What is your favorite gear for contact printing?

[John T]

1. My big ol' butt and a genuine Xerox copier
2. Vacuum easel in a self contained light box

[David A. Goldfarb]

I used to use a big sheet of glass, but now I use contact printing frames.

[Oren Grad]

A printing frame would be more convenient, and I wish I could use one. I ended up with the glass sandwich because I've had insoluble problems with Newton's rings with every printing frame I've tried over the years. Glass-on-glass evidently generates much more even pressure. At any rate, in my darkroom it's the only way I've found so far to avoid the rings.

[Don Hutton]

I bought a fabulous free standing Douthitt vacuum frame from a print shop for $120 - it's about 30x40, and the guy I bought it from delivered it for an extra $20 and helped me get it inside. It doubles as an excellent coating station for any hand coated process I choose - it has adjustable feet and the glass surface is perfectly smooth. It also has a nice metal frame around the glass in case of a spill.

[ic-racer]

Just a note on Newton's rings. I found with my setup that they would move around right after I first put the glass down (you can see them in reflection of the safelight if you look carefully). As long as I made my exposure right after I put the glass down, they would not show up. If I waited until they stabilized in their position, the would always show up.

[Steve Sherman]

Vacuum frame

[MIke Sherck]

Contact print frame. The largest I contact print is 8x10, the smallest (so far) has been 6cmx6cm.

Mike

[Jim Fitzgerald]

I use a piece of 1/4" glass for my 8x10 Azo prints. For 11x14 and 8x20 on Azo it is my Vacuum frame. For carbon it is a contact printing frame that I made for 8x10. When I get good enough to do 11x14 and 8x20 carbon it will be with the vacuum frame.

Jim

[phil sweeney]

vacuum frame

[D. Bryant]

1. A sheet of glass
2. A sheet of glass that is hinged on a base
3. A printing or POP frame
4. A self contained contact printer (ie a box with a light scource inside)
5. Something else

..and what is the largest size format you contact print?

Vacuum easel/frame. The only best way to print larger or smaller than 11x14.


Don Bryant