KODALITHS

by Bill Burke, PSA
You might call this the Burke approach to Kodaliths. Otherwise the simplest, laxy, cheapest and easiest way to do a job.
Equipment needed
1. Kodalith film: a high contrast film used in the graphic arts. Normally it produces just white or black image with no tonal ranges. By changing the exposure and developing times you can get some detail into it, but nothing like a normal film. Its ASA rating is 8 when used with tungsten light. It is a Ortho film so can be used under a red light. Take this into consideration when picking slides, the red areas will stay clear, but any glare on them will reproduce as black. Get 4X5 sheets, which I expose six slides at one time. You can buy 35mm bulk or loaded film but unless you are looking for a lesson in confusion and frustration, get the 4X5 film. The 35mm film curls like crazy, but is the best if you wish to shoot titles using your camera. If you have a negative holder for making strip proofs it might work, but still will be curled after development. Film can be ordered from your local camera store or mail ordered from Freestyle in LA, Porters Camera Supply, or B & H. These addresses for these places are in photo magazines and the back page. Costs ap. $8 - $15 for 50 sheets. The chemicals, A&B Litho developer and Rapid Fix can be obtain locally or mail order. Good idea to order with someone else as these are big supplies.
2. Chemicals: Kodak makes a two stage developer called Kodalith developer. Their smallest size comes in 1 gal size, which makes 2 gallons being as you have two developer, an A developer and a B developer. You mix one part A to one part B when using. This now has a shelf lives of about 8 hours and if you do much film will be exausted fast. Be sure that you mix your stock solutions as directed by the instructions. To proper dissolve all the chemicals the water must be 100 degrees. Warm up your container ahead for this. One little undissolved crystals and in a short time you will have a jar full of useless solutions with all kinds of crystals floating and that soon will smells like rotten potatoes. This film has a great deal of silver in it so it is hard on developers and fix. The shelf lives of the stock developre is real good. If your local camera store can not order it, you can again get it from Porter Camera supply. You can also use Dektol paper developer, diluted 1 to 1. I still would use it as a one shot thing. Any good fixer can be used. I prefer rapid fix with no hardener. The last two items are available at about any camera store. Follow the instructions for mixing, you will want to cut it down to a 8 oz, liquid.
3. Equipment: I use trays from Shoufer TV meals. The large but not real big ones. They are black, hold 8 ounces of chemicals and work just great. I also use them for mineral oil black light but that is a different subject. Two plastic tweezers I took from the hospital when I had my open heart surgery. Cloth pins or paper clips to hang the film from a coat hanger. Red safe light. I looked all over for this and finally found one at K Mart listed as a decoration or party lamp. Get a clear red lamp. Two pieces of 8X10 heavy glass and a black piece of paper, that goes under the bottom glass. I have a old negative proofer which works great but see they cost about $45 now.
I do my lab work in our extra bathroom. Take out the lights in one fixture and put in my red lamp. Take out one of the light in the other fixture, These are 60 watt lamps. You may have to fix your area up to fit this. You need a safe light and a light to expose with. Preferable a 40-60 watt, about 3-5 feet from the printing frame. Keep my slides, which have been taken out of the mount and faced the right direction, emulsion down in a envelope, my film on our clothes hamper. This is my dry area. I put the toilet lid down and this is my printing area. I place my trays next to the sink after moving all my wife's fix-her-up things. This is my wet area. Put plenty of newspapers down here also if you wish to keep using this as a darkroom. Be sure to clean up your "darkroom" when done.
Exposure is a four count off and on with the light. I use one 40 watt bulb about 4 feet from the print frame. Make tests to get your proper exposure. You will have to adjust once you make a Kodalith. Check that it is good and dense but not to much so as you will loose some of the details...you want good blacks or it will be full of pin-holes...it is important to keep things clean as litho film picks up dust real quick. It can be opaque out with regular black or red opaque. I have heard that some workers use India ink. I have real good luck in using chemical removal. There are a few rather high prices ones in photo catalogs and stores but I use regular house-hold bleach. I found out that some of the store brands are rather weak, so Purex is what I use. I use real cheap brushes and you have to work fast and be ready to wash it off. You can soak the film and scratch off some areas but only try this as a last effort and be gentle.
