Support our Sponsors, they keep FADU free:   AG Photographic   The Imaging Warehouse   Process Supplies   RH Designs   Second-hand Darkroom Supplies  

Notices

Go Back   Film and Darkroom User > Monochrome Work > Print Finishing

  ***   Click here for the FADU 2015/2014 Yearbooks   ***

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 24th September 2016, 09:33 AM
EdmundH EdmundH is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: North Norfolk
Posts: 394
Default Borderless prints

I've been trying to work out how to do borderless prints. Obviously I could use larger paper and trim down, but it is rather wasteful. I have a pack of Ilford MGIV 5x7 and tried to work without the easel mask, but the paper has a slight curl and refuses to lie flat. Does anyone have an answer?
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 24th September 2016, 09:41 AM
Lostlabours Lostlabours is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Midlands/Aegean
Posts: 1,988
Default

I have an easel for border less prints, a friend made it nearly 40 years ago. Essentially it's just a piece of board with two strips of wood at 90 degrees that the paper fits against, there's non slip material on the back. Works perfectly.

Ian
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 24th September 2016, 10:04 AM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Jersey Channel Islands
Posts: 5,433
Default

I have a very old borderless easel, got it in a job lot, You can get the easels from Firstcall,
Richard
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 24th September 2016, 10:08 AM
Alan Clark Alan Clark is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 1,426
Default

I used to do borderless prints years ago before I could afford a print easel. I had a flat piece of chipboard covered with white plastic - Contiplas -with the paper rectangle drawn on it with black pen. From time to time I would spray this with a light dusting of Photo Spray adhesive, then rub a cloth over it to reduce the amount of stickness, but just keep enough to lightly hold the photo paper in place.

Alan
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 24th September 2016, 10:10 AM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Daventry, Northants
Posts: 8,968
Default

Ian's idea looks great but you might also want to have a look at Paterson's magnetic corners. These are plastic right angles with magnets on the bottom to stick to a metal easel or any ferrous metal for that matter. They are pushed against the corners of the print and hold it securely while still allowing the light from the enlarger to reach the corners.

Two corners might be enough but four would be better

I am unsure if Paterson still sell these but if not, e-bay is another place to look.

Mike
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 24th September 2016, 11:04 AM
alexmuir alexmuir is online now
Friend
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Glasgow, Scotland.
Posts: 2,668
Default

You could sit a piece of clean glass on top of the paper to keep it flat. A corner made of two pieces of tape stuck to the baseboard should help keep the paper in the right spot. I used to just sit RC papers on the base, and that normally worked. FB paper is seldom flat out of the box.
Alex
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 24th September 2016, 12:23 PM
dsallen's Avatar
dsallen dsallen is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Berlin
Posts: 521
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lostlabours View Post
I have an easel for border less prints, a friend made it nearly 40 years ago. Essentially it's just a piece of board with two strips of wood at 90 degrees that the paper fits against, there's non slip material on the back. Works perfectly.

Ian
I made a similar easel out of MDF but I drilled shallow countersinks at each corner and filled them with my secret weapon: BluTac.

Worked a treat!

Bests,

David.
www.dsallen.de
__________________
David,
d.s.allen, fotograf
dsallenberlin@gmail.com
http://dsallen.carpentier-galerie.de
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 24th September 2016, 10:27 PM
EdmundH EdmundH is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: North Norfolk
Posts: 394
Default

Thanks for your comments, I especially like the blu-tac idea! The only borderless easels I can see online are new/expensive, and mostly seem to rely on some kind of adhesive to hold the paper down.

In fact one of my easels has raised lugs on the base plate to locate the paper. So I could probably just leave the lid open and use some double sided tape.

I actually like borders, but sometimes the extra image area is useful or just looks better.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 25th September 2016, 10:11 AM
CambsIan's Avatar
CambsIan CambsIan is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Cambridgeshire
Posts: 1,326
Default

Edmund, I'm not at home at the moment, but think somewhere in my darkshed I've got some Patterson magnetic corners that I have never used, if I can find them and you want them, you can have them.

I will post if I find them

Ian
__________________
Learn to live, live to learn
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 25th September 2016, 11:35 AM
paulc paulc is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Nestled in the foothills of Norfolk.
Posts: 931
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike O'Pray View Post
[...] you might also want to have a look at Paterson's magnetic corners. These are plastic right angles with magnets on the bottom to stick to a metal easel or any ferrous metal for that matter.
I have a set of four of these little gadgets - Whilst they are a nice idea, I find that they leave little semicircular sections of unexposed paper on the edges. These areas (two on each corner) are approximately 4mm across, so the paper would still need trimming to get rid of them.

That said, I do use them to hold small scraps of paper down when making exposure or dodge/burn tests. Saves wasting a whole sheet when working on a small area of print.
Reply With Quote
Reply
Support our Sponsors, they keep FADU free:   AG Photographic   The Imaging Warehouse   Process Supplies   RH Designs   Second-hand Darkroom Supplies  

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Prints CambsIan FADU YEARBOOK 2014 42 5th November 2014 08:03 PM
What Do You Do With Your Prints ?? paulclemy Photography in general 19 29th August 2014 06:34 AM
Do digital, colour or black and white, prints sell better than darkroom prints. Mark Burley Business Matters 51 20th September 2013 02:47 PM
my first FB prints darkclassical Monochrome printing techniques 13 13th November 2009 01:01 PM
So, what do you do with your prints? wiesmier Photography in general 26 20th September 2009 06:55 AM


All times are GMT. The time now is 12:29 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.