Tone profiles

A gentle S-curve, with full blacks and full whites, like a well-made print.

Try it on: Most frames. Start here, and change only when a frame asks for it.

Soft all over. The blacks lift a little and the whites stop short of pure white, so nothing clips.

Try it on: Contrasty scenes, hard sun, and dense negatives whose highlights need room.

The steepest S-curve: deep shadows, bright highlights and strong contrast in the midtones.

Try it on: Flat frames: soft light, fog, or thin, underdeveloped negatives that need their contrast back.

Print contrast, with brighter midtones and highlights.

Try it on: Daylight frames that should feel bright.

Gentle highlights. The whites stay just short of pure white, and the midtones sit a little lower.

Try it on: Bright skies, skin and white walls, and dense negatives whose highlights are close to merging.

Deeper shadows and firm contrast, with full whites.

Try it on: Black and white, low-key frames, and pictures that should feel heavy and dark.

Open shadows. The blacks lift and the midtones brighten, so the dark parts of the frame show what they hold.

Try it on: Night frames and slightly thin negatives, where most of the picture sits in the shadows.