Can a ground glass substitute for Anti-Newton-Ring Glass?

[Joseph Kashi]

I am having difficulty finding Anti-Newton-Ring (ANR) glass for a contact print frame..

Does anyone know where I could get ANR glass in that size?

Would an 11x14 ground glass be an adequate substitute?

Any other suggestions for avoiding Newton Rings on an 11x14 contact print frame?

Thankyou.

[koraks]

I am having difficulty finding Anti-Newton-Ring (ANR) glass for a contact print frame..

I've never seen the need for this; do you get newton rings on your contact prints? What kind of printing process(es)?

Ground glass or museum glass should work in this application. There will be some diffusion, but since this is limited to the thickness of the negative, I don't expect the effect to be significant. Sorry, I haven't tried it, but it sounds like a relatively cheap experiment. AN glass in this size will likely be prohibitively expensive.

However, I've always had good results with plain, uncoated and untreated window glass in my contact frames.

[domaz]

I've never seen the need for this; do you get newton rings on your contact prints? What kind of printing process(es)?

Ground glass or museum glass should work in this application. There will be some diffusion, but since this is limited to the thickness of the negative, I don't expect the effect to be significant. Sorry, I haven't tried it, but it sounds like a relatively cheap experiment. AN glass in this size will likely be prohibitively expensive.

However, I've always had good results with plain, uncoated and untreated window glass in my contact frames.

Same experience for me. I have seen Newton rings with scanning quite a bit though. Usually only with 8x10 size film and larger. It probably had more to do with my DIY mounting of the film in the scanner than anything though.

[John Layton]

As per another post...I'm also on the lookout for some AN glass - but am also wondering...might it be possible to grind this, like one would a ground glass but not as coarse?

[Joseph Kashi]

Thank you for the quick responses and ideas. I'll contact my local framer and see about museum glass. He was not able to get ANR glass in that 11x14 size.

[Sal Santamaura]

...I'll contact my local framer and see about museum glass. He was not able to get ANR glass in that 11x14 size.

Not "museum glass." Rather, you need "non-glare" framing glass, which is lightly textured on one side, and should be placed in your contact printing frame with texture facing the film. I've done this very successfully. Ironically, non-glare glass is terrible for use in picture frames, but performs admirably as a substitute for ANR glass.

For the skeptics above, yes Newton's rings can be very troublesome when making contact prints, unless one is printing 320TXP negatives, which have a dull retouching layer added to the base side.

[Michael R]

Thank you for the quick responses and ideas. I'll contact my local framer and see about museum glass. He was not able to get ANR glass in that 11x14 size.

Just to be clear, you're talking about Newton rings forming between the base side of the film and the glass, right? (as opposed to between the film emulsion and the paper emulsion).

Framers won't typically have access to ground/etched ANR glass per se but will have access to various types of AR (anti-reflection/non-glare) glass. The non-glare type is most likely what you'll want. Stick with glass, not acrylic.

Assuming this is between the base side of the negative and the glass, there are other things that can work. Sal mentioned TXP 320 - a fixed out sheet of this can work well for smaller sizes. Yupo is another option.

[Joseph Kashi]

Just to be clear, you're talking about Newton rings forming between the base side of the film and the glass, right? (as opposed to between the film emulsion and the paper emulsion).

Framers won't typically have access to ground/etched ANR glass per se but will have access to various types of AR (anti-reflection/non-glare) glass. The non-glare type is most likely what you'll want. Stick with glass, not acrylic.

Assuming this is between the base side of the negative and the glass, there are other things that can work. Sal mentioned TXP 320 - a fixed out sheet of this can work well for smaller sizes. Yupo is another option.

That's correct - I am concerned about Newton Rings forming between the smooth back of the 11x14 sheet film and regular glass in a contact frame. I cannot find 11x14 Tri-X film listed anywhere, so that possibility seems out. I'll discuss the anti-glare products that the local framer might have available. That seems like the most workable, and least expensive, option. Thanks to all for the suggestions.

[Maris Rusis]

I've tried fine textured anti-glare framing glass in a 11x14 contact printing frame.
If I illuminate the contact frame with a large diffuse light source the texture of the anti-glare glass doesn't show in the contact print.
But if I use an enlarger directly as a light source the texture does show in the print. I think the combination of an enlarger head raised high to get the coverage but with the lens well stopped down to get a longer exposure time approximates a point light source.
And a point light source is merciless in revealing the slightest flaw or texture in the imaging system.

[Tin Can]

That's why I don't use a lens, and my DIY center filter does work with large aperture and paper filters

Only tested to 16X20" with vacuum glass NuArc