Anyone contact printing 4x5?

[RodinalDuchamp]

I've started contact printing certain images and just want to see how common this is amongst other forum members.

What I like is the fact that they become these small artifacts, like jewels if the image is right.

However I am not aware of any other benefits contact printing has in general well besides of course any losses that might occur in enlargement which are probably negligible at most common print sizes.

[Tin Can]

Small is the new big.

[RodinalDuchamp]

Is it a current trend really?

[Oren Grad]

I contact print all of my sheet film negatives, from 2.25x3.25" up to ULF sizes. That's where the magic is for me.

I have no idea whether there's a trend.

[jnantz]

I've started contact printing certain images and just want to see how common this is amongst other forum members.

What I like is the fact that they become these small artifacts, like jewels if the image is right.

However I am not aware of any other benefits contact printing has in general well besides of course any losses that might occur in enlargement which are probably negligible at most common print sizes.

yup, since about 1988
paper negatives, glass negatives ( hand coated dry plates ) and film ..

not sure what paper you use to contact print with, if you look for azo paper,
even if it is 50 years old+ , you can get some beautiful prints ... you need a bright light though ..

check out michaelandpaula.com for some details about printing on azo ... i think it is in their "writings" section

[DannL]

I contact print 4x5, plus other formats (5x7, half-plate, 8x10). Film, paper negatives, and plates can all be contact printed. In fact I recently sold off all my enlarging equipment. I wanted new challenges, and I found them. I love the process. I don't know about the trend thing, but I heard last year that a photographer had a showing at our state capital where the images where tiny contacts. That supposedly was her thing. Sadly I missed it.

[BrianShaw]

Always, and always have.

[Michael R]

I do sometimes make finished prints (as opposed to contact sheets) by contacting 4x5. More often I enlarge, but I rarely enlarge 4x5 negatives to more than 8x10 print size, so I guess overall I'm in the "small" camp. Always preferred it.

From a trend perspective I don't think small is the new big just yet.

[Tin Can]

I think some of us love 4X5, 3-1/4X4-1/4 and especially 2-1/4x3-1/4 sheet film for many reasons.

I use a lot of all 3, 4x5 film is cheapest of them.

Cheapest camera is the middle size and the handiest is the smallest size.

Since we included 4x5, this is an OK topic discussion. I think...

[RodinalDuchamp]

4x5 is still a relatively small print size. Images with isolated subjects or small amounts of information I think tend to work best.