Materials for custom printing masks

[bluechromis]

I'm looking for materials to make custom dodging/burning masks for a particular image. For example, if one wanted to darken the sky behind a city skyline without darkening the buildings. Initially, I used scrap prints, but I decided they were too translucent. Then I used mat board, but it's a pain to cut that. What do others use? Does anyone use Rubylith?

 

[Bill Burk]

Rubylith leaves you with a base, that can impact image quality. I tried one of the sheets of Cricut material and found it’s too hard to cut and peel plus it leaves a sticky base. Worse than Rubylith.

 

[awty]

Cereal box.

 

[mcfitz]

I suggest you sacrifice a sheet of photo paper, RC will do fine.

Fully expose it to the darkroom's overhead light, then develop & wash it as normal for a photo. This gives a sturdy sheet of very very black paper that is easy to cut, tear, manipuate.

 

[Doremus Scudder]

Or, use a scrap print of the image you need to mask, but don't fix it. After stopping and rinsing, you should be able to trim it to the image with scissors, even when wet. Then, after you have the desired shape, return the print to the developer to develop the rest of the undeveloped, but now exposed, silver halides. Result: a black mask in the shape you want.

Doremus

 

[Pieter12]

Rubylith leaves you with a base, that can impact image quality. I tried one of the sheets of Cricut material and found it’s too hard to cut and peel plus it leaves a sticky base. Worse than Rubylith.

I doubt the base will affect image quality, since Rubylith was used to mask out backgrounds of photos in the graphic arts.

 

[Bill Burk]

I doubt the base will affect image quality, since Rubylith was used to mask out backgrounds of photos in the graphic arts.

For high contrast, halftone negatives. There would be pinholes to retouch. The base is good quality on its own it wouldn't cause image issues. But it gathers dust and smudges easily. If you used it for continuous tone negatives, or for prints under enlarger, it would leave noticeable artifacts.

 

[Pieter12]

For high contrast, halftone negatives. There would be pinholes to retouch. The base is good quality on its own it wouldn't cause image issues. But it gathers dust and smudges easily. If you used it for continuous tone negatives, or for prints under enlarger, it would leave noticeable artifacts.

I would still give it a try. It is easy enough to cut and what residue or smudges might be left on the base might not affect the sky that the OP wants to burn in.

 

[Don_ih]

I just use my hands. If that doesn't work, I don't bother.

 

[MattKing]

Use a print made a bit smaller than the print you are trying to make, cut to the area you want held back or burned.
The continuous movement of your dodging/burning print can then be up and down below the lens.

 

[Pieter12]

Use a print made a bit smaller than the print you are trying to make, cut to the area you want held back or burned.
The continuous movement of your dodging/burning print can then be up and down below the lens.

From my limited experience, that leaves a halo or a dark edge. Jeanloup Sieff liked that effect.