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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 เม.ย. 2021
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Lith printing is a special process. This video is a breakdown of the Lith printing process using my current methods. Specifically Ilford Warmtone Fiber-Based Paper Developed in Arista Liquid Lith Printing Developer
Hope you enjoy!
** Update 11/23**
I felt it was necessary to add this update and a little disclaimer.
I am generally a very health-conscious person (annoyingly so if you ask my wife and daughter) but when it comes to photography, I tend to let that slide a bit more than I should at times.
Some of my favorite lith prints have been made with Arista Lith developer and Ilford Multigrade Warmtone paper. However, I have not been using this combination because of health concerns due to Formaldehyde being present in this developer.
Now to be clear, in the past, this has never been an issue for me, but my struggles with persistent COVID headaches and brain fog have kept me from treading into these waters much (basically at all).
Truthfully as long as you use these chemicals with adequate ventilation you will probably be fine, In fact, we are exposed to formaldehyde way more often than one would think.
If you are concerned, I would consider a mask as I have in the video as well as long sleeves and gloves as well. Formaldehyde fumes can also be absorbed through the skin as well.
I still have a rather large stock of Arista Lith Developer and a few other with developers that contain formaldehyde. I fully intend to use them at some point, I just need to continue with my recovery and do not want anything preventing that or contributing to a relapse. In fact, I am trying to figure out some type of fume hood in my small darkroom specifically for this.
For the time being, I will be using Moersch Lith Developer when I do Lith Print and find it really great. It is a formaldehyde-free formulation and have had great success with it! Its only drawback is it is more expensive.
There are also some formulas that I want to try and may do so in the future. I will keep you all updated if I find anything that is worthwhile!
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Relevant Links:
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Excellent Lith Papers:
Ilford Multigrade Warm Tone Paper - adorama.rfvk.net/rnQ0JB
Ilford Multigrade ART 300 Paper - adorama.rfvk.net/x9kmz3
Foma Fomatone Paper - adorama.rfvk.net/a1nLrq
Tools & Safety:
Tray/food warmer - amzn.to/3uzGpJN
Respirator - amzn.to/2PTPbn0
Respirator Filters (Formaldahyde & Organic Vapor)- amzn.to/3dRR0Jc
Nitrile Gloves - amzn.to/3d4HFif
Excellent Lith Developers:
Arista Liquid Lith Printing Developer - distphoto.be/3...
Rollei Lith Printing Developer - adorama.rfvk.net/Yg9j2q
Moersch Easy Lith (Formaldahyde Free) - distphoto.be/3...
Books & Resources:
Unblinking Eye (Tim Rudman Article) - unblinkingeye....
Bob Carnie Lith Printing Video - distphoto.be/3...
The World Of Lith Printing (Tim Rudman) - amzn.to/3a0cAtX
The Master Photographers Lith Printing Course (Tim Rudman) - amzn.to/3mxHuPv
Film Photography Project - What is a Lith Print - distphoto.be/3...
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Go to film photography setup //
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Hasselblad 500 CM - ebay.us/I76k2J
120mm CF f-4 Makro - ebay.us/gX4UVm
80mm CF 2.8 - ebay.us/BRBAuT
50mm CFE f-4 - ebay.us/rcJhiz
Go to film - amzn.to/3oPiyTU
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Go to digital camera setup //
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Canon R5 - amzn.to/35FUX0r
Canon 35mm f1.4 L ii - amzn.to/3ioIBPl
Canon 50mm f1.2 RF - amzn.to/2N47Hax
Canon 85mm f1.2 - amzn.to/38PaH34
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Music:
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All the songs in my videos are from Epidemic Sound! - Get your music here - www.epidemicso...
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Affiliate Links:
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Some of the links in my video descriptions are affiliate links, which means at no extra cost to you, I will make a small commission if you click them and make a qualifying purchase. If you have a different purchase in mind, please consider using these links as it helps create more free content for this channel!
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Follow Me:
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Instagram: / distphoto and / distphotofilm
Lightroom Presets: www.distinctio....
Blog: www.distinctio....
Thank you so much for watching!
