Contact print frame--aligning negative and paper

I have seen pictures of them (contact print frames) but I've never handled one. What I don't understand is how one gets the negative and the curvy paper to line up, all four corners, when sandwiching the negative and the paper in the frame. My question assumes that the negative and the paper are of the same dimensions and the frame has larger dimensions, for example: 8x10 inch negative and paper, 11x14 inch frame.

I have also thought about asking the same question...how does one line up an 8x10 inch negative on 8x10 paper so that all of the edges are in register. Is there a "trick" to doing the alignment accurately time after time? I can see that 11x14 paper is not at all critical with the 8x10 negative.

Thanks for asking the question!

Ed

How do you line anything up? You just look at it, nudge it around and do it. I usually find that I use my fingernails to see that two sides of the paper line up with the neg. The paper shouldn't be that curled, or at least the papers that I use don't seem to be, and to the extent that they are, you just press them down. You can also manipulate the paper a bit with one side of the split back clamped, pulling it and moving it side to side. If you need to push the paper, then you clamp the open side, unclamp the other side and pull from the other side.

I wasted many sheets of paper when I was sure all was dead-on. I swiched years ago to Print File "Contact proofing preservers." These clear sleeves hold the negatives as usual but a clear back is added which allows you to slide an 8x10 sheet behind the emulsion side of the negatives. When all is done, just slide the contact sheet in the file for quick reference.

Thomas Wilson said:

I wasted many sheets of paper when I was sure all was dead-on. I swiched years ago to Print File "Contact proofing preservers." These clear sleeves hold the negatives as usual but a clear back is added which allows you to slide an 8x10 sheet behind the emulsion side of the negatives. When all is done, just slide the contact sheet in the file for quick reference.

Click to expand...

I looked at the Print File offerings and I could find only contact proofing preservers for 35mm film.

There is at least one thread on this issue, check in the contact printing forum. Low tack transparent tape is one idea.

EDIT: This is the one I was thinking about, although it concerns 5x7" on 8x10" paper: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)