Blurred side - edge

[malcao]

Just bought a Saunders 4 blades 16x20" Pro easel, but many times I get one blurred side edge. Very frustrating, am I doing something wrong or is it the easel?


http://gallery.me.com/ifotograf#100046/saunders&bgcolor=black

 

[Anon Ymous]

Check the metal blade at the blurry side. It probably stands a bit over the paper.

 

[Stoo Batchelor]

Yes, agree with Anon Ymous. Raise your enlarger head just that bit more, as your easel blade is not quite covering the projected image at the very edge.

or

Some enlargers have a sliding mask in or on the neg carrier, such as my Magnifax 4a, and you may have just slid it accross by mistake with your finger, and it is obscuring the projected image.

Best

Stoo

 

[malcao]

How much is a bit over? The construction is like that two of the blades are over two other blades and not fully against the paper. The side that is blurred, one of the blade is laying on the other two, for sure that couldn't be the reason?
Do you know if the paper should be folded under the red mark or should it be at line with the red marks?
The easel looks like this.
http://www.tiffen.com/Saunders_Clutch_Easel.htm

 

[Stoo Batchelor]

How much is a bit over? The construction is like that two of the blades are over two other blades and not fully against the paper. The side that is blurred, one of the blade is laying on the other two, for sure that couldn't be the reason?
Do you know if the paper should be folded under the red mark or should it be at line with the red marks?
The easel looks like this.
http://www.tiffen.com/Saunders_Clutch_Easel.htm

Malcao

We are talking 1mm to 2mm, no more. It has nothing to do with the blade sitting on top of the other blade. If you was to tap gently on the right side of your whole easel, moving it to your left by approx 2mm, the problem would probably go, but you may then get the same on the right side of the print. If this is the case, raise the head of your enlarger and refocus. the head only needs to be raised about 5mm, maybe less.

Open up your lens to its widest aperture, and switch your enlarger to white light, or take the filters out. By doing this your image will be brighter and you will be able to see where it is falling on you easel. In your case, the right hand blade is falling just short and needs to be moved left by a fraction.

Trust us, its not your easel

Hope this helps

Stoo

P.S Don't forget to put the filters back in, or switch off the white light and close down the lens before exposure. Sounds obvious I know, but there will not be a darkroom user on APUG that has never cocked up this way before!

Oh, and paper should be kept flat, always

 

[Anon Ymous]

Actually, malcao should trust you Stoo. You see, my initial thought was that the right blade was somehow "bent" or curved and at quite at some distance from the paper, resulting in a rather blurred edge. Your theory of misplaced easel is probably better than mine. No need to remove filters though, just get a piece of paper and move it around the blades. This way, you can easily see if the projected image exceeds the area marked by the blades.

 

[malcao]

Thanks for the help, I will test and hope for the best

 

[Martin Aislabie]

I now always use a spare scrap piece of paper to check that the projected image extends beyond the edge of the Easel.

It is very difficult to detect the edge of the projected image straight on to the black edge of an Easel

I have only learned I need to do this every time the hard way

Martin