Help me get the curl out!

[Peter Schrager]

I bought a roll of Maco Genius film from Freestyle. It's 20 inches by 30 feet long. I'm planning on making enlarged negatives for Platinum. Problem is that I haven't the slightest clue how to get the excessive curl out of it. This is a pain in the you know where and I need to solve this now. Buying the roll was the only viable and economical way to go with this material. The sheet prices are totally excessive and the roll will go a long way and give the best flexibility-but the curl is killing me.
Anyone got some ideas about this??
Best, Peter

 

[nze]

Hello Peter,

you may use a thick glass plate over your film or a vacuum printing frame.

regards

 

[Peter Schrager]

Curl

NZE-I already have used it under thick glass to make internegatives but it still wants to curl. It's bad news. A vacumn frame I have no intention of getting because I don't print that big and secondly I don't have the room for it right now. I could have bought the Maco in sheets but the price is 5X the amount of the roll. Maybe someone else has some input on this.
Thanks -Peter

 

[nze]

Peter

There is small vacuum easel.

DO you try to put it in between 2 sheets of glas , one under one over.
if you interested by ortho at low price you may also check the ebaystore of this guy.
http://stores.ebay.com/Mr-Foto1-PHOTO-BARGAINS_W0QQsspagenameZL2QQtZkm

fillm such as http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=15226&item=3875568594 are great ortho film.

I think he even have smaller size 8x10 ,11x14etc...

 

[Peter Schrager]

Dupe film

Christian- I have seen the ads for Mr. Foto's supplies before. I have an entire roll of the Maco that I paid almost $300 for. The truth us that it is really is the best out there. Agfa used to make such a film and this product is a very close second; plus the fact that it is dimensionally stable ( thicker) than most types. I am using two thick pieces of glass. I'm going to send an email to the Maco factory today and see what they recommend. I've had the roll for awhile now and just backed off wanting to do my work because of the curl issue.
Thanks for the input!! Peter

 

[L Gebhardt]

Peter, Just a dumb suggestion, but will the curl relax if you reverse roll it for a few days?

 

[Bob Carnie]

Hi Peter

I have the same problem with mural rolls of paper, the curl is almost impossible to get out. Quick solution is to cut some sheets and raise the humidity in the room or container and put some weight on the film, I know this will be a pain in the ass and you must be extremely careful. as well there are 16x20 vacumn easels out there , that you should be able to find. They were used in graphic seperation houses/ for making lith masks. If there is a large pro photographic lab try them as well , we used them in the photocomp days for lith masks and also any lab that does actor/model headshots will have a small vacumn easel for making titles for the images.
I have bought film in the past from photowarehouse that I swear was Ilford and it may not have as much curl as the Macoe.
hope this helps.
I don't know how handy you are Peter but you also can make a easel yourself with wood channels and a metal plate on top with holes in it hooked up to a regular vacumn pump.
as long as the film is oversize to the material you are printing on the film will draw down enough to put a piece of glass over.