I like making small prints. How do you do 2.5 x 3.5?

rpavich · Feb 21, 2016

I found that I like making small prints for everyday stuff; for giving to people, and for putting in the shoebox for when I'm 75 years old.

I have a large saunders easel that's not well suited to this sort of thing but I also have a "4-in-1" easel that does 2.5 x 3.5, and 3.5 x 5, and up.

I've been just taking my 4x6 paper and slicing it in half to make the smallest ones and letting the print edges be asymmetrical, since it seems that nobody sells paper in this size. For the 3.5 x 5's I purchased paper in that size.

How do you go about this? Any good tips that I might not have thought of?

I was thinking about just forgetting using the easel's edges and making borderless prints by sticking the paper to the easel by moistening the back of the paper with spit. It works when doing test strips. That was the odd border size won't be so obvious.

Molli · Feb 21, 2016

I just finished printing a batch of 3.5"x2.5" photos earlier today. I have a small easel, around 6"x8" in size, with two adjustable blades. I keep scraps of paper with the borders marked on them for different sized images and simply line the blades up with that. The easel is a must for me, particularly this morning, as the paper I used is old with a decided curl; I need those easel blades to keep the paper flat. Also, and this is a first for me, the paper was cut unevenly at the factory so, adding in any errors in judgement on my part in cutting the paper down further still, I've left a fairly generous border which I'll have to even out manually...all forty eight of them!
Oh, and with the easel being quite small, I tape it in place to avoid any inadvertant shifting.
The only other "tip" I can think of is to use at least a 75mm lens if you're wanting to get a focus scope in there (or you have teeny, tiny pixie hands and incredible manual dexterity with the skill to dodge the 4mm whites of your model's eyes!)

rpavich · Feb 21, 2016

Molli said:
I just finished printing a batch of 3.5"x2.5" photos earlier today. I have a small easel, around 6"x8" in size, with two adjustable blades. I keep scraps of paper with the borders marked on them for different sized images and simply line the blades up with that. The easel is a must for me, particularly this morning, as the paper I used is old with a decided curl; I need those easel blades to keep the paper flat. Also, and this is a first for me, the paper was cut unevenly at the factory so, adding in any errors in judgement on my part in cutting the paper down further still, I've left a fairly generous border which I'll have to even out manually...all forty eight of them!
Oh, and with the easel being quite small, I tape it in place to avoid any inadvertant shifting.
The only other "tip" I can think of is to use at least a 75mm lens if you're wanting to get a focus scope in there (or you have teeny, tiny pixie hands and incredible manual dexterity with the skill to dodge the 4mm whites of your model's eyes!)

Interesting!

Thanks.

I was looking for a longer lens, it's really cramped with a 50mm! I've been focusing by using those head-mounted-magnifyers and it seems to be working well.
I'll check out the idea of the paper with the marked borders too, that makes sense. I wish my large saunders went this small, that would make things easier.

Molli · Feb 21, 2016

I think my easel was made in the early days of the industrial revolution. I actually think making a purpose built easel might be easiest and, after today's mini-marathon paired with recalcitrant paper, anything to simplify the process should definitely be considered!
Regarding the lens, I was printing 5x7s and 3.5x5s using my 50mm lens just prior to finishing up with little palm sized ones. With the latter, my enlarger height was set around #24. Had I continued using that lens for the seriously small stuff, I'd have been down around #15. I'm only about 5'2 and even for me that's just too much crouching for comfort. With the 80mm lens, the enlarger head was back up at #34 so, yes, definitely invest in a longer lens if you can.

Molli · Feb 21, 2016

I've just checked, I've had this item and others like it sitting in my watch list on ebay for ages. Given that it's around $45 to ship it to Australia, I'm never going to buy it myself no matter how much I want it
So, a gift (that you'll have to buy yourself !) : One 3.5"x2.5" Speed EZ-el http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=222029995684&alt=web

Additionally: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

rpavich · Feb 21, 2016

Molli said:
I've just checked, I've had this item and others like it sitting in my watch list on ebay for ages. Given that it's around $45 to ship it to Australia, I'm never going to buy it myself no matter how much I want it
So, a gift (that you'll have to buy yourself !) : One 3.5"x2.5" Speed EZ-el http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=222029995684&alt=web

Additionally: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Thanks very much for the info. I found two of these (one 2.5 x 3.5 + one 3.5 x 5) for pretty cheap and bit the bullet and got an El-Nikkor 80mm lens.

mdarnton · Feb 21, 2016

If you do it a lot, you might like a booster box to put on your enlarger's easel to lift the easel up to where you don't have to bend way over to focus. I used to uses a 500-sheet paper box or two, stacked, for that, but I can imagine fancier solutions.

removed account4 · Feb 21, 2016

hi rpavich
when i did a special project and
my easel wasn't the right one
i acutally MADE and easel out of mat board.
i cut the shape of the print out of with a mat cutter and ruler
( x-acto or kitchen knife or box cutter or pocket knife works good too )
and i hinged it on another cardboard or a piece of glass. i put a piece of tape
at the bottom so make sure it made a tight seal. i've also made "masks"
for easels i already have that were a PITA to put in the shape i wanted.

have fun with your small prints, i'd rather print small than big too !

rpavich · Feb 21, 2016

mdarnton said:
If you do it a lot, you might like a booster box to put on your enlarger's easel to lift the easel up to where you don't have to bend way over to focus. I used to uses a 500-sheet paper box or two, stacked, for that, but I can imagine fancier solutions.

Lol..Ok it's not just me. I used a book.

jeffreythree · Feb 21, 2016

I like to make little prints as well. Especially for my wife's large family who appreciate pictures that are not shelf hogs. I use a Speed EZ-el or the 4 in 1 for old paper with a curl or cut down paper, and I use my Wollensak 90mm to get some working room. I usually cut 5x7 paper for 3.5x5's. Contact printing medium format is also fun for these small prints.

ac12 · Feb 24, 2016

Whenever I had to make a "small" print from 35mm negative, I put on an 80mm lens, so that I did not have to lower the enlarger head so much that I had trouble opening the easel. You can use an even longer lens (like a 105mm) if the 80mm does not get the head high enough.

If you are going to do a LOT of small prints, I suggest checking out a 'speed easel.' You slide the paper in/out, you don't have to lift open the easel. For some uses it is easier.

RobC · Feb 24, 2016

its simple to make a basic easel.
Just take a piece of melamine covered board (the stuff used for kitchen cupboard shelves) and cut off the top left corner (about 1/2 inch across the corner). Then attach a wooden batten on the left and top sides which goes up to the cut and protudes above the board approx 1/4 inch. Then stick some rubber feet on bottom. Then spray surface with a small amount repositionable tacky adhesive.

Then you can just place paper into the top left corner against the battens. Paper is easy to lift off from the top left corner.
If you want a white border then cut a piece of mount board to same size as paper and cut out image size in the board so you have a mask which you can place on top of piece of paper. Some small metal bars to place on it to hold it in position.

I would make it big enough to use at least 8x10 paper.

rpavich · Feb 28, 2016

I ended up getting an El-Nikkor 80mm and a couple of speed easels.

They really helped. I printed a bunch yesterday and it was enjoyable.

David Lyga · Mar 1, 2016

Roger Hicks spoke more than appropriately when he said that small prints were 'intimate'. - David Lyga

I like making small prints. How do you do 2.5 x 3.5?

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