Are speed easels also borderless?

jmxphoto · Feb 22, 2011

Ok, I'm trying to do some borderless prints so I can use precut (less expensive) matts. I have speed easels in various sizes, I know if you put the paper in the chnnels it creates a border (duh), but there seems to be an angle of metal on top of short sides that look borderless easel-ish. When I set a piece of paper in it, it seems about 1/4-1/8 of an inch too short. I've never used a borderless easel so I don't really know if that's right, if the short metal angle got a little bent and needs to be bent back, or if it serves some other purpose entirely. If anyone has any experience that could help get me pointed in the right direction, it'd be very appreciated!

ann · Feb 22, 2011

Not any I have ever used. Sounds bent to me

jmxphoto · Feb 22, 2011

Hmm, maybe I'm not explaining it well: Here's what it looks like of I try to use a speed esel in borderless easel mode:

Is that right? Is that what those angles are for? (yes it's a RC print)

Tim Gray · Feb 22, 2011

You are inserting your paper wrong. In the picture, insert the paper on the right, UNDER the piece that is bending your paper up.

Mike Wilde · Feb 22, 2011

Some speed easel are made undersized, to allow you to 'pin in' d/w or s/w fibre based paper, which often tend to curl towards the emulsion side.

You may be happier in the long run with either A: a four bladed easel. (No, they usually are not cheap, but can be set to 1/8" borders), or the cheapo B route I outline below

If you are sticking with RC, a flat easel with two edges lets you do 'bled/bleed' printing ( I have heard the term used both ways).

I use a cheapo 9x12 two bladed easel for my bled RC printing efforts, with the adjustable blades removed.

I draw the 5x7, and 8x10 paper sizes on the easel baseboard with a sharpie mearker to aid in composition, since there are no blades to guide you.

jmxphoto · Feb 22, 2011

@Tim

I know how to paper *IN* a speed easel, my question is whether or not it's dual purpose. If that's how borderlss printing is supposed to be done. IDK, perhaps I'm not pinning it enough or maybe it's just extra metal.

Tim Gray · Feb 22, 2011

DOH!. Haha. Sorry. I misread the 'also' in your title. No I don't think they are supposed to be borderless as well. They are a bit too short like you show. The borderless easels I've seen look different. They have to guides that slide in (like vise jaws) to anchor the paper.

jp498 · Feb 22, 2011

The vertical piece of metal shown in the photo that is holding the paper is actually just to add strength to the border of the frame. If it were not an L shaped piece of metal, it would be flimsy like a metal ruler and would not cast a consistent shadow along the border or would make paper difficult to insert.

I haven't checked for a while, but I suspect most cheap 8x10 cutout mattes are cut small enough to cover the border imparted by a speed eazle. I'm no expert on all the varieties of cheap frames though. I actually don't frame enough stuff, even thought I have the stuff to matte and frame.

David Brown · Feb 23, 2011

jmxphoto said:
@Tim

I know how to paper *IN* a speed easel, my question is whether or not it's dual purpose.

No.

jmxphoto · Feb 25, 2011

jp498 said:
The vertical piece of metal shown in the photo that is holding the paper is actually just to add strength to the border of the frame.

That makes perfect sense!

jmxphoto · Feb 27, 2011

Mike Wilde said:
You may be happier in the long run with either A: a four bladed easel. (No, they usually are not cheap, but can be set to 1/8" borders), or the cheapo B route I outline below

I use a cheapo 9x12 two bladed easel for my bled RC printing efforts, with the adjustable blades removed.

I draw the 5x7, and 8x10 paper sizes on the easel baseboard with a sharpie mearker to aid in composition, since there are no blades to guide you.

That's a great idea! What I actually started doing is using and old metal vacuum copy/photo easel that I was going to repair. I just went to the craft store, got some magnetic "tape" stacked them in 3 plys and cut them into 5" strips so I can hold down each corner. Works well for 16x20's so far!

Are speed easels also borderless?

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