Postcard Printing: Jigs, Easels, or other suggestions for silver gelatin postcards

[Corran]

I've had a lot of folks say I should make postcards and I am moving forward with this idea a bit. One of the things I'm trying to figure out is a good method of quickly and efficiently printing postcards full bleed with a 4x5 negative for contact printing or enlarging onto the postcard, along with a stencil for text. The stencil will be a sheet of transparency printed with either black text to make white letters on a black background or printed in all black with transparent letters for the opposite.

The hard part for me is to line up the text on the postcard along with the negative or with the enlargement in a consistent and repeatable pattern. Crooked text or overlapping the negative would look bad. So how was this done "back in the day" when it was more common? If I want to make 50-100 postcards I don't want to faff around too much trying to line things up manually.

Easels give me white edges, contact printing with what I have will be a nightmare to line up consistently, especially if projecting an image from the enlarger rather than contact printing. So looking for a better way, even if I have to make it myself. One idea is some wood with a 4x6 depression routed out of it slightly, with glass on top, to fit in the postcard paper with negative/transparency cut to size. Ideas? Or is there already a product out there for this?

[Mark Sampson]

Ilford made Multigrade postcard paper- with printing on the back for the address and message.
I have an open box from three or four years ago. Perhaps it's still available?
I made a jig in a contact printing frame to line things up. Not really a problem, just a little practice needed to get it right.
And people liked getting them in the mail.

[Corran]

Sorry if I wasn't clear, yep I know about the postcards from Ilford, I have a few boxes on their way to me as my current box is just about out. Just working on my plan of attack for printing them. I also need to "pitch" this to various local places. The point is to sell them.

[DMS206]

on a lot of old negatives or glass plates I have seen, the photographer used to write directly on the negative.

[John Layton]

Have not printed postcards...but years ago I printed "postcard sized" (reductions from a 5x7 negative) limited edition invites for a show. I chose a negative which required minimal dodging/burning and created a couple of masks for this - also created a mask to overlay my 8x10 easel so I could print four images on one sheet - moving the masked easel visually for each image...using the red filter over the enlarger lens to line things up - then gang-processing the sheets in groups of ten. Then laid dry mount tissue over the back of each...tacked behind each image then trimmed each image to size - then aligned each onto notecard sized card stock which had been pre-printed with text, then lined up a number of these and gang-dry mounted them, then folded to fit into note-card sized envelopes. Signed/numbered each copy...they looked great!

To be honest...if I were to do this today I'd seriously think of doing this digitally - but then again...if you are selling these as "fine art," you should probably think of some way (such as I've outlined above) to create truly analog prints.

At this point I've come full circle on this...and will likely create another "limited edition" series of actual analog prints as I've outlined above - specifically for folks who visit my arts/craft fair booth who may not quite feel ready to go for a large print, but who want to take something home with them - hopefully to be sufficiently inspired by the little print to motivate them to eventually purchase a larger print (or to at least create some interest among their friends!).

Good luck!

[Jac@stafford.net]

Corran, a friend of mine made postcards to send to former and potential clients to promote his work. It was effective!

Just my two bits worth - today this is a job for digital printing. Even instant printing shops offer it.

[Fred L]

I made postcards (Ilford and old Kodak fiber postcards) with a thin border as it was easier to do and also I liked the look for the images I had. Thought about enlarging for full bleed and would also use a contact frame for that.

On that topic, I was planning on using a Patterson contact printer, probably secure it to the baseboard with tape or a jig so it doesn't move. To make it repeatable, I would have marked the outline of the paper on paper that is placed under the photo paper to be exposed, so it's always in the same spot.

If you wanted a mask with text, I would just tape that to the glass and so when closed, it would sandwich the paper. Again, this *should* make it easy to bang off a run of postcards that are identical.

[Corran]

Some good ideas guys! John, I don't know why I never thought to use a red filter over the lens for lining it up!!! Great!

