Printing very BIG prints

[rcsanzi]

Has anyone heard of or have experience with hanging very large sheets of paper up after exposure and spraying them with the chemicals to develop them?

[Skorzen]

Not personally, how big are we talking? I don't have any personal expirience printing big, but form what I understand the normal way of going about it is to develop the paper by rolling it in a trough.

[Greg Lockrey]

The very first mural print I did some 35 years ago I made a "tray" on my garage floor with 1x2"s and visqueen where I placed the print into and poured developer, hosed it off then fixed and hosed it off again. It was easier just to roll the paper up and develop it in 1x1x6' tanks rolling it back and forth. Later I could afford a roller system that fit into the trays.

[Patrik Roseen]

I would not recommend spraying developer as there are risks for streaks on the print from developer running down the print.

The recommendation I have seen is to use a spunch or large broom to apply the developer. This I have done myself with good results.

[dsphotog]

Spraying sounds really messy & uneven...
I have used 4 plastic wallpaper troughs (from the home improvement store) to process 24" or 30" roll paper, cut to up to about 3-5' long...
The troughs hold about a gallon of your favorite chemicals,
then wash prints in the bathtub.
Actually very easy.
David Silva

[rcsanzi]

Skorzen, current thinking is roll paper and the limits of a 6X7mm negative, Beseler 45 enlarger, and a 105 lens. Of course if someone has a good deal on a 135 or 150 lens expectations could grow, I am financially challenged so good deal means rediculously cheep as in giving it away and only exchanging money because it is polite and respectful to do.

Greg is there a brand and or model name of a roller that will do the "roll developing?"

Patrick so you were kind of painting the chemicals onto the paper I don't understand the broom but the sponge makes sense, apparently my partner in crime saw a TV show that explained doing this, he said with one of those pump bottles that you spray your lawn with, I thought a spray paint gun would work better, as to streaking, shouldn't be an issue if you can keep the print wet all over each step of the way. Also it may be possible to collect the chemicals in a tub under the print and pump it back up onto the print thus reducing the amount required.

[Pat Kearns]

Back in my college days on the yearbook staff, I printed mural prints of basketball games. They were lifesize shots. I went the same route as Greg with 2x4's and visqueen. It took 5-10 gallons of each chemical and a lot of square footage floor space. Later I read about someone using pvc pipe and rolling the paper. I won't divulge how I disposed of the chemicals. They might recall my diploma.;)

[Patrik Roseen]

The 'broom' would only be used if the print is so large that one needs to stand beside the paper. The idea is to place the paper, which would be several feet long and wide (you said very BIG prints) on the floor and stand beside it brushing the developer onto the paper. To protect the floor a large plastic could be placed underneath the paper.
Instead of a broom a floor spunge could be used.

As has been mentioned already, disposing the chemicals becomes an issue.

[Lenny Eiger]

http://www.legacyphotoproject.com/

Lenny

[Gary L. Quay]

There's a woman 'round these parts (Oregon) who uses a commercial size mop and a mop bucket.

--Gary

[bob carnie]

I have been making quite a few mural prints and have tried large troughs (rolling them ) which worked very well.
Last couple of years invested in some very large trays that hold upwards of 40 litres per chem tray and have found that I prefer this method.( with rolling there is the chance of touching the print image area from behind , which will leave tiny marks or bumps.
40 seconds into development the paper is limp and very fragile and IMO the less handling of the paper the better to avoid dents, scratches and bumps.
I try to treat the large print exactly like a small print with minimal handling and force.
On our trays we put handles that allow us to rock the trays, and if you go to a shop that sells equipment for growing flowers/weed/vegetables, you can find very large trays that work very well. (only problem with these trays is they have large dents in the bottom and on a large scale need upwards of 10litres of chem just to cover the bottom) Enough work and the chem cost is ok but for one print really pricey.

Even with a 40x60 inch hot press we make two prints for every one that is sold , By doing this we have a backup for any handling problems with the first.
For us we set up two to four times a month to concentrate on the large print and usually it is a two man job over a couple of days doing the workflow.

A very good test is to shoot a grey background and make a large print. Immediately you will see if your method of choice is any good.. Flow marks, uneven agitation, inadequate stop, will show themselves, no getting around the problems, if they are on this image then you can assume they are present on more complicated images.

[Hans Berkhout]

Rent the pub after closing time. Line the billiard tables with waterproof tarp. Transfer the print on appropriately size acrylic or whatever. Siphon out the solutions when done. Have a beer and wash with garden hose, in canal, pool, ocean or whatever.

[Nathan Potter]

Sponge - a critter from the ocean deep or from a plastics factory. Sometimes not compatible with darkroom chemistry.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[Gudmundur Ingolfsson]

Most large sheets of photographic paper come from a roll, so they have natural curl.
The easiest way to process such sheets is to to make a tank about 10" deep, 6" wide in the bottom and with 10" wide opening and 4" longer than the widest roll (mostly 50").
You make three of those from waterproof plywood and paint them with epoxy resin.
You need about gallon and a half of chemicals for each tank and the processing is done
by rolling the paper back and forth a few times in each of the baths. After fixing you
hold the prints in cold water in your bathtub where you also wash them after a roll though hypo clearing agent.

[Vincent Malaud]

And what will you do if it was a lith print (with a critical snatch point )???

[bob carnie]

Good point

We take the paper form both sides of the sink , four hands and quickly transfer the print to the stop.. can be done in seconds if handled well.


And what will you do if it was a lith print (with a critical snatch point )???