Confusion

[macandal]

This always confuses the living hell out of me. Ok. I know this is so very basic, and, therefore, my question is so very stupid, but, how do you load a 4x5 sheet of film onto an enlarger to make a print?

First of all, on a 4x5 sheet of film, the emulsion side is the side where the image is captured (emulsion side is the side, when in the holder while taking the picture, that faces the subject being photographed). In other words, if I'm holding a sheet of 4x5 and I want to face the emulsion side, I would be looking at the notches either on the upper right or lower left corner, right?

Ok, so how do you load the sheet onto the negative carrier to make an enlargement? I tried looking on the web, on youtube, and they just say, "you load it on the negative carrier and..." and then they go on but skip that important step of emulsion side up or down, orientation of sheet straight up or upside down? Can someone help me out?

Thanks.

[Mark Sawyer]

Emulsion side down. Do it emulsion side up, and everything will be reversed.

[Vaughn]

Yes -- the key is "Emulsion-to-emulsion", if enlarging or contact printing one's negatives.

The emulsion of the photographic paper in the easel is facing up, so the emulsion of the negative should be facing down towards it.

[ROL]

Emulsion side down. Do it emulsion side up, and everything will be reversed.

Which is one reason why it may not be specified. You may choose to reverse the image. I'm not aware of any practical qualitative differences in doing this. The sheet will be upside down in the enlarger's carrier, if you want to print viewing the projected image right-side up, for the same reasons (e.g., the wacky world of lens optics) as the image appearing upside down on your GG, assuming your "real" world subjects are upright .

To sum up: emulsion down (towards paper, as Vaughn has stated), upside-down, normally.

FWIW, the only stupid questions are the ones I ask, if history is any indication. That's why I only answer them.




...now how do I get out of here, again?

[macandal]

FWIW, the only stupid questions are the ones I ask, if history is any indication. That's why I only answer them.

No worries, ROL, I'm now here to help you. I have lots of stupid questions in my repertoire.

Thanks.

[lenser]

As my hero, Dean Collins, said in both of his seminars that I attended; "There are NO stupid questions. There are only people who are too stupid to ask, so they never find out."

My simple rule of thumb is, The emulsion ALWAYS faces the lens, either in the camera, or the enlarger. The two exceptions are in contact printing where there is no lens, or on the rare occasion when you may wish to reverse the image in printing.

[Bruce Osgood]

What about flatbed scanning (Epson 4990)? I don't do much of it and I always get confused. I think I've settled on emulsion to moving lamp.

[Jim Jones]

For flatbed scanning with the film in contact with the scanner's cover glass, scanning emulsion side down reduces the possibility of Newton's rings with some film. Then flip the image in the computer.

[Ian Gordon Bilson]

And ,Ctein suggested recently,a best way to scan a damaged print. Scan,turn original around,scan again. This has advantages I can't explain,but it made sense to me.

[gmfotografie]

and how is the situation with the enlarger when you use anti newtonglas ? the same ?