Poverty contact printing?

[cdholden]

Low wattage bulb unless you're using AZO or Lodima.

I haven't tried the Lodima yet, but I did receive my recent order from the new batch. Even with AZO, I use a 15W bulb in a semi-circular parabolic reflector about 10-12" wide. I think it just depends on your negatives. Some of mine are pretty thin. I've been using Grades 2 and 3 in AZO, Galerie FB and Emaks-888 (aka Nuance). I get times from 3.5-52 seconds, depending on the grade of paper and density of negative. For the faster ones (Grade 2 paper and thin negatives), I bounce the bulb off the ceiling, with the print frame on the floor. This is the minimum amount of time I can get in any dodging if I find it necessary.

[dsphotog]

One heavy, unscratched, piece of glass.

[SpeedGraphicMan]

Does the top glass need to be AN?

What does that mean?

[Mark Sawyer]

AN is Anti-Newton, so you don't get the Newton ring pattern In 30 years of contact printing, I never used AN glass, and never had a problem. It's worth getting heavy glass (I use 1/4-inch thick) to insure good contact. And make sure you have a very flat surface below the glass/negative/photo paper. (I use a second sheet of heavy glass with black 2-ply matt board on top to eliminate reflections.)

[Lachlan 717]

Thanks, Mark.

[John Kasaian]

I have finally settled on a Printfile contact proof printer. Best for the money, IMHO--registration is easy, no danger of finger prints on the glass, it's beautiful! My current safelights are some old GE "Guide Lamp" plug in nite lites which are no longer made (they sold 2 on a card for about a buck at the drug store in the 80's) I also have a short string of red LED Christmas lights bought during the post Christmas close out sales. I use an old enlarger for my light source because I already have one, but a 15 WT in a cheap metal reflector is fine. Add a set of trays, a blotter book, a plastic "Betty Crocker" measuring cup for a graduate, some empty Robitussin syrup bottles (see if your local pharmacist will save them for you) for chemical storage and you're in business.