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#distphotofilm #darkroom - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
Have always used Fomatone, but I'm gonna give Ilford a try as I have some spare. Thanks for the video!
Your welcome!!! It is different but gives a cool look that grows on you 👍
Thanks for this. I've been lith printing for around five years now and it's my default process. I had tried WTFB but hadn't had any success and abandoned trying lith with Ilford papers (of any description ). I'll try again using some E and see how I get on.
Like most things lith it is touchy…. If you give to much exposure it tends to just go super low contrast and muddy. You need to get the exposure right and it is much different to all other papers in that regard.
Sometimes I get it right if the bat and other times It takes a while for the developer to get “right” but when it works looks really nice!
@@Distphoto it’s curious how some papers need very exact exposure and others not so much. I frequently use a second developer to control highlights ( Catechol or Meritol)
@@adriancullen8159 Curious indeed!
I normally use flashing to help with the highlights. Can really make the highlights glow.
Never used two bath but always been curious. Would love to watch Wolfgang print…
Do you mix your own highlight dev? Do you stop dev and rinse in between? Highlights or shadows first? So intriguing 🤔
Lith is my favorite process, I have a pretty severe formaldehyde sensitivity from using LD20 and switch to moeresh. Glad you are wearing a respirator! I even have to let furniture outgas now. Great video!
Yeah it was weird how it did not bother me when I was younger but now am way more sensitive to it. I have Some Moersch and love it and usually reserve it for some older papers I have. The Arista is so cheap that I tend to do a lot more experimentation with it... but have to deal with the mask. But love Lith and is worth it to me! Thanks!
Great video. As someone getting back into the darkroom thanks for the inspirational video,
You are welcome, glad you enjoyed it!
I've not Lith printed for 20 years. I'm getting back into it and this has been really helpful. 😊
Glad it was helpful! I have been lith printing for a little over half that time and it seemed like there were amazing papers I just missed... Forte (although I have some :) ) Sterling Lith, Agfa, Etc...
I remember being able to buy Graded Fotomeka Emak's Grade 3 and loved it. Have a print hanging on my wall that I made with that paper.
It is a fun an very addictive process. The Ilford does lith a little different but I love the result. I find it can have really significant infectious development contrary to what some have said. It just needs a lot of bromide / old brown and it goes real clumpy and grainy real quick. You can also get real smooth tones out of it... very versatile.
Fomatone works well to... much more colorful if that is what you are after! Have fun!
I've watched this video twice now and I have an idea of how I want to approach (more like try it) Lith printing. I learned so much valuable information off of this channel, so grateful for what you're doing. I would still love to see you hold a weekend workshop somewhere. I know finding a place is difficult but I'd be there.
Glad your learning. That is awesome! I would love to get a space set up around here to do something like that. My current set up is just to small. Thank you!
@@Distphoto Love your videos, looking forward to the next one.
This is fantastic. I've been wanting to do lith printing for awhile. This is very helpful because I heard most of the modern papers weren't good for the process.
I have a stash of papers and the older ones do work well. But Ilford has a different look that I really like. Fomatone and Ilford Warmtone papers are two that are very consistent and available. I really struggle with which of these two I like better all around and for lith.
Thanks! Great video. Never tried Ilford WT myself, but I certainly will give it a try. And a big thank you for mentioning to tone lith prints. I simply never occured to me to tone lith prints ... how stupid is that!
Oh man, Lith prints do some amazing things with toners! However like I ke=ind of go into in the video you get such pretty results with Lith that it is painful to see one go to less desireable tones. So it does take quite a bit of experimenting. One of my favorites is Really colorfull Fomatone (really peach bright pink) toned fully in Gold toner... you get really pretty cold blues.
Awesome video, can't wait to try lith printing!
Give it a go and let me know how it goes!
You have inspired me to do some of this again. It as been a long time, pretty much since they took the cadmium out of the papers! I have some old boxes of paper including some old oriental seagull - I wonder if it will work still. Mike Spry used to use Oriental Seagull grade 4 when printing for Anton Corbijn. Interesting experiments await...
