Easel sizes

[mshchem]

Oh my now the Cropping discussion

 

[mshchem]

BTW the U1417 Saunders easel was the first product of Saunders, appeared in the late 40's early 50's. This is very common in the US. Everything that Saunders made is beautiful. Located in Rochester New York, now gone like so many things

 

[Mike Lopez]

Oh my now the Cropping discussion

Right???

Good lord, step away from the computer and go trip a shutter or something...

 

[Roger Cole]

The world, and what I want to include in the photograph, rarely matches the frame proportions of the camera I have with me, and even more rarely matches exactly the proportions AND the scale. Sometimes that can be fixed by moving closer or, more rarely, father away, though that also changes perspective and the relationship of near and far parts of the scene, or with a zoom lens which I am usually using in 35mm but don't even own for any of my medium format cameras.

 

[Jim Jones]

I agree. A century ago, when Leica was preparing to market their great 35mm cameras, they probably weren't thinking of the influence they might have on film formats. Thus, many of us are often stuck with a slightly awkward format. Nor does nature always present us with the best subjects invariably in the best proportions. Cropping is an important tool in photography, from capturing the image on film to presenting it in a frame. Before we trip the shutter, we should be considering every step in this as well as we can.
Since cropping is such a necessary craft, decades ago I chose to crop to a very limited range of mats and frames. This was practical when cramming display panels, framed and unframed prints, and other stuff onto and into a VW Bug. With an increasing stock of photographs, this eventually filled the 8' topper of a pickup. When money was scarce, I could cut window mats quickly and easily with jigs to lay out the window, a Dexter mat cutter, and a T-square. Eventually I standardized on one precut format for anything intended for a 16x20 frame. Galleries may frown on this approach, but artists sometimes have to be more practical.

 

[Mal Paso]

Except for 5x7 and 8x10 publicity stills I have always used a 4 blade easel and printed each picture to it's own proportions. I started with the 14x17 Saunders. They can call it anything they want, it's a great easel! I've used it to print books with fiber prints dry mounted back to back, each picture a different size. I have a 16x20 now which I modified to take 20x24 paper.

I never liked cutting mats so I print on larger paper with as much border as the photo needs. If I want to get fancy a thin black border can be added with a piece of cardboard in 2 exposures while the paper is in the easel.

 

[Joel_L]

Except for 5x7 and 8x10 publicity stills I have always used a 4 blade easel and printed each picture to it's own proportions. I started with the 14x17 Saunders. They can call it anything they want, it's a great easel! I've used it to print books with fiber prints dry mounted back to back, each picture a different size. I have a 16x20 now which I modified to take 20x24 paper.

I never liked cutting mats so I print on larger paper with as much border as the photo needs. If I want to get fancy a thin black border can be added with a piece of cardboard in 2 exposures while the paper is in the easel.

Can you post a picture of how you modified your easel?

 

[Hilo]

I am also curious about Mal Paso's modification.

For prints up to 30X40cm (12x16 in.) paper size, I use a two bladed 30x40cm Leitz easel. For larger prints (40x50cm and 50x60cm/16x20 and 20x24 in.) I use a two bladed RR Beard easel for 50x60cm.

That works fine, but the large RRB is an overkill for 40x50cm. I solve that using an older version Leitz 30x40cm easel that does not have the bar on the front and right sides. This allows me to move the blade on the right (picture below) further out, to 45cm plus minus. Which leaves me with about 2,5cm white on the top and the bottom (or left and right) of the image. That suits me fine.

Obviously, this is hardly a modification. Perhaps an adjustment?

I always forget to check if I can remove the bar of my later Leitz 30x40cm easel. This older version does not show up often.

Michael

ps: one can remove the bar from the Leitz easels

attached early Leitz 30x40cm easel (without the bar)
attached later Leitz 30x40cm easel (with the bar)

 

[Mal Paso]

20x24 paper in a Saunders 16x20 easel. You made me go look and I was off a bit. The 2 rear stops are magnets with 3/32 inch square brass tube glued to them. They keep the magnets from slipping down and center the paper front to back. They are movable to avoid the blades. The left stop is a piece of 1/8 inch square Keystock also to center so the blade scales are accurate. Photos from the dark side Z7ii available light in the darkroom. lol

 

[Hilo]

That's a great solution!

I always like what people come up with to improve their equipment.

 

[Mal Paso]

16x20 is the largest image you can print on the 20x24 paper but that suits me. I hate to cut mats so mount and you're done. A black border can be easily added if you want.

 

[Joel_L]

My LPL easel showed up, in near new condition. Seems to use the same method as the Saunders for doing 14x17, lift the blades and blade frame from in inner frame that is used for 14x17. Pleased with it.