Jac, you are 100% correct that this kinda thing is more suited to digital printing. But I'm stubborn and want to do it my way ;). But seriously, my conception here is a limited-run, artist proof for festivals. I talked to someone with the CoC here about postcards at the visitor's center and that would be more of a digital printing thing due to cost/scale. I also want to pitch a "festival postcard" for some of the larger fests here - say, 100 postcards, first come first serve, just like they do with t-shirts and other souvenirs. Art Fest 2018.

Fred, taping the stencil/mask is definitely what I was thinking on that end, as long as I can get the paper in the right place. The only contact printer I have is unsuitable for this though for a couple reasons. Firstly it stupidly has a slant to it, front to back, so enlargements would have a tilt to them. I might just take the thick glass off of it and build my own somehow.

[Tin Can]

I had a 5X7 contact printer with internal lighting. It also had a roll film adapter, fit any size film in a roll.

I think it was used to make Holiday cards with images. I gave it away.

The last print exchange here, I contact printed many 5X7 quickly in an 8X10 contact printer. Again internal lamps.

How about a truly unique process. https://photogravure.com/

[blue4130]

I did this a couple years back, I bought a cheap picture frame to use as the contact frame, worked well enough. Got a little tedious and tiresome after a while.

[MMELVIS]

An AIREQUIPT JUNIOR contact printer would work. I have used one to make several copies of a negative with text. You can layout the negative and the transparency with text then it is just a matter of putting on the photo paper, closing the lid, open the lid, repeat.

[koraks]

I think I'd just set up an enlarger with the film and the text template sandwiched in the film holder; make sure the template transparency covers the entire film so you get no density differences between a covered and a non-covered part of the negative. Put a piece of white paper on the baseboard and mark the size of the postcard/paper, then align, focus etc. the enlarger. Since you'll be using the Ilford postcard paper, which is an RC paper, it's bound to lay flat anyway.

If the paper doesn't lie flat, tape a piece of glass along one side to the baseboard so it acts as a lid and you can lower it onto the paper in order to press it flat against the baseboard. If you use a glass pressure plate, you can even tape the text template to the glass so it gets contact printed while the negative is printed through the enlarger. Heck, if you want to go an all-contact print, the same method could be used with the template and the negative sandwiched on the glass plate, but I wouldn't opt for this, as the thickness of the template/negative sandwich will degrade sharpness (it helps if you use collimated light, i.e. print under an enlarger with the lens stopped down as far as practical).

If the text is going to be black instead of white, you can do a multiple exposure approach by exposing the text template/mask and then the image exposure (or the other way around; doesn't matter).

Maybe I'm missing something, but this doesn't sound all that complicated to me to be honest and there are several ways you can pull this off without resorting to fancy contact printers or other stuff. Just an enlarger and a piece of plate glass (well-cleaned) will do just fine.

[Gary Beasley]

If you were using a transparent film overlay for the text a vacuum easel with paper stops for the print paper and the overlay with a tape hinge in the right position will be a fairly easy and fast working setup. The only caveat is keep the overlay clean and scratch free. The overlay should be bigger than the paper by a few inches to allow the vacuum to hold it down, the unused area of the easel masked to keep the vacuum in.

[Corran]

koraks, you might be right, but while it might not be terribly complicated if making a couple, I am thinking ahead to the idea of making, say, 50-100 without driving myself crazy trying to line things up right.

I'll have to give a try to just taping some plate glass on the baseboard.

I definitely don't have a vacuum easel.

[koraks]

I think the major hassle is in developing dozens of cards. Do you use a processor for this?
Aligning each card under the enlarger doesn't have to be much of a hassle. Just tape/glue a guide cut from material the same thickness of the cards (or a little thinner) in the right spot so that you just have to slide the postcard against the guide. I usually use two strips of masking tape pasted at a right angle for this purpose.

[Corran]

Nope, just big 20 x 24 trays that I can soup a lot of them in at once :).

[koraks]

Man, I wouldn't want to trade places with you ;) Well, at least it's a simple develop-to-completion thing, so you'll probably get away with a little inaccuracy in the processing here and there. It's the one thing that bores me the first when printing (small) editions: processing. Particularly toning can be a chore.

