Contact Printing Technique

[Filmsfun]

Hi folks, my first post in ages. I am in the process of putting together an 8x10 field camera kit. I plan to use the 4x5, 5x7, and 8x10 backs of the camera. And since I am no longer in photography school, I'm planning to do contact prints at home in a really simple set-up in my bathroom. (I don't have an enlarger and I'm not going to get one). I've done plenty of contact sheet prints of sleeved 35-6x6-6x7-4x5 film onto 8x10 paper. Not a problem, really. I got that.

Here is my problem:
How do you center, or otherwise register, a sheet film that is smaller than the paper being used? Example: How do I keep a 5x7 negative from moving from where I've placed it as I (a) lower the glass [using simple hinged printer], or worse (b) keep both the film and glass motionless after replacing the felt backboard, cinching the spring clamps and then turning it over [spring-back type printer]?

I can imagine that by using a 11x14 paper in a hinged printer with a 4x5 negative, I could possibly eye-ball it, develop the print, and then cut it down to 8x10 size after it dries. I can also imagine that would be a shameful waste of resources and money.

So can you tell me how you do it?

Thank you in advance for any illumination.

ps: I also have no intention of buying a vacuum device, so please try avoid that one.

[Richard M. Coda]

You could make a mask using rubylith or other dark material.

The easiest thing to do, though is use smaller paper or cut larger paper down, for less waste, don't worry about centering it... you can do that post with an exacto and a straight edge or a paper trimmer/cutter.

[Vaughn]

Tape the neg to the glass with transparent tape (a couple of opposite corners, perhaps) and mark where the paper should go. Lower the glass w/ negative onto the paper -- no movement.

Dust well before taping!

Vaughn

[Brook Martin]

Set the back of the printing frame on a table, spring side down, felt backing facing up. Lay the printing paper on the felt, emulsion side up. Center the neg on top of that, emulsion side down, so you have an emulsion to emulsion contact. Put the glass on the top of that, and place the printing frame on top of the whole stack. Flip the whole thing over, holding the back into the frame, close springs, print.

[Pawlowski6132]

I used a hunk of glass that I could just lower onto the paper/neg in a parallel manner.

[cjbroadbent]

I just dug this contact printer out of the cellar and re-photographed it. It may give you some ideas.
The glass is masked for 8x10. There are two glass trays inside and accessible for repeatable dodges with tissue paper and stuff. This one was made by Fatif 40 years ago.

[Filmsfun]

Thank you all for the interesting feedback. I am inclined to favor Pawlwski's very basic technique, and avoid even the masking method. I just got Weston's diary/daybook. I might get something out of that?
Thanks again, Hailu.

[Filmsfun]

Pawlowski, sorry for the typo. Christopher, thanks for taking the effort to shoot that printer. I have considered similar printers. At the moment the main drawback is size. Plus IIRC, you don't see the neg and paper when exposing. But, I have never seen one in action so I should not prejudge too much. They do look neat, especially the massive one with a gazillion switches and bulbs.

[Pat Kearns]

My method of contact printing 4x5 and 5x7 on 8x10 paper is rather simple and doesn't require masking.
Take a sheet of 8x10 paper and cut it in quarters and you have 4 - 4x5 pieces of paper that matches the size of your 4x5 negative. Take a sheet of 8x10 paper and cut 1 inch off the long side giving you a 7 x 10 then cut that in half giving you
2 -5 x 7 pieces of paper that matches the size of your 5 x 7 negative. The trimmed 1 inch piece of paper can be cut in half giving you test strips.

[al olson]

I have a very simple method. For example printing 8x10 on 11x14 paper:

Take a piece of matte board and cut out a beveled opening 8x10.

Lay the paper to be exposed on a borderless easel and place the matte board over the paper so that the bevels can be seen from above.

Place the negative, emulsion down, into the opening.

Then drop an 8x10 sheet of glass or plexi into the beveled opening. The bevels keep everything positioned.

Expose with enlarger light.

This method will fashionably display the rebate along with the image.