Ilford Multigrade accessory filter 152x152

Ilford Multigrade accessory filter 152x152

Contrast control with multigrade and variable contrast black-and-white photo paper can be achieved in several ways. One of the most commonly used methods is the use of multigrade or variable contrast hand filters. A magenta filter absorbs green light and lets blue light through. A yellow filter absorbs blue light and lets green light through. In this way, images with high and low contrast can be created.

Ilford produces twelve multigrade filters, numbered from 00 to 5 in steps of 1/2, where the lowest filter number corresponds to the softest contrast. They can be used above or below the lens and can be cut to size for the enlarger's filter drawer.

Multigrade filters are very user-friendly: no complex calculations are required when switching between filters. The exposure time is the same for filters 00 through 3.5; for filters 4 through 5, it is doubled.