Print size?

[Vaughn]

16x20 was the size I use to print, with a 20x24 here or there -- but now all contact alt processes (up to 11x14).

We have a mural assignment our intermediate class does every semester -- 40"x60" to 40"x72", from 45 negatives. I turn around two of the Omega D5-XL's to project the images onto the floor, the paper is laid directly onto t he floor. The prints are see-sawed in troughs...one student on each end of the print. For the class critique, the prints are tacked to the outside of the art building...impressive to see 24 big prints on the wall!

[cdholden]

16x20 was the size I use to print, with a 20x24 here or there -- but now all contact alt processes (up to 11x14).

We have a mural assignment our intermediate class does every semester -- 40"x60" to 40"x72", from 45 negatives. I turn around two of the Omega D5-XL's to project the images onto the floor, the paper is laid directly onto t he floor. The prints are see-sawed in troughs...one student on each end of the print. For the class critique, the prints are tacked to the outside of the art building...impressive to see 24 big prints on the wall!

That sounds fun. I'd love to be able to do that.
Just being a gearhead, I have to ask... how do you calibrate/compensate to make sure the floor is level and parallel to the film plane?

[Harold_4074]

or how small

Well, since you asked---about 5x7.........millimeters.

(4x5 negatives printed to fit into a heart-shaped locket for my wife )

[ROL]

or how small

Well, since you asked---about 5x7.........millimeters.

(4x5 negatives printed to fit into a heart-shaped locket for my wife )

Well, that certainly turns the thread 180º. I'll bet your wife's heart was enlarged greatly though.

[Harold_4074]

Indeed.

Just to get the discussion turned 'round again, the largest print I have ever made was 16x20. I'd like to try it again, just to see if it was as awkward as I remember. The real question now is : where on earth would I put a print on a 20x24 mount?

[ROL]

Wait a second.... how do you reduce a negative?

[Vaughn]

That sounds fun. I'd love to be able to do that.
Just being a gearhead, I have to ask... how do you calibrate/compensate to make sure the floor is level and parallel to the film plane?

Frankly, we don't worry too much about it...or at least the professor does not worry too much about it. He is more interested in the image than perfection. I have taken the time to calibrate the image thrown onto the floor -- using scratched lines on a negative. I move the lens platform until all lines are in focus (not worrying too much about key-stoning, but occasionally putting some spacers under the enlarger baseboard). But after doing all of that, things would get moved around so it never seemed to make much difference.

Each student gets one test strip (1 foot x 5 foot) and one try at the print. They are suppose to make an 11x14 print, mapping out the burning, cropping and all that beforehand. The mural assignment is tied to using a 4x5 camera for the first time, along with a self-portrait assignment and using the lighting studio.

Vaughn

[Harold_4074]

Wait a second.... how do you reduce a negative?

Very carefully....

In my case, I settled on a 28mm Nikon wide-angle, using a Series-type filter holder to attach the lens (front element towards the negative) to a cardboard lensboard in an Omega D2. I printed onto contact-speed paper after tracing the locket opening to get the approximate size. It turns out to be pretty hard to gracefully fit a conventional portrait framing into the heart-shaped window of the locket, so the image has to be pretty tiny.

And now, back to the subject of enormous prints....

[Brian Ellis]

The largest I've printed on my own printer is about 16x24 because 16 inches on the short side is as large as my Epson 3800 printer will go and still leave a border. The largest I've had prints made by others is 20"x30" by Costco. AFAIK 20x30 is their limit. However there seem to be plenty of labs around that will print almost any size you want from a digital file. The last show I saw had few prints under maybe 2'x3'. BIG prints seems to be the trend or maybe just the fad.