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BROMIDE PRINTING AND ENLARGING
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THE MAKING OF BROMIDE PRINTS BY CONTACT AND BROMIDE
ENLARGING BY DAYLIGHT AND ARTIFICIAL LIGHT, WITH THE TONING OF BROMIDE
PRINTS AND ENLARGEMENTS
TENNANT AND WARD
NEW YORK
Copyright 1912 by
TENNANT AND WARD, NEW YORK
CONTENTS
Chapter I
VARIETIES OF BROMIDE PAPERS AND HOW TO CHOOSE AMONG THEM
Chapter II
THE QUESTION OF LIGHT AND ILLUMINATION
Chapter III
MAKING CONTACT PRINTS ON BROMIDE PAPER; PAPER NEGATIVES
Chapter IV
ENLARGING BY DAYLIGHT METHODS
Chapter V
ENLARGING BY ARTIFICIAL LIGHT
Chapter VI
DODGING, VIGNETTING, COMPOSITE PRINTING AND THE USE OF BOLTING SILK
Chapter VII
THE REDUCTION AND TONING OF BROMIDE PRINTS AND ENLARGEMENTS
CHAPTER I
VARIETIES OF BROMIDE PAPERS AND HOW TO CHOOSE AMONG THEM
What is bromide paper? It is simply paper coated with gelatino-bromide of
silver emulsion, similar to that which, when coated on glass or other
transparent support, forms the familiar dry-plate or film used in
negative-making. The emulsion used in making bromide paper, however, is
less rapid (less sensitive) than that used in the manufacture of plates or
films of ordinary rapidity; hence bromide paper may be manipulated with
more abundant light than would be safe with plates. It is used for making
prints by contact with a negative in the ordinary printing frame, and as
the simplest means for obtaining enlarged prints from small negatives.
Sometimes bromide paper is spoken of as a development paper, because the
picture-image does not print out during exposure, but requires to be
developed, as in negative-making. The preparation of the paper is beyond
the skill and equipment of the average photographer, but it may be readily
obtained from dealers in photographic supplies.
What are the practical advantages of bromide paper? In the first place, it
renders the photographer independent of daylight and weather as far as
making prints is concerned. It has excellent "keeping" qualities, _i.e._,
it does not spoil or deteriorate as readily as other printing papers, even
when stored without special care or precaution. Its manipulation is
extremely simple, and closely resembles the development of a negative. It
does not require a special sort of negative, but is adapted to give good
prints from negatives widely different in quality. It is obtainable in any
desired size, and with a great variety of surfaces, from extreme gloss to
that of rough drawing paper. It offers great latitude in exposure and
development, and yields, even in the hands of the novice, a greater
percentage of good prints than any other printing paper in the market. It
offers a range of tone from deepest black to the most delicate of
platinotype grays, which may be modified to give a fair variety of color
effects where this is desirable. It affords a simple means of making
enlargements without the necessity of an enlarged negative. It gives us a
ready means of producing many prints in a very short time, or, if desired,
we may make a proof or enlargement from the negative fresh from the
washing tray. And, finally, if we do our work faithfully and well, it will
give us permanent prints.
The bromide papers available in this country at present are confined to
those of the Eastman Kodak Company, the Defender Photo Supply Company and
J. L. Lewis, the last handling English papers only. Better papers could
not be desired. Broadly speaking, all bromide papers are made in a few
well-defined varieties; in considering the manipulation of the papers made
by a single firm, therefore, we practically cover all the papers in the
market. As a matter of convenience, then, we will glance over the
different varieties of bromide paper available, as represented by the
Eastman papers, with the understanding that what is said of any one
variety is generally applicable to papers of the same sort put out by
other manufacturers.
First we have the _Standard_ or ordinary bromide paper made for general
use. This comes in five different weights: _A_, a thin paper with smooth
surface, useful where detail is desirable; _B_, a heavier paper with
smooth surface, for large prints or for illustration purposes; and _C_, a
still heavier paper with a rough surface for broad effects and prints of
large size. _BB_, heavy smooth double weight; _CC_, heavy, rough, double
weight. Each of these varieties may be had in two grades, according to the
negative in hand or the effect desired in the print, viz.: _hard_, for use
with soft negatives where we desire to get vigor or contrast in the print,
and _soft_, for use with hard negatives where softness of effect is
desired in the print. For general use the _soft_ grade is preferable,
although it is advisable to have a supply of the _hard_ paper at hand as
useful in certain classes of work. The tones obtainable on the _Standard_
paper range to pure black, and are acceptable for ordinary purposes. For
pictorial work or special effects other papers are preferable.
