Options for printing 35mm on 12x16"

Jarvman · Mar 22, 2008

What looks good for printing 35mm negs onto 12x16" paper seeing as they aren't the same ratio as the paper? How would you set up your borders? What options are there that people use? So far I've only printed 6x6 and 6x7 to this size.

keithwms · Mar 22, 2008

Get a big printing easel, that'll make life easy. With that you can project your image down onto a test sheet of paper (or use a red filter) and move the easel parts around until you crop into the image very slightly. The easel should easily give you a ~1 inch white border. You'll need to cut the paper after drying to get a consistent border but you won't lose too much paper. If you are clever then you will pre-cut your paper and use the [unexposed] leftovers as test strips.

35mm ratio is a pain in the butt IMHO. You really need an easel to deal with it.

An alternative, if you like the look, is to file out your neg holder's edges so that you see sprocket holes and all. Some people prefer that to white borders. In the digi-age, it's now regarded as a novelty!

AlanC · Mar 22, 2008

Jarvman,

Cut a sheet of 16 x 12 paper in half then you can make two prints on 12 x 8 paper, which has a ratio that pefectly matches 35mm film.

Alan Clark

Dave Miller · Mar 22, 2008

Top and side borders can be the same width, and the slightly larger border can sit at the bottom of the sheet.

Jarvman · Mar 22, 2008

I found with even 1 inch borders the border at the bottom of the sheet is smaller though :confused:

Dave Miller · Mar 22, 2008

Jarvman said:
I found with even 1 inch borders the border at the bottom of the sheet is larger though :confused:

It's either that or crop the image.

Jarvman · Mar 22, 2008

Sorry I never neant to say larger, I meant smaller

ooze · Mar 22, 2008

As far as I'm aware, the standard for the Magnum agency is/was 20x30cm prints on 30x40cm paper, with the bottom border being slightly larger.
To my eye this ratio looks quite pleasing and I tend to stick to it as well.

Options for printing 35mm on 12x16"

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