DIY 31 Megapixel Enlarger

[Glauber]

Correct, the display I'm using can show 8bit greyscale which is plenty for me in most cases, so I just expose a single frame for a fixed time. I've included functionality to increase dynamic range with multiple exposures but have never used it.

I see...
I tried single exposures with my mobile app first but found out that I had little control over the contrast curve. I made a calibrator that allows me to adjust each new material and expose the image using several 1-bit frames in a sequence with the correct timing for each tone. I now am trying to port this to the PC.
Coincidentally I have got an Agfa CRT film recorder (4k) this week, and I see that it can be a good machine to use for this new screen instead of using my Durst Laborator. The Agfa recorder can do color, so it has the disk with the filters and motor, as well as other mechanical and electrical parts that can be kept and I can have use for.
I think my 8k screen has just arrived the country and I should get it next week finally.

 

[Niebieski]

Hi everyone! Like everyone else here, I've stumbled upon this idea and I'm very impressed to see all the work y'all have put into this. I want to build a set up myself!

I've reached out to Sumaopai on AliExpress and was informed that current tariffs have made the LCD + driver boards either too expensive (he says 254% increase) or unavailable for purchase. He told me to check back in June to see if the US and China can settle a trade agreement. He also told me there is no "universal" driver boards because each LCD factory mates panels to boards, so you can't swap plug and play.

What did y'all pay for your LCD's + drivers?
Right now, my price (if allowed to buy) would be $230 for 7.1 inch 10k LCD with driver board.

I initially had the idea of simply using a resin printer, skipping the need for an enlarger. It handles all the light source needs, and would only need the addition of another fresnel lens (as converging lens) and a large format lens (I've bought a 180mm Schneider Componon). However, it would seem it's too good to be true because the main board for the resin printer only accepts a USB input, and from that is expecting a .CTB file which is an encrypted file that resin printers use for all their operations. I was hoping I could just manually "insert" the image I wanted to into the .CTB but alas have not been able to figure out a way to achieve this.

Nonetheless, I would be greatful if someone could help me put together a shopping list of parts needed to build a system of my own. So far I've put together that I need:

1) Mono LCD (7.1" 10k)
2) Corresponding driver board
3) Raspberry pi 4
4) Also another computer?
5) Enlarger

My use case is slightly different, and simpler than y'all's: I don't need shades of grey. My images are dithered, so I need maximum contrast. I'm also familiar with Image Magick, so stretching (or squeezing?) the image to fit on the LCD should be straightforward. The last unusual requirement is that I'm aiming for absolute sharpness. That is, I actually *want* to see each and every individual pixel on my print (because the dithering is very precise).

Resin printer in question is an Anycubuc Photon Mono 4 Ultra. Chosen because it has the smallest pixels of any resin printer available, and they are square. 17um*17um. "9k" mono LCD at 7 inches (9024x5120). All the other printers have higher "K" but I noticed that the pixel density height is the same or less, but the width is increased and pixels are rectangular which increases the pixel count. For my use, I need maximum density of smallest pixels.

Even if unable to help, I still want to say thank you to every single person who posted here, it's incredible what y'all have done here, makes me want to get back in a darkroom!

 

[calebarchie]

I see...
I tried single exposures with my mobile app first but found out that I had little control over the contrast curve. I made a calibrator that allows me to adjust each new material and expose the image using several 1-bit frames in a sequence with the correct timing for each tone. I now am trying to port this to the PC.
Coincidentally I have got an Agfa CRT film recorder (4k) this week, and I see that it can be a good machine to use for this new screen instead of using my Durst Laborator. The Agfa recorder can do color, so it has the disk with the filters and motor, as well as other mechanical and electrical parts that can be kept and I can have use for.
I think my 8k screen has just arrived the country and I should get it next week finally.

You are planning to gut a film recorder - a PCR? I recall only the Alto had the attachment for 8x10 film which you could put paper in. Otherwise it would be more work than using your enlarger to jig something up especially for larger stuff.

Hi everyone! Like everyone else here, I've stumbled upon this idea and I'm very impressed to see all the work y'all have put into this. I want to build a set up myself!

I've reached out to Sumaopai on AliExpress and was informed that current tariffs have made the LCD + driver boards either too expensive (he says 254% increase) or unavailable for purchase. He told me to check back in June to see if the US and China can settle a trade agreement. He also told me there is no "universal" driver boards because each LCD factory mates panels to boards, so you can't swap plug and play.

What did y'all pay for your LCD's + drivers?
Right now, my price (if allowed to buy) would be $230 for 7.1 inch 10k LCD with driver board.

I initially had the idea of simply using a resin printer, skipping the need for an enlarger. It handles all the light source needs, and would only need the addition of another fresnel lens (as converging lens) and a large format lens (I've bought a 180mm Schneider Componon). However, it would seem it's too good to be true because the main board for the resin printer only accepts a USB input, and from that is expecting a .CTB file which is an encrypted file that resin printers use for all their operations. I was hoping I could just manually "insert" the image I wanted to into the .CTB but alas have not been able to figure out a way to achieve this.

Nonetheless, I would be greatful if someone could help me put together a shopping list of parts needed to build a system of my own. So far I've put together that I need:

1) Mono LCD (7.1" 10k)
2) Corresponding driver board
3) Raspberry pi 4
4) Also another computer?
5) Enlarger

My use case is slightly different, and simpler than y'all's: I don't need shades of grey. My images are dithered, so I need maximum contrast. I'm also familiar with Image Magick, so stretching (or squeezing?) the image to fit on the LCD should be straightforward. The last unusual requirement is that I'm aiming for absolute sharpness. That is, I actually *want* to see each and every individual pixel on my print (because the dithering is very precise).

Resin printer in question is an Anycubuc Photon Mono 4 Ultra. Chosen because it has the smallest pixels of any resin printer available, and they are square. 17um*17um. "9k" mono LCD at 7 inches (9024x5120). All the other printers have higher "K" but I noticed that the pixel density height is the same or less, but the width is increased and pixels are rectangular which increases the pixel count. For my use, I need maximum density of smallest pixels.

Even if unable to help, I still want to say thank you to every single person who posted here, it's incredible what y'all have done here, makes me want to get back in a darkroom!

Create a print-ready file through the Anycubic slicer (with as few layers as possible) then open that in UVTools to modify and inject your own bitmaps.

GitHub - sn4k3/UVtools: MSLA/DLP, file analysis, calibration, repair, conversion and manipulation

MSLA/DLP, file analysis, calibration, repair, conversion and manipulation - sn4k3/UVtools

github.com

 

[Niebieski]

You are planning to gut a film recorder - a PCR? I recall only the Alto had the attachment for 8x10 film which you could put paper in. Otherwise it would be more work than using your enlarger to jig something up especially for larger stuff.



Create a print-ready file through the Anycubic slicer (with as few layers as possible) then open that in UVTools to modify and inject your own bitmaps.

GitHub - sn4k3/UVtools: MSLA/DLP, file analysis, calibration, repair, conversion and manipulation

MSLA/DLP, file analysis, calibration, repair, conversion and manipulation - sn4k3/UVtools

github.com

Thank you, this seems to work!

Albeit, it's very slow to process the image and very slow to run the print file. I wonder if it's a hardware limitation on the printer.

The rep for Sumaopai told me resin printers use microcontrollers instead of mini computers with drivers which might be why it's so slow.

Just got in my lens and a pair of right angle glass prisms to point the image projection down (while keeping the printer upright). I'm going to 3d print a jig to hold the lens and prisms in alignment. The motion system for the resin printer can act as a fine focus adjustment.