Group:Darkroom/Colour Printing

Consumables

The following kit is a good starting point for small volume printing:

• http://ntphotoworks.com/shop/product/2949/
• http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rollei-RA4-Digibase-kit-1lt-Good-For-Colour-Prints-Our-Kodak-Vision-Films-/121914065664
• http://www.firstcall-photographic.co.uk/rollei-digibase-ra4-mono-kit-1-litre/p3339

You'll need some RA-4 paper (which seems to be only half as expensive as B&W paper!): http://www.firstcall-photographic.co.uk/picture-making/colour-darkroom-paper/colour-ra4-paper/c321

Process

Read the following 2 tutorials first to get a good idea of how it all works:

• http://www.twelvesmallsquares.com/journal/2014/10/3/how-to-make-ra-4-colour-prints
• https://www.lomography.com/magazine/258606-printing-ra4-colour-photos-in-a-darkroom

Then check the manuals for the Durst colour enlarger and the Paterson color processor to make sure you know where all the buttons are.

Start by setting up the processor and mixing the chemicals. For processing 8x10 prints on the smaller of the two Paterson tanks you only need about 100ml of Developer & Bleach/Fix so you can divide by 10 the amounts shown on the Rollei Kit mixing instructions.

You must have ALL LIGHTS OFF when the paper is out of the box and you're making your exposure. You must also cover the lights on the enlarger control box and on the Paterson processor.

Make sure that in complete darkness you can:

1. put the paper in the right place in the easel
2. press the enlarger timer button to expose (make sure you have the right time set before lights off)
3. take the paper and put it in the tank

Before you try this for real, switch the lights off and rehearse it!

In addition to the 2 chemicals from the kit, make some warm water in a jug to use for washing/rinsing.

The timings below seemed to work OK:

• 30 seconds pre-wash (discard in the sink in the end, should come out with a slight blue colour)
• 45 seconds developer (pour developer back in the cup at the end)
• 30 seconds stop wash with water (discard water the sink in the end, should come out with a slight blue colour)
• 45 seconds bleach-fix (pour bleach-fix back in the cup at the end)
• 2x45 seconds final wash with water (discard water the sink in the end, should come out with a slight yellow colour)