Great to hear! Would love to have some of that paper! My favorite Lith prints are Corbin / Spry’s prints of Tom Waits. Just so perfect for him! That paper should still Lith just fine. I have some super old paper that still Liths wonderfully. Have fun!
I was thinking of Anton Corbijn the whole time I was watching this video. The Tom Waits' photos in particular. This prompted me to audit a course up the street where they're doing various printmaking techniques. Lith printing, but also photographic intaglio etching. Now rewatching some of Bob Carnie's videos. Watched one on gum bichromate printing last night.
@@culley03 I want that book by Corbin/Waits SOOO bad. One day I will get a copy👍. Awesome there are courses like that available!
Great video and a timely one. I have been wanting to try Lith again but know many of the papers had disappeared. Last time I tried it was with a paper from India called Sterling. I have plenty of Ilford warm tone so will definitely be having a go in the next few days. I would be interested in how you produce your digital negs to.
I never got to try Sterling but have seen great images made on it! Give it a shot. It is different but has really grown on me over time. I will try to cover digital negatives in a future vid!
I learn in your channel, great PrintMan. Very Clean AND order in Darkroom
Well… I tend to tidy up a little for videos. It get pretty chaotic at times 😂. Thank you!
the foma prints were stunning
Thanks!
@@Distphoto Hey, I'm watching this again. Multigrade papers have multiple layers, I think that what is happening is the bottom layer develops and the top doesn't. When you put it in the fix the emulsion from the top layer clears and and sharpens the highlights.
I really love your videos. Your channel deserves way more subscribers. Please keep the wonderfull work up and analog alive
Doing my best... Thanks!
I liked the process
Thank you!
extremely interesting video, never tried Liths yet! but I'm so attempted
Buy a small kit of Moersch Easy Lith (or Arista, Rollei Lith) and run a few of those Agfa sheets through it..... you will thank me!
Fyi formaldehyde can cause thyroid issues also. You also can’t pour it down the drain, especially with a well and septic system
It’s pretty nasty stuff. The plan is to switch to moersch as it is Formaldehyde free, the price just hurts a bit for experimenting. Definitely want to protect my thyroid. Think the mask does a good job as it as cleared up issues I was having. Thanks!
@@Distphoto also skin exposure to these chemicals can affect your thyroid too. Just an fyi
@@nickfanzo Noted. Just ordered some more Moersch Easy Lith. 👍 Appreciate the input. Might get a bit sweaty in a plastic suit. But maybe I’ll give it a go. I also want to build a fume hood but not gonna happen this year.
Defo trying this!
Sweet!
What a great video! Really opened my eyes to the possibilities of lith printing. A little worried about heating up the developer because my ventilation is pretty bad, but otherwise I'd love to try it sometime soon. Using the warmtone paper already, so I'm halfway there. Does the negative make a huge difference (i.e. density, contrast) for how well lith printing works?
@@filibertkraxner305 Thank you! Some people swear by higher contrast negs and also using flashing. I’ve had good results with high and low contrast negs… depends on the image. Highlight separation can be difficult but that is part of the look. For most things I tend to go for more punch in negatives I intend to Lith print 👍
@@Distphoto Thanks for your reply! I'll order some of that good Moersch stuff and pick a few suitable negs 🙂
I'm definitely not in the young category and until now I hadn't heard of Lith printing. I like it but I don't have a darkroom at the moment.
When you get one set up give it a shot!
As a former reproduction lab pro, I can confirm that this process can get pretty addictive, and I can tell from your video you absolutely got hooked.
If one really wants to be in control of their end result, documentation and ratcheting things up one at a time are key. I guess your "replenish old brown" approach didn't come out of nowhere...
Impressing results, btw, although I think that you've muddled up some of the toning examples in the last section of the video. Well, I don't care.
Thank you! I try to take lots of notes but with such a wild process it is still hard to keep track of what exactly you did! I did ramble on a bit :)
A follow up question - is it possible to make lith developer from basic chemicals? I live in a country where pre-packaged lith developer is not available. Thank you.
