Calumet easel/Vent Axia ventilator

[Raven Garrow]

Does anyone have any feedback about the Calumet easel for about $400.00, that ca n give you those black "keyline" edges? How does it work? Couldn't I just place something opaque, and slighty smaller than the size I'm printing directly on th e paper, and turn the enlarger on for whatever time it took to get a solid black border, either before I print the neg, or after? Also, the Vent Axia ventilator that Calumet sells. Its expensive, whisper quiet, and maybe a lot better than m y Doran exhaust fan. Any feedback? Thanks. Raven.

[Paul Mongillo]

I don't usually put the black boarder around my prints, but I watch my girlfriend do it. She has a set of various sized pieces of cardboard that are slighly smaller than the print will be. She simply places one squarely over the paper with a weight on it to hold it flat and exposes enough to get the black edge (don't know how much time that is) and then exposes for the print after removing the cardboard.

[Paul Mongillo]

That should be "border" not "boarder".

[Sean Billy Bob Boy yates]

The time-honored way is to file out your negative carrier. An even more traditional alternative would be to coat your own paper.