Photographer's Formulary 8x10 Contact Print Frame

[formanproject]

Hello!

I'm looking to start doing some 8x10 and 4x5 contact prints, and was wondering if anyone has ever used the Photographer's Formulary 8x10 Contact Print Frame. Here's a link below:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...int_Frame.html


If so, did you like it? Also, in the photograph on the website, it looks like the light side is frosted glass - is that the case? (If so it would make dodging and burning difficult if you can't see the negative). Also, would it work with 4x5 negatives, or just 8x10?


I'm looking to keep this process simple, so let me know what you recommend! Thank you!

[Alan9940]

Never used that particular frame, but I've been very happy with the 8x10 and 12x15 contact printing frames from Bostick & Sullivan.

[Pete Suttner]

Don’t do it. It’s a dog. Buy Bostic and Sullivan

[dasBlute]

The glass isn't frosted, you're just seeing through to the felt-lined back.
I have not used that model, I started with old nameless ones, found on the web.

As long as your glass is clean, and the springs keep everything tight, you're
good to go. It will work with any negative that fits into the frame.
The B&S are the best I've found, but cheaper models will get you started.

Dodging and burning can be very hard with contact printing.
Everything is smaller than an enlargement, so you have to
be very precise, and it's hard to see the image, especially if the
neg is dense.

Also, without instructions, I used it all wrong for a year before someone showed me how:

Place the felt-lined back felt up on the table, then place the paper, emulsion side up,
then then neg emulsion side down, then the glass, then the frame down over it all,
reach around and grab the back with both hands, and then flip it, set the springs into place.

A self-starter like me might try to do that all face down...

Good luck, and give it time, great prints are hard to make with any method

-Tim

[faberryman]

Also, without instructions, I used it all wrong for a year before someone showed me how:

Place the felt-lined back felt up on the table, then place the paper, emulsion side up,
then then neg emulsion side down, then the glass, then the frame down over it all,
reach around and grab the back with both hands, and then flip it, set the springs into place.

A self-starter like me might try to do that all face down...

Good luck, and give it time, great prints are hard to make with any method

This seems completely backwards, but if it works for you, go for it.

[Jac@stafford.net]

This seems completely backwards, but if it works for you, go for it.

Indeed, backwards. It doesn't work for me.

[dasBlute]

Indeed, backwards. It doesn't work for me.

Doing it 'face up', allows one to place the negative precisely on the paper as needed,
especially useful for alt-printing.

So, how do you guys do it?

[Alan9940]

Doing it 'face up', allows one to place the negative precisely on the paper as needed,
especially useful for alt-printing.

So, how do you guys do it?

My procedure for loading my B&S frames when doing pt/pd printing is exactly as dasBlute described in an earlier post. It may seem a bit backwards, but it works great for me.

[John Kasaian]

I had one of those. It's good but I found it overkill for my needs as a contact printer--IIRC the clamps were so strong I darned near busted a fingernail on more than one occasion.
For POP, it, or something like it where you can inspect your print in progress while still keeping everything in register is what you need.

But for contact printing, a Print file Proofer
http://www.printfile.com/contact-proofer.aspx
is what I use now---a 100% improvement IMHO.

[formanproject]

I had one of those. It's good but I found it overkill for my needs as a contact printer--IIRC the clamps were so strong I darned near busted a fingernail on more than one occasion.
For POP, it, or something like it where you can inspect your print in progress while still keeping everything in register is what you need.

But for contact printing, a Print file Proofer
http://www.printfile.com/contact-proofer.aspx
is what I use now---a 100% improvement IMHO.

Awesome! Thanks so much for the suggestion. I will give that a try first.


Thanks everyone for their input!