The DARKROOM COOKBOOK, Third Edition

146 THE DARKROOM COOKBOOK
When the negative is dry place it in a contact printing frame with the base side against
the glass then do one of the following:
1. Make a proof for maximum black using the blank strip and a piece of photographic enlarging
paper (Appendix 4, Proofi ng for Maximum Black).
2. Make a proof for maximum black using a piece of paper coated for the alternative process you
intend to use (e.g., salted paper, plt/pld, etc.), and the appropriate light source (e.g., sun, UV
printer, etc.).
3. Make a print using the entire negative using a piece of paper coated for the alternative process
you intend to use (e.g., salted paper, plt/pld, etc.), and the appropriate light source (e.g., sun, UV
printer, etc.).
Choose the strip that makes the best print according to your taste. You may now make
your fi nal enlarged negative using the settings for that strip or you can fi ne tune the negative,
either by altering the enlarger exposure time, or by increasing or decreasing the development
time. Remember, you are making a negative, not an interpositive, so expose for the shadows
and develop for the highlights.
If necessary, you can intensify or reduce the fi nal negative (Chapter 11, Photographic
Reduction and Intensifi cation). Or you can use retouching dyes to build up density in shadow
areas of the enlarged negative. You only have to make the enlarged negative once. Once you
get it right you can use it for years after to make prints.
Beverly and Stephanie, 2008. © 2008 David Wood. All rights reserved. Courtesy of the artist. This image is reproduced from an orginal Kodak T-Max 100
4 � 5 inch black and white transparency. The photo was made with a 4 � 5 inch Superspeed Grafl ex with a 135 mm f/3.5 lens.