How have you marked your ground glass?

[popdoc]

My hassy and 4x5 have the “magic thirds” marked on the ground glass, but my Wista 8x10’s GG is “naked”.

Just finished an architectural shoot with the 8x10 and now wished I had some “help” during image acquisition to make it easy on my OCD post development...!

What do you y’all have your GG’s, how did you put it there, and why?

Thanks!

[Doremus Scudder]

I rely on a gridded ground glass or a grid overlay when doing architectural work. Aligning the verticals and horizontals is much easier with a grid.
Other than that, I don't need any markings.

Doremus

[Nodda Duma]

I used a pencil and a straight edge to draw one-third lines on a blank ground glass.

[Jim Jones]

On a standard ground glass I scribe a 0.5 inch grid. A slightly blunted needle in a pin vise works well for this. Lay the GG ground side up on quad ruled paper. A custom pattern can be computer generated. Use a steel rule with masking tape applied to its bottom to guide the scribe. The lines are unobtrusive, but plainly legible.

[Jac@stafford.net]

I'm with Jim Jones on this. FWIW, from my drafting kit I have a cork backed steel ruler. The cork is set slightly inside the ruler's edge and provides a modest non-skid surface.

If you have quality glass bits, perhaps drill a few holes for aerial focusing.

[Vaughn]

I marked the GG for use of modified darkslides to make 4x10x with the 8x10 and 5x14x on the 11x14. I found the marks on the 11x14 GG to be off a bit -- the variations in my film holders throw the marks off.

My 8x10 has 1" grid -- nice to have, but not marked for the 'rule of thirds'. I never paid much attention to that 'rule' -- I suppose it gets figured in with the general composition on the GG.

[Drew Wiley]

Fine point Sharpie pen. That way the lines can easily be removed with solvent. I only do it for roll film backs. But GG's slip a bit anyway. They need a bit of exp/contraction wiggle room to prevent breakage - or more properly, the wood or metal frame around them does.

[mmerig]

I used a pencil and a straight edge to draw one-third lines on a blank ground glass.

I have done the same for a 1/2-inch grid. But if you make a mistake, don't use an eraser, even the soft white ones leave a streak that is hard to remove. Use soap and water and start over.

[Nodda Duma]

I have done the same for a 1/2-inch grid. But if you make a mistake, don't use an eraser, even the soft white ones leave a streak that is hard to remove. Use soap and water and start over.

Good tip!

[popdoc]

I like the erasable option as a start- thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Keith Fleming]

And in the center of the ground glass I put a small "X" in pencil which serves for ensuring my loupe is properly focused on the ground glass itself.

Keith

[Ron (Netherlands)]

I always want my ground glasses clean as possible...i.e. with no markings at all

Btw you can easily clean a dirty ground glass by using kitchen abrassive like Vim on the frosted side. VIM comes in powder or fluid.
Reparing an old groundglass with spots or streaks on te frosted surface can be done by repolishing with micro grit powder (aka silicon carbide) > https://www.flickr.com/photos/zorki_2007/albums/72157660810886723

[Bipin]

I use Letraset to make my markings. It looks "professional", and you can easily make precise dotted lines with it, or make alphanumeric markings. Right now, I have a + in the center, with two solid horizontal lines for 6x12 and a dotted line just above the lower solid line, to mark a 2.33:1 image area, which is a favourite aspect ratio of mine.