I recently bought a Rollei color enlarger,and was wondering if there was any literature available on how to use the color filters to add contrast to my prints.I've been playing with the red dial,and have gotten some good results,but I would like more info. Thanks!

-- Jessica Smith (jess@pa.net), May 23, 1998

Answers

Your enlarger probably has three filters: magenta (which looks like red), cyan (blue-green) and yellow. The instructions that come with your photo paper should have instructions on how much of what filter will give you the various contrast grades.

To see the effect, make three prints:

- the first with no filter;

- the second with maximum magenta, and nothing else;

- the third with maximum yellow, and nothing else.

The filtered prints will need longer exposures than the first. The magenta print should give maximum contrast ("hardest"), and the yellow should give the minumum ("softest").

Good luck.

-- Alan Gibson (gibson.al@mail.dec.com), May 26, 1998.