Method of producing color separation negatives with reduced contrast

Abstract

An initial step of inspection of a positive color transparency is performed to determine the darkest detail area thereof to be reproduced and is subsequently followed by trial enlarger exposing of a color separation negative film sheet through the positive color transparency and a half-tone screen with sufficient light to properly expose the corresponding area of the trial film. Thereafter, the trial film is developed with sufficiently less developing time and greater developer strength (to compensate for the less developing time) to achieve the desired 'dot size' in the aforementioned corresponding area of the negative as well as in the lighter detail areas thereof. If sufficient detail of the aforementioned corresponding area is not brought out, a greater exposure time is allowed during exposure of a subsequent trial color separation negative film sheet and correspondingly less development time of the subsequent negative film sheet is allowed until the desired 'dot size' throughout the resultant color separation negative is achieved. Thereafter the actual color separation negatives to be utilized are produced using the same exposure time, developing time and developer strength determined by the aforementioned trial steps.