Printing a 6x6

[Guest NEIL-D-WILLIAMS]

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I'm going to be printing some 6x6 B&W negs in my darkroom. I've got 8x10, 11x14 and 16x20 paper coming. My question is, how big can I print a 6x6 using my enlarger?

Neil

[Ko.Fe.]

It depends how far enlarger head could go. Some allows to project it at the floor. But 11x14 should be no problem even with relatively small enlarger. Lens has to be something like 75mm for 6x6. For 16x20 you going to use big trays and gallons of working mix of chemicals. 

Do not hesitate to use entire paper, not just keeping it square.  Practice with 8x10, then try it on 11x14. (6x6 is still going to be sharp on 11x14).

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[gbealnz]

Only way to know Neil is to try it, but two things will make a difference. Enlarger hear height as Ko.Fe. mentioned. And lens choice.

 

6x6 would usually require a 75 - 80 mm enlarger lens. You may or may not have one of these.

 

If all you have is the M/F and L/F enlarger lenses then all you can do is hoist it up as tall as it will go, and suck it in.

 

Back in the day, I worked in a processing lab, doing aerial photos, the film size from the aerial cameras was 10x10. We had a decent selection of enlarger lenses, and I quite successfully printed my own negs, 35mm included, but mostly 6x6.

 

Like I said, the key to your success will be the lens.

Gary

[pico]

For 16x20 you going to use big trays and gallons of working mix of chemicals.

 

If you don't mind working slowly, 16x20 paper can be processed in tubes, and with an optional roller base.

[Ko.Fe.]

If you don't mind working slowly, 16x20 paper can be processed in tubes, and with an optional roller base.

It is for working blind and for fixed time. I know tubes, but who prints in RA4 these days? I assume, it was about BW printing here, where no fixed time, no tubes to work blind applies.

[harryzet]

just for your information - 15 years ago i made this picture in berlin with my rolleiflex 2,8c on fuji 400 asa film. on the first picture (sorry about the small jpg and the quality) you can see a scooter in the middle). on the original print you could see the screws fixing the license-plate. so you can print 6x6 nearly as big as you can handle it in the darkroom

 

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[pico]

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It is for working blind and for fixed time. I know tubes, but who prints in RA4 these days? I assume, it was about BW printing here, where no fixed time, no tubes to work blind applies.

 

No fixed time for B&W? Seriously? No optimal time?  Tell me about that.

Edited July 24, 2017 by pico

[pico]

It is for working blind and for fixed time. I know tubes, but who prints in RA4 these days? I assume, it was about BW printing here, where no fixed time, no tubes to work blind applies.

 

Okay, no response so I will address your presumptions. First, B&W printing is largely a completion process - we develop as long as it takes to make the gradation. Processing longer introduces the opportunity for fogging, chemically or from overexposure to safe-light in tray. Pulling (taking the paper out early in development) is rarely helpful and a sign of an uninformed amateur. I know some B&W printers do tray development and do such things as use a cotton ball of developer heated to accelerate local development and/or potassium chloride to bleach local areas. I have process countless images in the same way and was once approached by the best custom B&W processing lab in Chicago to the same for them. I was a very good B&W printer.

 

Regardless, processing to completion is more than adequate. A rotating tube works.

 

Finally, the OP has a small darkroom - no room for large trays.

 

Next?

Edited July 24, 2017 by pico

[pico]

Edit: potassium ferricyanide for bleaching. oops.

[erl]

My long term solution was to wall mount the enlarger column and I built a separate enlarger table with a set of sliders inside and a table top that I side in at appropriate levels, rather like in a cooking oven. The front of the table is open to easily access the different levels. This allows me to cover a vast range of enlargement sizes. Works for all formats with appropriate lenses.

 

This concept should fit a compact darkroom as the footprint is not larger than normal.

 

Prior to that I tried a 60mm enlarger lens, but it gave uneven exposure to the paper because the distance to outer edges was greater than the centre. ie lens to paper distance was too short.

 

P.S. Nothing matches watching a 24"x 30" print appear like magic in the tray. Desirable to have a large darkroom sink to accommodate those trays. Maybe not practical for compact darkrooms.

[erl]

Another opinion re paper size. I like to print my square negs square, a lot of the time. Usually because that is how I composed the image. Nawadays I don't hesitate to trim the excess off, much like a builder trims his timber to suit the structure. By trimming before processing you may be able to use the offcuts for initial test strips before exposure, but will probably need to sacrifice a few sheets to make larger strips before the final print (or three!).

[Jeff S]

Ansel did ok printing Hasselblad images to near 20x30...

 

http://www.sothebys.com/fr/auctions/ecatalogue/2013/photographs-n09020/lot.30.html

 

He printed some large format negs mural size by creatively mounting his enlarger and 8 ft tall easel on tracks...

 

http://www.alanrossphotography.com/ansel-adams/in-the-darkroom-with-ansel-adams/

 

Jeff

[Guest NEIL-D-WILLIAMS]

Sorry for the late reply. I'm in a training class all week so got my head berried in books.

I've just placed an order for some ilford 11x14 papers. I will keep the 16x20 for my darkroom in Thailand and use a 4x5 enlarger there.

Until that is complete (end of the year) I will practice making smaller prints in my KL darkroom

Neil

[Doug A]

My long term solution was to wall mount the enlarger column and I built a separate enlarger table with a set of sliders inside and a table top that I side in at appropriate levels, rather like in a cooking oven. The front of the table is open to easily access the different levels. This allows me to cover a vast range of enlargement sizes. Works for all formats with appropriate lenses.

 

This concept should fit a compact darkroom as the footprint is not larger than normal.

 

Prior to that I tried a 60mm enlarger lens, but it gave uneven exposure to the paper because the distance to outer edges was greater than the centre. ie lens to paper distance was too short.

 

P.S. Nothing matches watching a 24"x 30" print appear like magic in the tray. Desirable to have a large darkroom sink to accommodate those trays. Maybe not practical for compact darkrooms.

[Doug A]

I had a similar setup in my Newark darkroom almost 50 years ago. It worked very well but it did take a while to get everything parallel.