The most important thing is to use slides that work well under this technique. Some taken with normal Oregon sky, gray or white. Areas of strong color. Areas with strong lines. I have found that dock and harbor slides, pictures of building work best but other subjects work equally as well. I had a contemporary where I wanted to take out all the white areas and it worked great. The other colors will pick up a bit of black outlining which gives a extra kick to the color there. Old junk cars have worked real good, if they have strong color in them.
With the white light out, red light on, place your film on the black sheet, light side up. Place your 6 slides on the film, emulsion side down, (the dull slide, or the side that normally faces the screen.) Place your piece of glass on top of them. Expose for 3 seconds as a starter. I use the 1-thousand, 2-thousand method. Place your film in the developer and agitate for the first minute. I then let it sit for one minute and agitate for the last minute, total of 3 minutes developing. I then rise it off in running water the same temp. as the developer and fix (around 70 degrees). Place in the fix for 2 minutes if using rapid and 5 for regular hypo. After putting in the fix you can turn on the white light, when you noticed that the film has cleared somewhat....be sure your film is back in the box. Wash for 5 minutes in running water, hang up to dry. I use cloth pins and coat hanger or just bend a paper clip and punch a hole in my 4 X 5 film. I must confess that I do have some 4X5 hangers left over and use these first.
When dry, mount your two slides together, using the sprocket holes for a guide. I trim my kodalith smaller, down to about half a sprocket hole to provide a area for the tape to stick to. I then mount in a glass mount or Eric heatset mount. If you plan on exhibit ing, I recommend the glass mount. I use Gepe and tape them in, forget about the two little things that are hard to get pieces of film under. I have recently been using Gepe's mounts with different size openings so I can mask them down. I find that after sending cardboard mounts out to a couple of salons, the mount is worn out from pulling labels off and on, and becomes a bit whimmpy. I use double coated scotch tape for mounting as it makes it more permanent.
Your next project can be making a positive from your negative and doing some pasteurization. You can also use the kodalith to make dizachromes using both a negative and positive image. Another thing you can do is put a piece of plastic over your original slide and mask out area you don't want to go black...like faces with black paper. I am sure you can come up with some new and different things to do with this technique and work it in with other things. With the right slide its a winner 9 out of 10 times.
Good luck and if you have a question call or write and I'll be glad to help, keep in focus, Bill Burke, Box 444, Forest Grove, OR 97116, Phone 503-357-5344.
SUPPLY SOURCES... No endorsement is made, for your information only.
RMF PRODUCTS, INC.
PO Box 520.
Batavia, IL 60510 Phone 708-879-0020.
Gepe Salon Mounts, assorted sizes, 24x36mm, 18x24mm, 24x24mm, 21x28mm, 24x32mm, 24x28mm, 15.5x31mm and 17x35mm. Trail Package of 8 of each..$28.00, postage free.
B & H.
420 Ninth Ave http://www.bhphotovideo.com
New York, NY 10001 for orders: phone 800-947-9002.
Developer and Chemicals. A good source for film and supplies. Postage and handling charged.
Freestyle Sales
5124 Sunset Blvd http://www.freestylesalesco.com
Los Angeles, CA 90027 Phone 213-660-3460
Developer and Chemicals. Their brand of Litho film, 100 sheets of 4x5 is half the Kodak price. Can get in 50 sheet box, which is plenty to start with. Their developer is about the same price as Kodak's. Would be wise to pick up developer locally if price is not that much more. Postage and Handling charged.
Porters Camera Store.
P O Box 628.
Cedar Falls, LA 50613-9986 For Phone Orders: 800-553-2001.
Huge supply of photo stuff. Prices a bit high I feel. Only place I have found that sells Edward's Litho-F developer. Sell off brand litho film and developer, I have used film and it is OK. Was a bit thinner than Freestype, which is some ways is helpful. Posstage and Handling charged.
Meditek
P O Box 83
Wakefield, MA 01880
Write for free catalog if you interested in trying Diazachomes or other Derivation Film. Diazachrme film develops with ammonia and can be done in day light. This is a one man operation to provide these materials for those who wish to use them. Instructions are provided with the films. Remember diazachromes film sitting on the shelve will slowlly develop out from the ammonia that is in the air at all times...so they tell me. Porter use to have diazachrome, but I could not find it in the last catalog. Their diazachrome also came in only several colors but was handy as it was cut in 35mm strips.
Erie Color Slide Club, Inc.
P. O. Box 672
Erie, PA 16512-0672
For cardboard slides mounts in various sizes and types, and other mounting supplies. Send self address envelope for price list and information sheet.
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