Yes, there are some formulas out there. I do not have any experience with them but might give one a shot to see what results I can get. Here is a good reference and fomula down the page : unblinkingeye.com/Articles/Lith/lith.html. Her are a bunch of others as well: unblinkingeye.com/Articles/LithDev/lithdev.html
Great video!!! A good super high gloss paper for lith? Thanks!!!
Yes! Thank you!
I got a hold of some Forte paper and I'm not certain of the history of storage. I am getting a lot of fogging but I've done some research and this Forte seems to have a problem with fogging regardless of storage. They recommend Lith printing which is why I stumbled across your video. Generally speaking, what do you do with fogging paper. Anything? I hate to waste. At the very minimum, I will play with this paper and just see where it goes.
Fogged old paper usually works quite well with lith. You are using a high contrast developer with typically lots of Potassium bromide. Sometimes the fogging can even add to the image. I have a stash of Forte Elegance and it lith prints nicely. You can also add more bromide and see if that helps. Give it a shot… you might be pleasantly surprised! Let me know how it goes 👍
Nice video again! My favourite paper for lith printing is Agfa Brovira. Have you tried this paper?
I LOVE Agfa papers. Probably my favorite and have a stash of a few boxes I think Brovira, MC110, and Portriga Rapid. One is a textured art base and is SO NICE ( Resembles Ilford Art 300 only smoother and nicer) I do not want to use it ( in fact all of them.... I really need to use them but know I will not get them again ( bought off Ebay and still check and take a gamble now and then ) Most have worked out wonderfully... had one pack of 8x10 -100 sheet MC110 that was all pretty exposed but otherwise mostly real good scores!
I have been working with Lith printing the past few days and I find the toughest part is determining the Snatch point. The idea of using a mag-light is really great. Where did you get the red filter and diffusion material? I am not really sure what red filter to get. I think I may have an old red filter that goes under the enlarging lens so you can focus with paper in the easel but I don't know how good it is because it is a bit old.
I put my light together a long time a go... I believe I cut a circle from some ruby red gel sheets.
The red filter for under the enlarger would work fine if you can rig something up.
I recently bought this red gel through Amazon amzn.to/3JT8PXB. I have a wrapped led light I use in the darkroom when recording and it has worked well and not caused issues. If I needed to replace my light today I would start with this as it is cheap. You can also stack multiple sheets on top of each other. Mine has a plastic clear disc and a diffusion piece as well that I sandwich together and sure down over the bulb.
I used a mag light and replaced the bulb with an led.
The thing with lith is the way the development works and the amount of exposure needed I find I can be pretty liberal with an inspection light. In Dr. Rudman's Lith printing books he always says to inspect at the end or near the snatch point. I tend to look a lot sooner of brief moments. Mileage may very depending on materials, dilution, etc.
Have fun Lith printing! you've probably found out how addictive (and time consuming) it can be!
Nice video.....I just started with printing with EasyLith and Fomatone 131....highlights are orange toned...any advice on achieving a more light buff highlight tones like your examples? I used 15A : 25B : 1000ml dilution @84 deg.
Fomatone liths nice but is one of the more colorful papers. My favorite thing to do with fomatone is to get as much of that highlight color as possible and use a gold toner on it... it goes through a series of mauve steel and then ends at a very lovely blue.
Now to actually answer your question. You could try this:
Bleach back the highlights with sepia kit bleach or bromide bleach and redevelop in a sepia toner or really warm tone developer. This would leave the cold gritty blacks and give you some control on the final color of the highlights... ( I have never done this with Fomatone lith prints but imagine it would work pretty well) You will have to play around with some “trashed” prints
Other things you could try would be selenium toner. I will definitely change the tones and mute that orange down.. Here again like the gold toner it will go through some phases and end on a rusty red final tone. This will definitely affect the shadow tones as it acts on these first and then up into the highlights. Again it will take some experimentation.
You could also increase the concentration of the developer. You are already using more of solution B which should mute the colors a bit already but stronger dilutions will also give less color and quicker development times. ( you will also need less exposure under the enlarger) The warmer 84 degree developer could be adding to the more colorful results as well.
