?
A hypothetical scenario: let us suppose I print a landscape image where the trees in the foreground are in zone 3, and the clouds zone 5, a two stop difference. If I increase the paper grade by one number (say grade 3 to grade 4), and I print the new image keeping the clouds at zone 5, will the trees be pulled down to zone 2 (a 3 stop difference)? Is the paper emulsion's response linear throughout the different graded papers (or within what range can a linear response be expected?).
I would also be very keen to learn about some of the chemistry behind multi-grade paper (I suspect that it is composed of several different emulsions that have varying responses depending on the incident light. Grade 5 (yellow filter?), would be a high contrast emulsion that is more sensitive to high-intensity light (thus pulling down shadows in the print), than the emulsion for mid-grade...).
Anyway, i've been wondering about many of these specifics for a while and would love to understand them better so I can more accurately anticipate my results. Thanks in advance for any insight!
Cheers,
-Nick