Making Soft Edge Masks

For years I've had an ebay alert for Wess Soft-Edge Masks but not one hit. I once placed a WTB here and actually got a response but from a new user who signed up that day and had exactly what I want. I suspected a scam and didn't go any further. Soft-edge masks are / were used in multi-projector situations were two images overlap a little, the mask smooths that blend.

Recently I've been thinking about making my own masks. I think it's possible to create an image on a computer which graduates from dark to light. Then, I could find a lab with a film recorder and get the images on film. Final step, reversal process the film. The outcome, soft-edge masks!

Here's what they look like:



Does this sound feasible? I don't know anything about creating images on computers and sorry if this goes a little hybrid.

Try ortho-litho film; Freestyle sells it in all kinds of sizes and it's dirt cheap. It's very safe light resistant, you can cut it up and test-strip it and so on as if it were paper. Develop in paper developer (like Dektol or Liquidol) via inspection. Use very dilute developer for low contrast (experiment, like try half-strength of what you'd use for paper). For high contrast, full or double strength developer. It's really kind of fun to play with, but since you develop in a tray by inspection, really needs a pre wash, it puts out clouds of AH layer when you first rinse it.

An LVT film output was like $100+ last time I got one, you can easily make a gradient mask like that with ortho litho and a black card under the enlarger.

An 8x10 LVT cost me $70 three years ago from Cox photo lab. You can fit quite a few 35mm size graduated masks on that. Just beware the LVT will gain a bit of contrast. Cox uses TMax 400 for their LVTs.

perkeleellinen said:

Final step, reversal process the film.

Click to expand...

Just realised I wouldn't need to reversal process at all, a negative would be fine so long as I adapt the masked area