_Platino-Bromide_ paper gives delicate platinotype tones, and where
negative, paper and manipulation are in harmony, the prints obtained on
this paper will be indistinguishable from good platinotypes in quality and
attractiveness. This paper comes in two weights, _Platino A_, a thin paper
suitable for small prints, and having a smooth surface useful for
detail-giving; and _Platino B_, a heavy paper with rough surface,
peculiarly suited for large contact prints or enlargements. Both varieties
are obtainable in _hard_ or _soft_ grades, characterized as above. _Matte
Enamel_, medium weight; _Enameled_, medium weight; _Velvet_, medium
weight.
_Royal Bromide_ is a capital paper in its proper place, _i.e._, for prints
not smaller than 8 × 10 inches, and then only when breadth of effect is
desired in the picture. It is a very heavy cream-colored paper, rough in
texture, and giving black tones by development, but designed to give sepia
or brown tones on a tinted ground by subsequent toning with a bath of hypo
and alum. This paper, also, may be had in two grades for _hard_ or _soft_
effects; it is further adapted for being printed on through silk or
bolting cloth, this modification adding to the effect of breadth
ordinarily given by the paper itself. I have seen prints on this paper
which were altogether pleasing, but subject and negative should be
carefully considered in its use. Rough Buff papers are very similar in
character. _Monox_ Bromide, made by the Defender Photo Supply Company, is
obtainable in six surfaces; No. 3, _Monox Rough_; No. 4, _Monox Gloss_;
No. 5, _Monox Matte_; No. 6, _Monox Lustre_; No. 7, _Monox Buff_, heavy
rough.
The Barnet bromide papers, comprising ten different varieties, differing
in weight and surface texture but very similar to the kinds already
described, are imported by J. L. Lewis, New York.
As a suggestion to the reader desiring to have at hand a stock of bromide
papers, I would advise _Platino A_, or a similar _soft_ paper for prints
under 5 × 7 inches; _Matte-Enamel_ for _soft_ effects, or a similar paper,
as an alternative; _Platino C_ and _Royal Bromide_ for _soft_ effects, or
similar papers, for prints 8 × 10 inches or larger, and for enlargements.
To these might be added a package of _Standard B_, and another of one of
the above varieties for _hard_ effects, to complete a supply for general
purposes. The beginner, however, will do well to avoid the indiscriminate
use of several varieties of paper, although he is advised to get
information of all the different varieties in the market. It is better to
select that variety which is best suited to the general character of one's
negatives and work, and to master that before changing to another. It is
true that an expert can get more good prints on bromide paper, from a
given number of bad negatives, than another expert can get with the same
negatives and any other printing paper; but it is also true that for the
best results on bromide paper the variety of paper used should be suitable
for the negative. It will be found, however, that this word "suitable"
covers, in bromide printing, a much wider range than is offered by many
printing papers. In fact there are only two sorts of negatives which will
not yield desirable prints on bromide paper: first, an exceedingly weak,
thin negative lacking in contrast and altogether flat; and second, a very
dense negative in which the contrasts are hopelessly emphatic. Even in
such cases, however, it may be possible to modify the negatives and so get
presentable prints.
The ideal negative for contact printing on bromide paper is one without
excessive contrasts on the one hand, and without excessive flatness on the
other. A moderately strong negative, such as will require from three to
five minutes in the sunlight with a print out paper, fairly describes it.
In other words, the negative should be fully exposed and so developed that
there is a fair amount of density in the shadows. I have never been able,
with bromide paper, to get the detail in the shadows of under-exposed
negatives, such as we see in a good print made on glossy printout paper.
For this reason the use of bromide papers with under-exposed negatives is
not advisable. But there are a great many negatives which, while
unsuitable as they come from the drying rack, can be easily adapted to the
process by slight modifications. A very dense negative, for instance, may
be reduced either with the ferricyanide of potash or persulphate of
ammonia reducer; and a thin negative with proper graduations can
frequently be intensified to advantage in the print. While, as has been
said, there is great latitude in the matter of the negative, this latitude
should only be availed of when necessary. Local reduction or
intensification of the negative is seldom necessary, as better results can
usually be obtained with bromide paper by dodging in the printing.