My first real B&W paper.

[Stephanie Brim]

Got a package from Michael Sherck today (thanks, by the way) with a ton of goodies inside. I'd been wanting some paper, and by George I now have some.

Promaster B&W RC VC
Bergger Prestige sample pack
Polymax Fine Art in a glossy and a creamy warm tone

And the best of all: a few sheets of the incredibly well thought of Agfa Brovira.

I'm not quite set up to use any of it yet, but by mid next month I should be. I'll probably break down and do a few contact prints before then, though. I'm saving the Brovira for when I know what I'm doing.

So I'll just post here when I've used some, and also when I have questions.

And speaking of questions: anyone know where I could get a sheet of glass to use as a makeshift contact printing thingy?

 

[vdonovan]

Look in the yellow pages for a glass shop. They will have scraps lying around and can cut it for you. Put duct tape around the edges to make it easy to handle.

 

[pentaxuser]

Needn't be makeshift. If your negs are in a clear sleeve and you get a piece of sponge which is about the same consistency as used for contact printer frames like the Paterson then I am told you actually have the added advantage of being able to see the frame numbers of the negs using 8x10 paper which with the Paterson layout and its way of holding the negs isn't possible. Saves the bother of threading 4 or 6 strips of 6 negs into each of the holders in the Paterson then removing them again and placing back into the neg sleeves.

Only disadvantage is that the Paterson has built into it, lines at the top which acts like black lined paper, creating an area for noting technical details such as date of exposures, the rough subject of the frames etc

I'd get heavy glass i.e. not ordinary thin window or horticultural glass for greenhouses and get the vendor to smooth the edges. 6mm is ideal.

pentaxuser

 

[Konical]

Good Afternoon, Stephanie,

As noted above, any glass shop should be able to take care of you--and at minimal cost. Several hints: 1)Even though your contact sheets will probably be on 8 x 10 paper (although 8 1/2 x 11 is better if you can locate some), get a somewhat oversized piece of glass, at least 10 x 12 or maybe even 11 x 14. 2)Get 1/4 inch glass because it will be heavy enough to hold down negatives which are slightly curled (the extra weight is another reason for hint #1). 3)Have the glazier buff the sharp edges all round and you won't have to bother with taping the edges.

Konical

 

[fschifano]

Home Depot. They have panes of window glass for a couple or three bucks. Round off the edges with some coarse, then finer sandpaper. Get a sheet of black construction paper and use that as the bottom layer. The sensitized paper goes emulsion side up on top of that. Lay out the negative(s) on top of that, emulsion side down. Place the glass over the whole mess. Light on. Light off. Develop, stop, fix, and wash as usual. Done!

 

[David Brown]

As noted above, any glass shop should be able to take care of you--and at minimal cost. Several hints: 1)Even though your contact sheets will probably be on 8 x 10 paper (although 8 1/2 x 11 is better if you can locate some), get a somewhat oversized piece of glass, at least 10 x 12 or maybe even 11 x 14. 2)Get 1/4 inch glass because it will be heavy enough to hold down negatives which are slightly curled (the extra weight is another reason for hint #1). 3)Have the glazier buff the sharp edges all round and you won't have to bother with taping the edges.

I 2nd everything Chuck said! I have a 12x16 piece of 1/4" glass that I've used for decades. Well worth the minimal investment!

 

[lee]

it would not surprise me if the Agfa Brovira is fogged. That paper has been out of production for several years. My experience has been that Agfa papers fog pretty quick after the shelf life expires.

lee\c

 

[mjs]

As I said before, I *highly* recommend sacrificing a small piece of the older papers to see whether (or how badly) they've weathered time. You're going to need test strips anyway; process one of each paper package through your chemicals and see what you get. Except for the Promaster, of course: that's new. It was given to me and I don't use RC paper.

You know, I never thought to ask. Do you have a paper safe to keep stuff in? You'll eventually need something to keep curious little hands off your paper!

Mike

 

[Stephanie Brim]

I'm getting one or two soon. I'll have one before I really start printing.

 

[Jim Jones]

I take the razor edge off of glass edges with an old whetstone sacrificed for just this purpose. If you use ordinary window glass, weighing down the edges makes up for the lack of weight. Some glass that appears clear will impose a pattern in contact printing. If this happens, rotate the glass and see if the pattern changes.

 

[CBG]

... Get a sheet of black construction paper and use that as the bottom layer ...

I wouldn't use paper under the negs. I would instead suggest black foam rubber to act as a spring to push the negs into firm contact with the paper to get a sharp print.

C