8x10 cut to 4x10

Darryl Roberts · Feb 28, 2025

Hi,

Can you offer advice on cutting 8x10 down to 4x10, obviously in the dark?

Thank you.

Wolfram Malukker · Feb 28, 2025

Many people use a guillotine style paper cutter, and put thin cardstock stops onto the bed of the paper cutter in the light, so they can line up film in the darkroom against the cardstock stops.

That's how I'd do it, and it is how I cut my practice film to learn to load the film holders.

Other people have a slider-type cutter, where the bed is stationary and the cutting blade travels along a sliding track.

ic-racer · Feb 28, 2025

Last time I did this, I cut it after it was processed. I exposed with a 1/2 darkslide in an 8x10 camera.

I have cut 8x10 down to 120 size in the dark. I set the backstop on my paper cutter at the appropriate location:

koraks · Feb 28, 2025

Roller cutter with a stop in an appropriate place. Guillotine works, too, but be careful/make sure it has the obligatory safety features. My Dahle roller cutter has a metal bed that I stick magnetic strips on by means of guides.

mwdake · Feb 28, 2025

When I cut down film I used a rotary cutter and used a couple of layers of that Dynamo label tape to make guides/stops; worked quite well for feeling in the dark.

Don_ih · Feb 28, 2025

A roller cutter that appropriately clamps down on what you're cutting is slightly better than a guillotine cutter, since the latter can actually pull at the film as you cut it and make the strip end up slightly more narrow than you want.

Both beat the hell out of scissors, though.

abruzzi · Mar 24, 2025

I leave it in 8x10 and I cut a broken darkside I had in half so I can expose one side at a time. Saves me from needing a custom back or film holders, then if necessary, you can cut it in daylight after developed.

blee1996 · Mar 25, 2025

Fiskars paper trimmer: safe, fast and clean. I have been using them to cut down 4x5 sheet film down to 3x4 and 9x12.

As others said, tape something thick as stopper. I use craft Popsicle sticks.

mshchem · Mar 25, 2025

Roller cutter, and a paper punch to notch the un-notched half. I use IR goggles, you can see perfectly, but I can't feel properly anymore.
Just make sure you can tell the emulsion side once it's cut.

loccdor · Mar 25, 2025

You can also find sheet metal in that size to use as a guide

Don_ih · Mar 25, 2025

loccdor said:
You can also find sheet metal in that size to use as a guide

Except 4x10 film is not 4" wide. It's probably ~3 29/32".

Rick A · Mar 25, 2025

This would be a great help

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Nightfox Swift night vision goggles, like new, used one time to test with film, they work just fine with color and B&W [just not with IR film]. Tested with both color and B&W, open time 5 minutes plus open tray development for both, no issues. In the box: carry case, head strap/harness...

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8x10 cut to 4x10

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