I've grown tired of using "pro-labs", so I went and bought an enlarger of my own again. I got a Durst 601 modified with an aristo cold light head.

I'm not a stranger to the darkroom, but this is my first "cold head" enlarger. I don't think it's a variable contrast cold light, so I'm wondering about the differences in printing. I know there's graded paper, but I'm wondering about using multigraded paper. What would be the effect? The filter drawer is covered on my enlarger, so I'm guessing that the filtration would have to take place below the lens. The man who sold me the system, included a set of "system 7" filters. I've never dealt with them.

Additionally, I'm wondering about RC papers ( graded and multi) and developers. What have you had luck with in terms of combinations with a cold light?

christian

-- Christian Behr (info@christianbehr.com), April 09, 2002

Answers

I have printed with cold light for years and love it. In doing tests you might find that your contrast will be around a grade 3 by itself. The system 7 filters can be used but your development will have to be tweaked to use the head without filters. There are several ways you can get around not using filters... Dr. Beer's print developer which is a multi contrast developer (add more or less of Part B to A) but you will be better off perfecting your development for the head. Cheers

-- Scott Walton (walton@ll.mit.edu), April 10, 2002.

i've used a cold light for many years. With variable-contrast papers, I use the lower-contrast filters more; the blue light of the cold- light gives more contrast than an incandescent lamp. so my "normal" filter is a #1.

-- Mark Sampson (MSampson45@aol.com), April 12, 2002.