Please note that this article dates a few years back and that it's not been updated since. The theoretical informations it contains can be applied to current cameras.

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Pseudo Lith

The lith printing process produces very interresting results. unfortunately, it requires a darkroom, equipment, chemical products and a lot of experiments. For more details on this process, check http://www.pauck.de/marco/photo/lith/lith.html.

I recently rediscovered the lith process while visiting Guy Glorieux's exposition. His lith prints were really superb. Listening to him describing the process, I realized how much I didn't miss the darkroom! Then, I thought of creating a technique to simulate the effects of lith in Photoshop.

My research on the Web returned a few different methods. The one described on Marco Pauck's site (http://www.pauck.de/marco/photo/lith/digital_lith/digital_lith.html) is very interresting. I created a Photoshop 7 action based on this method and adding a personnal touch to it.

This action simulates a lith print with selenium toner from a black and white image (in RGB mode).

Here are the original image, the B&W version (with simulated vignetting) and the final result.

My Photoshop 7 action is available for free. It can be used and distributed as long as it is not modified.

Download Pseudo lith + Selenium v1.4

Notes:

This action is intended to be used with images that are in B&W, in RGB mode and without layers. Prepare your image accordingly.

This action was designed for images with a resolution of 2272x1704. If your image is smaller, you should use lower Film Grain settings. A pause has been added to the action before applying the Film Grain filter to let you set the effect.

New in v1.4: I have added a menu to the last step (Brightness/Contrast) so that you can adjust it. I realized my settings would not work for every picture and everybody.