I would start with the first and the last first and then maybe the selenium... There are so many different tones you can get you might find something you really love.
The tones on my prints on Ilford MGWT in this were bleached with pot. Ferry bleach and redeveloped in Sodium Sulphite. Not sure if the Fomatone will be much more colorful but def worth a shot!
I have a bunch of old (really old) Ilford Multigrade IV fiber (MGF .1K). Would it work for lith printing?
I do not think it straight lith but could be wrong.
You could give it a try…
You can do second pass lith with it where you develop in reg dev overexposed and then redevelop in Lith dev.
I did same process as you Ilford WT with Arista lith but I got tons of snowball effect. what would be wrong?
Try cutting the exposure in half and see if it still happens. Getting this look is different than with other papers and you have to find the right exposure.
Thank you for introducing us into this interesting process, thought lith developer was only for lith film.
What about the once mixed dilutions? I ve heard they expire quickly. Do / can you reuse them after a couple of days or weeks?
I always hold onto my old developer and just replenish it. Fresh developer does go off rather quickly once the A&B parts are mixed so it does not last long but you have to add small amounts a-occasionally.
Hey, I just made my first lith print and I was wondering if it’s normal for my borders to take on this yellowish hue. I noticed yours looked pretty white so I was curious if I did something wrong. Thanks
What paper & Developer are you using? Paper / age - Developer dilution etc... This can have such a huge difference from different papers and developers.
But yes, that is common and "normal" With heavily used and diluted developer it is common for the paper to get a bit fogged. If you like the look great. if not you can try stronger less exhausted developer or adding a bit of bromide / sulphate to the mix if the developer is fresh.
What happens (typically) is that with the highly dilute developer it gets exhausted after a few prints chemical fogging can occur.
What many people do to combat this is take some of the fresh developer aside when first mixing and use it to replenish the developer part way through the session.
If you are using the same developer combo how I use it... try adding more developer to the old brown when starting.
Other causes could be that your safelights are to strong. Lith tends to have much longer development times and the prolonged exposure to the safelights can do it. Also, just really old fogged paper. Try some potassium bromide solution to combat this.
Another thing you can do after the fact is a highly dilute bleach bath to "clean up the highlights" then re fix.
One last thing... If you try a bit less exposure it the contrast will increase.
Hope all that helps. Good luck & welcome to Lith!
This was a wonderful video! I deciding which chemicals to buy and may start with moersch but then play once I’m not such a newbie! What do you mean when you say it’s colorful? I thought these were all bw?
Thank you! These are all black And white papers. When lith printing the highlights tend to take a colorful look due to the very fine underdeveloped silver. This contrast and makes a split tone effect on a lot of papers with the highlights being warm, ultra warm and even bright orange / salmon. All papers are somewhat different and this also depends on developer dilution and condition.
If you do a google image search for fomatone lith print you will see verging intensities of the more peachy orange look that paper gives.
Add to the the toning options you can get everything from red, blue, mauve, and others…. Moersch is great stuff. I would recommend the Easy Lith to start. The SE5 is almost identical but less variables to deal with.
Very addictive process… have fun !!!
@@Distphoto ohhh ok that makes total sense About the color! Thank you for the explanation!! I ordered easy Lith and the Fomatone paper to get my feet wet with this process! It looks like results potentially could be unpredictable, but is there a certain method of achieving the heavy gritty look? That is what I’m going for if possible!!
I love that This is an added way to be creative !!! So exciting!!!
have you tried to do izochele print?
No I have not. Not heard of it… is it a darkroom process?
@@Distphoto yes. Old Polish proces. to jest proces podobny do HDR w fotografi cyfrowej. niezaswietlony papier moczysz w wywoływaczu. potem naświetlasz na cienie. czekasz az sie wywołaja i naświetlasz na swiatla. (Google translator).
this is a process similar to HDR in digital photography. Soak unlit paper in the developer. then you expose it to the shadows. you wait for them to arise and expose them to the light.
@@wojciechneprostipotocki So Intrigued…. Gita look into this and give it a try. Thanks 🙏
Bla bla bla !!