How to keep paper flat under enlarger?

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

How do you keep your paper flat under the enlarger?

At the course they are using magnetic strips (the base plate is iron).
But they were unable to tell me where they have gotten the strips.

zewrak · Joined: 12 Apr 2008 Posts: 1212

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

The Pro's use a vacuum board, the attached vacuum pump creates an underpressure which holds the paper very flat while exposure is being made. I had that years ago (not that I ever was a Pro... Embarassed

) Works horizontally and vertically. On ebay from time to time, but has gotten rare. Here was one in the US: Click here to see on Ebay

Pic of one I bought once in Germany (50x60cm) for a friend for ca EUR350:

Jieffe · Joined: 04 Nov 2007 Posts: 754 Location: Belgium

I used an easel too.

For borderless printing, maybe you could use an anti-newton glass or 3M repositionable adhesive (http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/mmm/mmm75.htm) on the enlarger base ?

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

by easel, do you mean one of these?

http://www.shadesdirect.com/darkroom_prods_details_ita/beseler_easeli.htm

they are VERY expensive Sad

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

Besides, the European shop does not sell them and there is none of them currently on Ebay (that I could find).

Jieffe · Joined: 04 Nov 2007 Posts: 754 Location: Belgium

Jieffe · Joined: 04 Nov 2007 Posts: 754 Location: Belgium

PaulC · Joined: 23 Dec 2008 Posts: 2318

B&H has them for around $30 http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/category/740/Easels.html
and they ship internationally (but shipping costs mught be a problem, I seem to recall that Adorama's shipping is cheaper and I'm sure they will have them, too; there's also Henry's in Canada).

Another possibility would be to ask at a studio or newspaper if they have one left in a back room from the days when they shot film.

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

Thanks Jieffe.
Can't any body suggest cheaper options even if less perfect?
For instance... does anybody know where to get those magnetic strips?
They look like rubber strips, 1 cm wide per as-many-as-one-wants long... but they are stiffer than normal rubber, and magnetic.
When using an iron plane, they will stick.
I used them yesterday night at the course and sure they are not as precise as an easel could be, but still effective.

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

GrahamNR17 · Expire: 2012-09-06

You should be able to buy a 2-blade easel quite cheaply, it will be perfectly good enough if it's not one of the cheapy crap ones. They will be quite widely available second hand. They were used anywhere there was photography before digital, so even in Italy they will be common to find on ebay. Very Happy

Jieffe · Joined: 04 Nov 2007 Posts: 754 Location: Belgium

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

zewrak · Joined: 12 Apr 2008 Posts: 1212

These were widely used aswell.

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

Thanks!

@ Klaus: yes please! I sent you the PM.
Best colour is black, definitely. Or any dark colour that is available.

Seele · Joined: 17 Apr 2009 Posts: 742 Location: Sydney Australia

Orio,

Having been a darkroom worker since the 70s, I went through my share of easels, including many lemons... money down the drain of course, but then I can say that's my tuition fee! But my experience picked up along the line is like this:

While taking for granted that the easel holds the paper flat, a two-bladed easel is good if you are not going to make prints of a wide variety of sizes: if you have a big one for the largest print you are to make, it would have to hang off the edge of the baseboard if you want to make small prints.

Four-bladed easels have a support all the way round the image area for holding the blades at both ends, some good two-bladed easels also do that, while those that hold the blades at one end only tend not to stay straight; for those you cannot do fine adjustments, you better avoid. The RRB easels I use now are two-bladed with support at both ends of each blade and are tremendously good; when new they're frighteningly expensive but I was lucky enough to get second-hand ones at very good prices.

There are several four-bladed easels which are good too, Saunders has been a standard for many years but I quite like the Kostiner which is actually square in shape, making it easier to take paper vertically.

Another consideration is the precision of the paper edge stops: when you load a sheet of paper in, the edge stops need to position the paper really square. some allow adjustments in each direction individually and that is what I prefer, or you would be stuck having equal margins along the top and left edges, unless that is a four-bladed easel.

When I get an easel, normally used, I give it a good clean and make sure that everything is working well, straight and true, and after cleaning the surface, I stick black ConTact paper over the entire board. For long exposures it helps to absorb light passing through the paper (as I often use single-weight baryta paper), and this also forces me to use a sheet of the same paper as focussing surface, as I always use a grain focussor (or the B&L parallax focussor). Another advantage is that, I can use a thin pen to mark out the image area, to ensure the edge stops and blades are set exactly right for the print.

After all, like tripods, you don't get a new easel every year; it is not a fashion item, you get a good one and stick to it for good Smile

Hope this is of some interest.

P.S. For Australians: there's an Australian made easel called Elande which is superb: it uses a very stiff steel base, shallow but wide U-section steel welded to form a complete support frame, and the two blades are fixed in position by screws and thumb nuts at both ends. The only drawback is the edge stop is rather primitive, but if you can live with it, get it when you see one.

F16SUNSHINE · Expire: 2011-11-18

Hi Orio
The magnetic strips start out as a larger piece.
The easiest place to find the material is at a shop that makes magnetic signs for car doors.
I don't know. Maybe you don't see that there. Here a business will make a sign out of these thin magnetic panels with an advert on it. It sticks to the car door but can be easily removed.
I use a piece about 30cm square for my work table to repair cameras.
The magnet will keep small screws, parts, and bits from rolling away.

A set of easels is really the best option in the long run.
Hopefully they will find you at a good price.

F16SUNSHINE · Expire: 2011-11-18

I forgot to mention. The larger sheets can easily be cut with a razor knife.
If you really like the system of using magnets.
You can use a Framing matte cutter to make "masks" of different frame sizes.

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

Xpres · Expire: 2014-10-28

Orio - in amongst my darkroom bits and bobs I have this:

I think it's what you're trying to do.

I don't use it so you can have it if you like.

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

JGVilla · Joined: 22 Mar 2009 Posts: 2 Location: Netherlands

For "self-adhesive steel foil", "magnetic sheets" and "magnetic strips" have a look here:

http://www.mms-magnet.de/en/magnetische_rohmaterialien_fuer_weiterverarbeiter.php

Piece of steel sheet (93 x 100 cm) will set you back €32.00 (+shipping?)
Standard magnetic foil about the same price for 100 cm.
Anisotropic foil (30% more magnetic power) is double that price!