Contact printing paper

[Alastair Moore]

I'm looking at getting some Ilford MGRC paper to try and do a few enlargements this weekend. I'm also interested in trying my hand at some 8x10 contact prints and am wondering if that paper would be suitable for this as well?

[Walter Glover]

Alastair,

It should be fine, I believe. Kodak used to produce a special contact printing paper - "Azo" - but it was discontinued some years back. There were supplies available from Smith and Shamlee in the US a while back.

Azo was a very light weight paper base which tended to curl incredibly when wet. It probably also needed to be mounted to a sub-support once dried.

[smbooth]

Foma do a contact speed paper in grade two only, but for starting out to try any of the vc paper work fine.

[Andrew Nichols]

I just bought 500 sheets of Azo
Apparently it is the best contact paper
I'm yet to try

[Alastair Moore]

Does anyone have any suggestions on what wattage bulb I'm going to need? I'm going to set up something in my bathroom tonight to try and contact print these recent negatives of my friends. I hear somewhere around 15w is a good starter?

[Walter Glover]

Alastair,

I think a bracket arm off the wall with a lamp better hanging from it will allow you the ability to raise and lower the light source as an additional means of varying exposure. I'd try to keep as close to a point source as you can - clear globe rather than frosted and no reflector.

15 watts seems a good start.

[smbooth]

Depends on your paper, if you ended getting Azo then something like 250 watt is in order, but typical enlarger paper then yes 15 watt (even that maybe to much) is a starting point. The actual colour temp of the lamp may play around with your contrast remember.

[Alastair Moore]

Hmm.. found some 15w bulbs, but nothing lower, only to find it doesn't fit in my damn lamp! So no contact printing for me tonight. I was all geared up for it!

[Walter Glover]

What use is a bayonet when only a screw will do! And isn't that all the time? LOL

[Alastair Moore]

What use is a bayonet when only a screw will do! And isn't that all the time? LOL

Yes. Exactly this. Buggered if I know where I'll find a 15w (or lower) screw in bulb. I'm going to have to think about other lighting options!