DICKARENTZ With contributions by: Bob Herbst Sandy King Stan Klimek Mark Nelson Keith Schreiber AMSTERDAM BOSTON HEIDELBERG LONDON NEW YORK OXFORD PARIS SAN DIEGO SAN FRANCISCO SINGAPORE SYDNEY TOKYO ELSEVIER Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier Copyright C 2005, Dick Arentz. All rights reserved. All photographs 8 Dick Arentz, unless otherwise specified. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier’s Science 8i Technology Rights Department in Oxford, UK: phone: (+44) 1865 843830, fax: (+44) 1865 853333, e-mail: permissions@elsevier. corn.uk. You may also complete your request on-line via the Elsevier homepage (http://elsevier.com), by selecting “Customer Support” and then “Obtaining Permissions.” Recognizing the importance of preserving what has been written, Elsevier prints its books on acid- @ free paper whenever possible. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Application submitted British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: 0-240-80606-9 For information on all Focal Press publications visit our website at www.books.elsevier.com 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in China To Phil Davis Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan Teacher, Mentor, and Friend In 1970, I was an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan in a discipline far removed from art or photography. I was also an advanced amateur photographer, having taken a number of Ansel Adams workshops. Phil Davis was, at that time, head of the Department of Photography. One winter weekend, I hitched a ride with Phil and his students to a Society of Photographic Education meeting in Rochester, NY. For some reason, Phil and I were billeted at a motel removed from the rest. A typical Rochester snowfall came to bury the city, completely removing parked cars from sight, and confining us to our rooms . and the bar. It was there that Phil finally suggested that I knew practically nothing about photography. If, however, I would be willing to make the effort, he would tutor me. Almost thirty-five years later, Phil, the source of one of the most significant changes in my life, is still my teacher. A good portion of this text, and the entire basis for Part Two, come from Phil’s research, his book Beyond the Zone System, and his Plotter ProgramR. He has read and, mercifully, graciously criticized only those sections of this book. Preface to the Second Edition and Acknowledgments xiv Preface and Acknowledgments xvii Introduction xx PARTONE THE PROCESS 1 CHAPTER 1 PlATiNUM ANd PA1lAdiUM 3 Platinum Printing in the Twentieth Century 4 The PlatinurdPalladium and Silver Processes Compared 4 Platinum and Palladium Compared 5 CHAPTER 2 SETTiNCj up A LAbORATORy 7 The Wet Space and Coating Area 8 The Drying and Exposure Area 9 Materials 10 The Wet Area 10 The Coating Area 10 The Exposure and Finishing Area 10 Contact Printing Frames 11 The Ultraviolet Light Source 12 The Sun 12 Mercury Vapor, Metal Halide, and UV Fluorescent Lights 13 Commercial Plate Burner 13 Densitometers 13 Modifying a Light Meter 13 Inexpensive Table-Model Densitometers 14 Hand-Held Densitometers 14 The Professional Models 14 CHAPTER3 ThE NECjATivE 15 Photographic Sensitometry 16 Definitions 17 Transmission Densities 17 The Logarithmic System 17 The Density Range for a Platinum or Palladium Negative 18 Negative Contrast Versus Negative Density 18 Exposure 18 Development 19 The Negative Density Range 19 vi CONTENTS vii Exposing and Developing the Platinum or Palladiuin Negative 20 Zone System Development Compared to Subject Brightness Range 21 Development for Subject Brightness Ranges 21 Average Gradient 22 Effective Film Speed 22 Characteristics of the Platinum/Palladium Negative 24 Sharpness 24 Graininess 24 Scratches and Pinholes 24 The Circle of Confusion 2.5 The Use of Selenium Toner to Increase Negative Contrast 25 The Pyro Negative 2.5 CHAPTER 4 CkEMiCAlS 27 The Reasonable and Prudent Use 28 The Material Safety Data Sheet 28 Health 28 Contact 28 Monochromatic Film Developing Agents (MSDS 2) 29 About Measurement Units 29 The Metric System 29 Purity of Chemicals and Water 30 Sizing of Paper 30 Solutions Used for Paper Coating, Developing, and Clearing 30 The Coating Solutions 30 Oxidizing Agents 30 Developers 31 Clearing Agents 31 Coating Solutions 31 Sensitizers (MSDS 2-3) 31 The Restrairiers (Oxidizers) (MSDS 3-4) 32 The Metal Salts (MSDS 2-3) 32 The Use of Metal Utensils 33 Developers (MSDS 1-2) 33 Formulas 33 The pH 34 Filtering of Deueloper 34 Temperature of Developer 34 Clearing Agents 34 Choosing a Clearing Agent 34 Etylene Diamiiie Tetraacetic Acid and the Sulfites (MSDS 1) 34 The Dilute Acids (MSDS 2-3) 3 5 Formulas 3.5 A Matter of Print pH 36 Bit ffering Sohtions 36 Toners 36 Negative Toning for Contrast 36 Print Toning 36 Sources of Chemicals 38 CHAPTER5 PAPER 39 Platinotype Papers 40 Practical Matters 41 ... viii CONTENTS Some Characteristics Required of a PlatinudPalladium Paper 41 A Word About Paper Weight Measurements 42 Selected Platinotype Papers and Their Characteristics 42 Testing Techniques 42 Notes on Suitable Papers for the PlatinumPalladium Process 44 Papers for Single Coating 44 Acidification 47 Papers Ainenable to Acidification 47 Papers for Double Coating 48 CHAPTER6 Tkt FiRST PRiNT 49 The Sun Print 50 The Basics 50 Chemicals 50 Paper 50 Utensils 50 Negative so Procedure 50 Assessment of the Print 52 CHAPTER7 CkoosE YOUR Mdod 53 Methods of Contrast Control 54 The Ratio Method 54 Sodium Chloroplatinate (Na2) 56 Combining the Ratio and Na2 Methods 58 The Dichromate Method: Contrast Control Ingredient in the Developer 60 Standard Negative Contrast Ranges: The Dichromate Method 61 A Standard 61 CHAPTER8 CAli bRATiON 63 Calibrating the Light Source 64 Choosing a Pririt-to-Light Distance with a Point Light Source 64 Choosing a Print-to-Light Distance with a Fluorescent Tube Bank 64 The Step Tablet 64 The Visual Comparison Densitonieter 66 Methods of Contrast Control 66 Supplies 66 Notes on the Making of Test Strips 67 Technique: Time/Distance 68 Technique: Contrast Control 68 Palladium Printing with the Ratio Method 72 Standard Negative Contrast Ranges 73 Calibrating with the Dichromate Method 73 CHAPTER9 Tkt PlATiNUM ANd PA11AdiuM PRiNT 75 Utensils 76 The Test Strip 76 Coating the Test Strip 76 Materials Used for Developing and Clearing the Test Strip 78 Developing and Clearing 78 The Final Print 78 The Coating Instruments 78 Brushes 79 Coating Rods 82 CONTENTS9 ix The Brush Versus the Coating Rod 83 Making the Final Print 83 Coating 83 Drying 84 Exposure 85 Dodging and Burning 85 Developing aiid Clearing 85 Dry Down 87 Using the Combined Step Tablet and Print to Adjust Printing Time and Contrast 87 The Visual Comparison Densitonzeter 87 Both Shadows aitd Highlights Are Too Dark 88 Both Shadows and Highlights Are Too Light 89 Shadotus Are Good, Highlights Are Too Dark 89 Shadows Are Good, Highlights Are Too Light 89 Shadows Are Too Dark, Highlights Are Good 90 Shadows Are 7-00 Light, Highlights Are Good 90 More Combinations 90 CHAPTER10 AdvANcEd TECkNiQuE 91 Masking of Negatives 92 Materials 92 Process 92 Working Light 92 Relative Humidity in the Laboratory 92 The Effects of High Paper Humidity 93 Prevention of Solarization 93 The Elusive Dinax 93 Observations 94 Hydrogen Peroxide 95 Brushes 95 The Use of Sizing Medium in the Sensitizer 95 Image Hue 95 Sizing 95 Developer and Tenzperature Controls 95 Metal loiis in the Developer 96 Combinations of Platinum and Palladium 96 Toning 96 Glycerin 97 Materials 97 Double Coating 97 Drying of the Coating 97 Materials 98 Method 98 Preparation of the Final Print 99 Drying 99 Principles of Etching and Spotting Platini~nzlPalludiiclnPrints 99 Materials 99 The “Black Plague” Cure 100 Presentation 101 Lighting 201 Matting 2 01 Framing 201 x CONTENTS Numbering of Editions 101 Handling and Storage of Negatives 103 CHAPTER11 PRobkMs 105 Chalky or Anemic Prints 106 Uneven Coating 106 Graininess 107 Black Spots on the Print (The "Black Plague") 107 Streaking Blacks 107 Fog Versus Stain 107 Solarization with Palladium 108 PARTTwo SENSilOMETRY FOR ThE PlATiNUM/PA"AdiUM PROCESS 109 CHAPTER12 ThE FilM ANd PAPERCURVES 111 Silver and Platinunflalladium Curves Compared 112 The Individual Silver Curve 112 The Negative for Silver Paper 113 Steepness of the Curve 114 The Individual PlatinumlPalladium Curve 114 The Negative for a PlatinumlPalladium Print 115 Contrast Control 115 A PlatinunzlPalladium Curve for a High-Contrast Negative 115 Effect of Fog 116 A PlatinumIPalladium Curve for a Low-Contrast Negative 116 When the Negative Has Inadequate Contrast 118 The Family of PlatinunzlPalladium Curves 118 The Palladium Print 118 The Families of Palladium Curves 118 The Characteristics of Palladium Curves 119 A Palladium Curve for a Normal-Contrast Negative 119 A Palladium Curve for a High-Contrast Negative 120 Let There Be Light 120 The Matcher PrograniR 121 Negative Development for the Long Toe 124 CHAPTER13 USiNq ThE PRiNT CURVES 127 Refining the Standards 128 Shadow Values 128 Factoring in the Effects of Contrast Control 129 Analyzing the Print Curve 129 A Guide to the Families of Curves 130 The Na2 Method 130 Graphic Illustrations of Speed Changes Produced by Contrast Mixtures 130 Using the Algorithm 134 Examples