Contact frame glass

Threads merged, but I've left a redirect that will hang around for a year in the Alt-Process forum.

Along the lines of keeping things simple...

I have a fancy purpose-built contact printing frame and glass now, but when I started doing alt processes, I used a clip picture frame from IKEA and some masking tape. In the US, they're about $3. That glass worked perfectly for cyanotype and van dyke with a pretty wimpy UV lightbox.

It's pretty easy to cut glass, by the way, with a glass cutter. I know it seems scary, but it's not actually too bad.

Hope the IKEA clip frame idea helps someone... you can't beat the prices!

Jim Graves said:

I recently got a really good deal on a very nice 11x14 contact printing frame ... of course, when it arrived, the glass was shattered. I've heard that regular window glass, as well as being pretty thin, filters a high % of UV.

Any suggestions on glass type or plastic alternative to fix it? Thanks

Click to expand...

KISS...window glass from a glass shop. Either single or double strength. The green in the glass won't cause any problems at all. Okay, maybe it will increase your UV exposures by 2% over perfectly colorless glass. (Just a wildass guess).

Have the edges sanded by the shop. This will make sure that one does not cut one's fingers...but it also will make the glass a lot "stronger" and less likely to break. What it does is prevent the glass from spliting from the edges...like hemming the edges on one's darkcloth prevents it from frilling.

I got some standard glass from Lowes here in town. Works fine for my carbon printing. Some exposures have been 45 minutes and no problem

Jim