Do you have an enlarger with a dichro head, or at least some contrast filters? Use those to change the color of the light. You want more magenta for more contrast. If you're using room light for this, it gets a bit more difficult though.
The whole point behind multigrade paper is that you can filter the light to effect contrast adjustment. As far as the print development, it's self-limiting, so just let it develop until the tones in the print don't get any darker. 30-45 seconds is all it takes with fresh developer, then stop, fix, and rinse. I do contact printing on an enlarging easel, so it's easy to do the contrast adjustment. If you have access to one, use that, and use the contrast filters that go with it, or spend a few bucks on a set of the Ilford ones to go with your paper. -Mat gfen wrote: > > Hi, > > This is totally non-Pentax related, but I'm taking advantage of a captive > audience _and_ the fact that the group is responsive and highly > intelligent, unlike hte majority of website and newsgroup users out > there.. > > So, I've started doing some 4x5 contact printing on Ilford multigrade RC > paper. They tend to be very gray and bland, would/should I be using a > different grade of paper? I know that there;s more to it than that, but > just to start out and get a feel for contact printing, I'd like to get > someone to clue me in. > > For the record, I'm developing them in Sprint Systems' print developer at > 1:19, while I'm slapdash in my times, it currently seems like 30-45 > seconds gives me about as good of an image as I can expect..Anything over > that is over developed. I'm also using a 15 watt bulb in a clip on fixture > for my source, boucning it from the ceiling for about 10 seconds. I share > that part cause someone here was lookign for details on contact printing > earlier.