[Corran]

I agree. Yes I figured developing to completion would help alleviate processing issues with sloshing around 10-20 at a time say.

Anyway, I'm just prepping now, still have to make stencils and such, and want to get some opinions and thoughts from my local contacts about selling them (interest, venues, pricing, etc.).

[Gary Beasley]

A vacuum easel, especially a small one, is not that big a challenge to build. You would just need to find a small vacuum cleaner to move the air.

[ic-racer]

Whenever I think of photographic Post Card I think of Bill Dane. In your case I'd line it up in an enlarger and use a speed-easel and accept the white border as part of the process.
Worked for Bill...
179881

[Corran]

I am also considering that, but I currently don't have a SE in this size. Doesn't seem to be one on eBay right now. Lots of 3.5 x 5 inch ones though, and other odd-ball sizes. I'll have to watch and see if one pops up.

[Greg]

A while back made up dozens of post cards for a show opening. Did a digital mock up of three cards which easily fit on an 8x10. Made a digital negative and contact printed three card images at a time on each sheet of 8x10 paper. Group processed 6 sheets of paper at a time which gave me 18 final post cards per each batch processing run of prints. Prints were held in a water bath after fixing, then all run through hypo clear and a final wash in 2 separate 20x24" trays using two Kodak syphon washers. Also included guide lines outside of the image which helped me greatly in cutting up the final post cards. Reverse side text was digitally printed after the cards were dry and cut up.

[esearing]

Board, thin foam with cutout for size of your postcard, sheet of glass with tape hinge. The foam should flatten under weight of the glass or you can add a couple of layers of scrap paper to build up the height in the cutout.
You can then tape your overlay with text to the foam. You can likely buy all this at a hobby store for under $20.

Metal and sheet/strip magnets is another alternative for small jigs.

[Gary Beasley]

Have you tried running a finished postcard print through an inkjet printer to see how well the text will print? Might give an effect like the foil stamped signatures many portrait studios used to put on thier work.

[Corran]

Gary, check out the Ilford postcards. RC paper, ready to mail. No inkjet necessary. Quite a nice product.

Today on NPR I heard a news story, and the reporter quipped that those under 30 might not know what a postcard even is! :rolleyes:

[jim10219]

Gary, check out the Ilford postcards. RC paper, ready to mail. No inkjet necessary. Quite a nice product.

Today on NPR I heard a news story, and the reporter quipped that those under 30 might not know what a postcard even is! :rolleyes:

Don't sell them as postcards. Sell them as "pure analog Instagram posts".

[Corran]

But they aren't square! :eek: :cool:

[Gary Beasley]

Gary, check out the Ilford postcards. RC paper, ready to mail. No inkjet necessary. Quite a nice product:

I was thinking more along the line of the front of the card, your signature or logo in the lower corner of the image. I do have a box of kodabromide postcards, no idea how old they are but last time I used them they were good.

[Fred L]

...I do have a box of kodabromide postcards, no idea how old they are but last time I used them they were good.

I also have boxes of Kodabromide postcard paper and was surprised they turned out fine when I developed a few recently. Might be an ever so faint base fog but only if compared side by side to new paper. I actually prefer the feel of the Kodabromide paper vs the rc Ilford cards.

[Tin Can]

Postcards are not dead yet. Maybe a retro comeback. My water bill and license plate renewal come on postcards.

Look at this ‘new’ postcard.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1879976467/quickstarter-the-lazy-postcard?ref=HappeningNewsletterJun3018&utm_medium=email-mgb&utm_source=happening-newsletter&utm_campaign=happening-06262018&utm_content=link&banner=invent-newsletter01

[Rick A]

I have a small two arm Acura 8x10 adjustable easel , set the arms for whatever border you want, even the inner bump stops are adjustable. Handy for smaller prints like post cards. If you want borderless, just use any 5x7 easel and leave the border overlay frame up.