DIY Contact Printing?

[Becoming]

Hi there.

I've read many times about people making contact prints with just a regular lamp bulb, can any one give me a run down of what I'll need to do this and the process?

Thanks.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

A 4 watt nightlight bulb about three feet over the contact printing frame. Try a 10-15 second exposure.

Man, that takes me back about 40 years. 🙂

 

[Becoming]

Wonderful, thanks for the quick reply.

I can't wait to try this. I've started shooting 6x9 recently and love the size. I think they'd make nice little prints in their own right.

What's the best way of keeping the negs flat?

Cheers.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

Well, there are contact printing frames made just for this (can you still buy them?). Have a piece of window glass cut about 8x10 inches (much bigger is hard to handle). Tape the edges so you don't get cut. Then just put the negatives on top the paper, then glass on top of that, and either hold down or weight down two sides of the glass for the duration of the exposure. You can time it with a clock and second hand, but a timer makes it easier.

Of course, if you have an enlarger, just use that light source.

 

[MartinP]

You can try a piece of thick (4mm or so, it adds a bit of strength) glass as a see-thru weight. If you find a piece big enough to cover a 10"x8" piece of paper then you can contact a whole roll when you want to as well. An alternative is a piece of that polycarbonate glazing material, as it seems to survive a bit longer (oops). There are also old spring-backed wooden contact-printing frames in antique shops, but they are limited in what they can do compared to a piece of glass or polycarb - as well as costing a lot more too!

 

[Becoming]

Thanks, that's really helpful guys, much appreciated.

I've never done any printing before and am not sure where to start with papers. Would any paper be best suited for contact printing?

 

[ZeissFan]

When I was 11 and all that I had was a Spartus 127 folder, a GAF developing tank, three tiny 5x7 trays and a box of Kodak AZO paper, this was how I made my prints.

I made a little contact print frame and would flick a light on and off in a closet. It took me a bit of trial and error to figure out the distance between the light and the paper.

 

[MartinP]

For paper, just get whatever resin-coated paper you can find as it is easier to process reliably with minimal gear. Due to product availability, most likely you will find a variable-contrast paper so then it would print at about grade 2 or 2,5 (this is a 'normal' contrast) with a standard 'white' light-bulb. If/when you are using an enlarger, than you can change the contrast you get on the paper depending on the negative and the effect you are after.

 

[Becoming]

Thanks for the info on the paper MartinP, I'll have to get lightproofing the spare room now.

PS: If anyone has any examples of contact prints made this way somewhere online, please share!

 

[Pickett Wilson]

My first prints as a kid were actually 4x5 contact prints made with sunlight on POP paper. Does anyone even make printing out paper anymore?

Regardless, the resin coated paper is a good idea. Make life a lot easier.

 

[-doomed-]

Thanks for the info on the paper MartinP, I'll have to get lightproofing the spare room now.

PS: If anyone has any examples of contact prints made this way somewhere online, please share!

I like to use the foam weather stripping that comes in roll form on the door of the bathroom I use to make prints. I havent had to black out a window in there , but there are plenty of options on doing that , the black contractor plastic sheeting typically works well, when attached to a wood frame that you can temporarily mount would do the trick. I'd put that two layers thick with felt in between and run the adhesive foam weatherstrip around the whole assembly.

I think Roger also has tips on quick and dirty(figuratively speaking) darkroom set-ups

I make contact prints with my enlarger , I do need a new peice of glass though.