Density for Contact Printing on Kentmere Bromide

[Digidurst]

Hi all! I wonder if someone can tell me what the ideal density is for a digital negative that I will use to contact print on Kentmere Bromide paper? Or maybe I'm being to specific... how about just regular photo paper that most folks would use for enlarging? Thanks!

[Joe Lipka]

I follow the footsteps of Dan Burkholder in creating my digital negatives. His method is to measure the print density and compare it to the on screen image. In my case, a reflection densitometer is used to measure the print and compare to the gray scale percentage in photoshop.

[Digidurst]

What if one does not have a reflection densitometer?

[Joe Lipka]

Dan's suggestion (in the book) is to visually compare between the test print and the screen display. Size both the step wedge and the print to be the same size and do a side by side comparison.

Me, I'm a little bit more obsessive than that. Besides, I think that a visual comparison at either the low or high end of the step wedge requires "a really good eye" for tonal comparison.

I sprung for the reflection densitometer because I am committed to the digital negative process.