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Printing Color Negatives
Figure  12-4.Ring  around

Photography (Basic) - Introduction to photography and other graphic techniques
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the feeling of coldness. Portraits, on the other hand, are usually warm with glowing flesh tones, reflecting health and  happiness.  Because  of  tightly  controlled  and standardized processing of color negatives, contrast is not a major variable in color printing. There are several color  papers  manufactured  that  provide  higher  than normal contrast. Generally, these high contrast papers are  used  for  illustrative  purposes  and  not  normal pictorial  photography.  Consult  the  Photo-Lab-Index  for more information on color papers. some neutral areas (ideally, a gray card). The subject matter of the negative should be typical of the printing job or of those negatives that will be printed in the future. It is unlikely that you will produce an acceptable color  print  on  your  first  attempt.  When  you  are considering the density and color balance of a test print, think in terms of the three dye layers and their individual exposures. When the paper is exposed through the color negative, the cyan, magenta, and yellow dye images control the amounts of red, green, and blue light that reach the emulsion layers of the paper. Increasing the exposure of the emulsion layers of the paper increases the dye density of that layer and vice versa. The negative must be free from dust and placed in the enlarger, with the emulsion side down toward the lens (base side up). The base side is facing you when you can read the manufacturer’s lettering on the edges of the film. You must be sure that no stray light escapes from around the edges of the negative. Masks of black paper  or  black  masking  tape  in  the  negative  carrier prevent  stray  light  from  fogging  the  paper. ENLARGER SETUP It is helpful to think how the color quality of light affects the paper. Remember that the color negative and the  color  paper  produce  negative  images.  The  more  red light the paper receives, the more cyan dye produced. The more green light the paper receives, the more magenta dye is produced in the green sensitive layer. The more blue light the paper receives, the more yellow dyes created in the paper. Setting up the enlarger and cropping the image on the easel is basically the same in color printing as in black and white; however, when possible, remove the filter pack and compose and focus under white light. By removing the filter pack, you can project a brighter image on the easel, making composing and focusing easier. Color paper is balanced in manufacturing so a combination of magenta and yellow filters in the printer light  source  color  balances  a  print  from  properly exposed negatives. Because of the variations in the color temperature of light sources (both picture taking and printer), processing, and light-sensitive emulsions, the required  combination  of  filters  can  change  from negative to negative. You must evaluate the test print in terms of density and color balance and determine which filter  combination  and  exposure  time  accurately represents  the  original  scene. MAKING COLOR PRINTS The procedures for setting up the enlarger and composing and cropping the image in color printing are basically  the  same  as  black-and-white  printing.  The major difference is that custom color printing on an enlarger  must  be  carried  out  in  complete  darkness. THE  COLOR  NEGATIVE 12-6 When making your first test print, you should use a negative that is properly exposed; it should also contain Since enlarging equipment varies considerably, it is difficult to specify exact exposure times and filtration for a properly exposed print. You should start with a basic filter pack that has already been established in your imaging facility, or consult the data sheet packaged with the color printing paper or use the Photo-Lab-Index as a reference to arrive at a starting exposure time and filter pack JUDGING  TEST  PRINTS When  making  color  prints,  you  must  always  obtain the proper print density before you evaluate the color balance. Several ways are used to judge test prints. Before test prints are viewed, however, there are some lighting  factors  to  be  considered. Viewing  Conditions The color quality of the viewing light source strongly influences the apparent color balance of the print. Ideally, the light in the evaluation area should be the same color quality and intensity as the light under which the final print is to be viewed. From a practical standpoint,  some  average  conditions  are  used. Several factors are important in specifying light sources for viewing color prints. These are intensity, color temperature, and color rendering index. The intensity of the light source influences the amount of detail that can be seen in a print. For good viewing, a light  source  should  provide  an  illuminance  of  1400  lux







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