 

[GregY]

A box of Ilford Warmtone FB (50 sheets). 16x20" = $319 while a box of 20x24" is $519..... not too long & you've paid for a large easel. Even at the current cost of mat board, i won't print a 16x20" on a sheet of 20x24" .....that's a 25% waste of paper.
Anyone with reasonable carpentry skills can put together a simple frame easel for printing 20x24"... that's what I had before I got my big Saunders/

 

[Roger Cole]

And those of us with less than zero carpentry skills?

 

[GregY]

And those of us with less than zero carpentry skills?

hire some high school shop student....

 

[drfoxmd]

I pretty much crop everything I print, cannot remember the last time I used the whole negative regardless of the format.

Exactly right.

 

[Mal Paso]

A box of Ilford Warmtone FB (50 sheets). 16x20" = $319 while a box of 20x24" is $519..... not too long & you've paid for a large easel. Even at the current cost of mat board, i won't print a 16x20" on a sheet of 20x24" .....that's a 25% waste of paper.
Anyone with reasonable carpentry skills can put together a simple frame easel for printing 20x24"... that's what I had before I got my big Saunders/

Actually 33.3% is whitespace and if you utilize 25 finished prints that's $6 difference each. Would you supply the mat board and cut it for $6?

 

[GregY]

Actually 33.3% is whitespace and if you utilize 25 finished prints that's $6 difference each. Would you supply the mat board and cut it for $6?

Perhaps not, but if I'm matting a finished print I want it to look 'finished' .....& with a bevelled over mat is the style i've adopted. If you like the centred photo on photo paper that's cool..... but i far prefer working w 16x20" paper almost to the edge than the bigger trays, greater volume of chemicals of 20x24. That's one of the reasons when i sell prints.. 20x24 are priced substantially higher than 16x20"
Still, I'm not sure how we got to this & cropping after what seemed like a quite straightforward question about easels.....

 

[Mal Paso]

My LPL easel showed up, in near new condition. Seems to use the same method as the Saunders for doing 14x17, lift the blades and blade frame from in inner frame that is used for 14x17. Pleased with it.

View attachment 324411 View attachment 324412 View attachment 324413

Cool easel! A few more paper slots than my 14x17 Saunders and scales on the blades as well as the sides. I like how you can print the exact proportions and size you want almost anywhere on the sheet.

 

[Mal Paso]

Perhaps not, but if I'm matting a finished print I want it to look 'finished' .....& with a bevelled over mat is the style i've adopted. If you like the centred photo on photo paper that's cool..... but i far prefer working w 16x20" paper almost to the edge than the bigger trays, greater volume of chemicals of 20x24. That's one of the reasons when i sell prints.. 20x24 are priced substantially higher than 16x20"
Still, I'm not sure how we got to this & cropping after what seemed like a quite straightforward question about easels.....

Thread Drift.

 

[GregY]

Thread Drift.

No kidding......

 

[MattKing]

I'm actually going to disagree (a bit) about the reference to Thread Drift.
The paper and handling and presentation preferences you have are critically important to the question of what you need or want in an easel.
I took the OP's question to be, generally speaking, why are commonly available easels the size that they are?
And the thread "drifts" are part of the answer to that.

 

[Mal Paso]

I'm actually going to disagree (a bit) about the reference to Thread Drift.
The paper and handling and presentation preferences you have are critically important to the question of what you need or want in an easel.
I took the OP's question to be, generally speaking, why are commonly available easels the size that they are?
And the thread "drifts" are part of the answer to that.

You are right. The Saunders Easel contributed a lot to my style of photography. I really hated the fixed 1/4" borders on most easels. The ability to create the exact size image with as much whitespace as I wanted was a Game Changer. I have made one off books by dry-mounting single weight paper back to back, every picture it's own size and shape.

 

[infrar3d]

When money was scarce, I could cut window mats quickly and easily with jigs to lay out the window, a Dexter mat cutter, and a T-square. Eventually I standardized on one precut format for anything intended for a 16x20 frame. Galleries may frown on this approach, but artists sometimes have to be more practical.

Maybe I shouldn't try to hijack the thread, but I'd like to know a little more about these jigs for a Dexter cutter. Were you simply using them to draw the hole? Or was it something more substantial?

 

[MattKing]

When money was scarce, I could cut window mats quickly and easily with jigs to lay out the window, a Dexter mat cutter, and a T-square. Eventually I standardized on one precut format for anything intended for a 16x20 frame. Galleries may frown on this approach, but artists sometimes have to be more practical.

Maybe I shouldn't try to hijack the thread, but I'd like to know a little more about these jigs for a Dexter cutter. Were you simply using them to draw the hole? Or was it something more substantial?

This seems like a great subject for its own thread. Perhaps in the Presentation and Marketing sub-forum?