Printing squares on 18x24 paper

Oscar Carlsson · Apr 13, 2014

Hi!

This has probably been debated over and over again, but I'm curious on how you print squares on a 18x24 paper.

Printing 3:2 is simple, and works great. This is how I like to it:

A lot of wasted paper area, but I can live with that. The idea is that one should be able to handle the prints with ease, which I why I leave these margins. The top/bottom margins are slightly different to place the image at the papers optical center. The image is approx. 18x12 cm.

However, for squares this is tricky. My first attempt was pretty bad:

I tried making the square even bigger, but it still didn't work out. So I tried changing orientation and I think it works a bit better now:

But size...should I let it be 12x12 cm, on a 18x24 paper? So here's a slightly bigger (16x16) version:

I know this is all a matter of taste, but I'm curious on how you do it.

ic-racer · Apr 13, 2014

I always center the image on the paper. I don't feel the various conventions about centering the image in a mat board for display hold up well when hand-holding print to view.

Cybertrash · Apr 13, 2014

ic-racer said:
I always center the image on the paper. I don't feel the various conventions about centering the image in a mat board for display hold up well when hand-holding print to view.

What is your technique for centering the image on the paper? I've got a four-bladed easel from LPL that has these pre-cut scores in different sizes, but they generally don't line up very well with the placement of the image when using the rulers on the blades to set the image size.

Thomas Bertilsson · Apr 13, 2014

First, don't think of the white surrounding areas as 'wasted space'. That's a mistake in my opinion. Much art is about studying the empty space that surrounds or lies between focal point in images, and sometimes the empty space can even be more important.

I usually print 6" square on 8x10" paper (roughly equivalent to you 18x24cm). That leaves 1" on each side, and I use 1.5" on top and 2.5" on the bottom for a top weighted placement.
To me that looks fantastic when you hold the print in your hands.

I do the same on 11x14" paper, where I print 8x8" square, and on 16x20" paper where I print 12" square - with similar top weighted placement. To me that looks fantastic, and all that empty space supports the image nicely.

FM2N · Apr 13, 2014

I would think that a 3 inch border left, right, and from the top would look great and handle well. The image would be 12x12 inches with nice borders.

darkroom_rookie · Apr 13, 2014

Couldn't agree more with Thomas. White area is NOT wasted space. Probably not very helpful for your particular question, but recently I was asked to print 20x24" (image area!) prints on Efke FB. Took a 25x28" sheet cut from a roll and dead-centering of the image to make it work, i.e. look "good", "saleable".

Thomas Bertilsson · Apr 13, 2014

FM2N said:
I would think that a 3 inch border left, right, and from the top would look great and handle well. The image would be 12x12 inches with nice borders.

In Europe 18x24 refers to centimeters, roughly equivalent to 8x10 paper.

David Brown · Apr 13, 2014

Oscar Carlsson said:
So I tried changing orientation and I think it works a bit better now:

View attachment 86195
I know this is all a matter of taste, but I'm curious on how you do it.

Yes, it is a matter of taste. My taste (as it were) is a vertical orientation for my square images. I have the same border at the top and sides, and more at the bottom. Or, slightly more at the top, but a lot more at the bottom. You are working metric, if I read correctly. I (being American) work in inches. I usually print a 9x9 image on a 11x14 paper, leaving 1 inch at the sides and 1 to 2 inches at the top.

If 12cm is too small and 16cm is too big, then the obvious is to try 14, or ...

ic-racer · Apr 13, 2014

Cybertrash said:
What is your technique for centering the image on the paper? I've got a four-bladed easel from LPL that has these pre-cut scores in different sizes, but they generally don't line up very well with the placement of the image when using the rulers on the blades to set the image size.

Some high end easels (like my 20x24 Saunders) have adjustable left-hand paper stop for each paper size. This lets you center the paper to the scale. Otherwise you may have to make adjustments to the readings of the scale on each side.

Things to try
1) Get a new scale sticker; remove the old one and put the new one in the correct location
2) See if alignment of the paper with the RIGHT side of the slot works better (this solved the problem with my 16x20 Beseler easel)
3) Use tape, plastic or wood to make a small shim to adjust the right or left hand side of the slot to center the paper to the scale
4) When all else fails, figure out how far off the scale is and offset the blades the appropriate amount from the indicated scale readings each time.

ic-racer · Apr 13, 2014

An example, this is how I deal with my Beseler (after first adjusting each blade to be perfectly square with the appropriate screws):

Side to side: Even though a new sticker is available, I found the paper aligned perfectly with the right side of the channel, so I just use that.
Up and down: I determined the scale is off by 1/8 of an inch. So, after setting my margin, I go back and move the top blade down 1/8" and move the bottom blade down 1/8"
It is easy to determine if the scale is correct; put a sheet of paper in the slot, then bring the bottom blade even to the bottom of the paper. The scale should read exactly the paper size. Bring each side blade in to the edges of the paper and, again, the scale should correspond to the exact paper size.

MattKing · Apr 13, 2014

Once you get the easel blades to be exactly where you want them, put a sheet of blank paper in the easel and trace the edges with a pencil.

The back of a print to be discarded works great.

Then label the result, and don't lose it.

You can then use that to re-set the easel each time.

Mark_S · Apr 14, 2014

I print the square on the rectangular paper, then trim off the unexposed portion of the paper when I mount the print on Mat board. The size and shape of the mat board will be dictated by the print.

jovo · Apr 14, 2014

Though this is designed for cutting mats, the principles involved are the same. I ALWAYS use this guide for presenting prints whether just on paper, or in mats.

http://www.russellcottrell.com/photo/centering.htm

Marco Buonocore · Apr 18, 2014

Thanks John, that's a great resource.

Oscar Carlsson · Apr 19, 2014

I tried the calculations in the link (I've seen the same one in Way Beyond Monochrome) for printing 14x14cm on a 18x24 cm paper, and it turned out that I've the same vertical alignment as the calculation recommends

I went for 14x14cm with the paper in a portrait orientation, and I like the results very much.

baachitraka · Apr 19, 2014

I print something like

Recently fotoimpex started to sell MCC 110 in 30x30cm and 40x40cm. May be this helps.

Printing squares on 18x24 paper

Oscar Carlsson

ic-racer

Cybertrash

Thomas Bertilsson

FM2N

darkroom_rookie

Thomas Bertilsson

David Brown

ic-racer

ic-racer

MattKing

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Mark_S

jovo

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Oscar Carlsson

baachitraka

Printing squares on 18x24 paper

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