Does anyone contact print?

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Just thinking it might be fun to do some contact prints of some 5x4 negs and wondering how much of a fuss it would be. Do you need different chemicals for it or would I need another set to develop the prints as well as the box full of B&W and colour chems currently taking up bathroom space.
 
Have you made contact prints from 35mm at all?
 
I'm sure I've done some about 100 years ago, by just putting the B\W negs on printing paper and flashing the enlarger light for a few secs...then dev the print in chemicals. If no enlarger then maybe just a lamp flashed for a certain time would work as well. Of course this would have to be done in a light tight room using a red (darkroom) bulb.
 
Do you need different chemicals for it or can I get away with the same I use for negative development
 
It's been a year or more since I last printed, but IIRC, the developer is different (I think I used Ilfords multigrade stuff). The fixer is the same stuff but in different dilution.

Someone will probably correct me soon though :D
 
Do you need different chemicals for it or can I get away with the same I use for negative development

You'll need printing paper chemicals. dev and fixer, but outa touch now and maybe some film dev and fixer could be used with different dilution.
 
I'd have to check the label to give accurate figures, but fixer dilution depends on whether it's for paper or film; and it's not a good idea to use the same working solution for both. Developers are normally different; years ago (meaning 1950s!) I used Johnson's Univeral developer for both, but that was to save money. I know why paper developer isn't a good idea for films but can't off hand see any reason why film developer couldn't be used for paper, although it would probably affect things like contrast and maximum blacks.

I started printing with contact prints, and "borrowed" a sheet of glass from a photo frame to sandwich negative and paper. In those days, we had gaslight paper which was much less sensitive to light than enlarging papers, and I used a nightlight (essentially a torch bulb wired up to use the mains) to see by; a proper safelight wasn't necessary.
 
If you already have a bottle of fixer you're using for film, the label should give the correct dilution for paper.
Possibly your biggest job is to arrange a light-proof space to do the work - you still need a darkroom even if you're not using an enlarger.
 
thanks all, ive got an internal bathroom that is now my darkroom. I'll look up some paper developers and the price of red light bulbs and see whats needed.
 
I print, I don't contact print but its the same process.
I mostly use ilford film and paper.
Generally the advice is not to use fixer with hardener for paper, but it depends on the manufacturer, some you can some you can't.
I save myself a load of faff by just buying fixer without hardener and using it for both film and paper, I haven't had any problems with film.
I was using ilford Hypam for a long while, but it can be comparatively expensive so I switched to Adox Adofix, its half the price, I'm on my 3rd bottle its absolutely fine...:)
 
You might want to get a proper safelight - they're low wattage (usually those little 15W bulbs) and are known safe for photographic paper. A.N.Other red light bulb (if that's what you were meaning) might not be suitable - possibly too strong, and the spectrum might extend too far beyond red to be safe.

5x4 paper is quite hard to find (I could only find that size in direct positive when I was looking recently), but you could use 7x5 and trim, or get some 10x8 and cut it down to 5x4 (or contact print four negs on a 10x8). You'll also need some trays to match the paper size - at least 3 (dev, stop, fix) and somewhere to wash the prints after fixing (sink with the tap running at a rate no higher than the overflow - give them a regular wiggle to keep them separated). RC paper is easier to wash than fibre, and readily stays flat. Somewhere to dry them as well - maybe a tray or bit of board with a thin towel spread over it to make a flat, absorbent surface. Put the prints on it face up.
 
Some red bulbs are also coloured by dipping them in paint which can leave a bit of clear glass near the bayonet/contacts and that can let enough white light through to muck up the paper.
 
There's always Rubylith gel, bought some from ebay a few years ago for a couple of quid and made my own safe light....:)
 
I'm surprised you can't get LED safe lights these days the spectrum can be very closely controlled.
 
I don't have one, but I came across them what seems like years ago now. A quick Google shows that they are still available.
 
I contact print colour at my local darkroom, I use clear negative sleeves and contact print to 12x10 paper using a Paterson Pro proofer. Very easy and I can do well over 50 sheets in a 4 hr session.
 
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