contact printing frame

[Frank Doering]

I am having problems with 8x10 contact prints. Because of Newton rings, I replaced the glass on a Paterson contact printer with ANR glass. This is slighly thicker than the original glass and thus receives higher pressure from the foam bed below. As a result, the glass bends, creating a gap between paper and negative right in the middle of the print, which results in noticeable loss of sharpness compared to the edges. Question: What is a good contact printing frame for someone haunted by Newton rings? (I seem to have read something at some point about a frame with an inflateable bubble under the glass.) Thanks for your help.

[R. McDonald]

Frank,

A few years back, I purchased a frame from Bostick & Sullivan, it seems to work fine. A bit High Priced but what isn't nowadays. I also have two beat up Eastman frames that seem to work fine. Check your pressure, less may be better. You may want to replace the Foam with Felt. Also look at the individual parts (contrary to popular belief glass is NOT always flat) and check for warpage of all components. And it sounds like you may not be getting even pressure across the frame, this may be a design problem. I'm not familiar with the Paterson so I may be all wet on this.

Mac

[Sal Santamaura]

Frank, your answer is in the archives. See this thread:

http://hv.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=003JwH

and, if you're not interested in what it took to get there, see my final post at the end for a solution.

[Frank Doering]

Thanks for your suggestions. (Note: my Newton rings came from between the glass and the film, not from between film and paper.) I'll try one of the older frame designs.

[Jorge Gasteazoro]

I think the best deal to be had is the contact printers by Photgraphers formulary, they have great prices and well made too...

[Alex Weiner]

I have been using 8x10 frame from Photographer's Formulary for several months. Well made and no problems thus far.

[tim atherton]

I ordered one fromt the Photographers Formulary, but I just haven't got around to using it yet this winter! (not enough light up here in winter for POP...) Nicely made (not fancy, but sturdy), good price, and what's really nice is they make them a bit bigger than the actual size - so and 8x10 frame is actually about an inch or so bigger all round. Means you don't have to keep going a size bigger.