How big?

[dancqu]

You might think 4" of surround is ridiculous. I don't.

Actually I'm reminded of no surround or frame at all;
that is the print mounted upon a same size backer mat.
The backer mat then with wall placement or surface
setting provisions. What I've seen I like. Dan

 

[fhovie]

A lot of white area around a mounted print says to me - this print is important - the image is worth looking at. I like a good margin - an 8x10 with at least 2 inches and a 11x14 through 16x20 with 4 inches looks good to me. I do think there is a point of nonsense - like a 6x6cm contact print on 11x14 paper - seems like an exaggeration to me.

 

[Gary Holliday]

Well, I have to explain how my darkroom is. It is a bathroom converted, temporarily, into a darkroom that has to be reverted into a bathroom once the printing sesion is over. The developing trays are leaning on the bathtub bottom, more precisely on the bathtub flat bottom surface. This limits to trays that can accomodate 8"x10" paper. And that is the size of my enlargements.

I'm planing to get 12"x16" Nova processor and washer, but the investment is quite substantial for the amount of technology they have.

Cheers

I'm also using this type of set up, but may I suggest placing some wooden planks over the bath so you can rest larger trays on top?

 

[goros]

I'm also using this type of set up, but may I suggest placing some wooden planks over the bath so you can rest larger trays on top?

Yes Gary, that was the first option but, as i'm using another plank to put the enlarger on, it would be too many planks to move each time. Actually, the second option was to place a grid over the tub.

Regards

 

[Simon R Galley]

20 x 16 is one of our very best sellers Worldwide

Simon ILFORD photo / HARMAN technology Limited :

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

I do mostly 35mm and my equipment limits me at 11x14, so I settled down on both 8x10 and 11x14 (sometimes cropped if the neg is worth printing full frame). 8x10 for me is the print-in-hand size, it allows me to decide whether something blows or not, and is large enough for wall display in my house.

When I sell prints or exhibit, I do 11x14 for the extra size, and because it makes things more easy to see from a distance. Surprisingly, nobody bought 8x10 at my april exhibit. I only sold 5x7 or 11x14.