Printing using matte acetate/pencil mask?

[ChrisBCS]

So this is something I have wanted to try ever since I stencil cut an easel mask when I first started printing.

Let me know if you think this will work. My APUG searching and reading (mostly what's available from Alan Ross) is what led me to this plan. I have matte acetate. My plan is to use ruby red litho tape to attach the negative, film base to the acetate. Flip over, put onto the light table emulsion down/acetate up. Use pencils of varying hardness plus blending stump to build up the dodge where I want it, put the taped acetate + negative into the carrier, and expose. Yes this is a 6x6 negative, yes I know it will be hard to see.

Do I need to switch to the diffusion side of the enlarger, or can I continue to use the condenser?

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I always placed the frosted acetate on top of the negative, when it was in the enlarger. The light passing through the acetate becomes diffused. I mainly print with 4x5 and 8x10 negatives, so much easier to work with. Use soft pencils (blending stump is a good idea...keep in mind when you blend, it darkens slightly) and build up density very very slowly. Just have a whisper of shading. Print it and adjust as necessary.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

I've always used the frosted mylar backside of 4x5 neg sleeves. It is clear with a texture. I use a glass negative carrier, tape the neg in the carrier, then tape the mylar on the outside of the carrier on top of the glass. Put the sandwich on a light table and have at it. Repositioning it later isn't very difficult either, so don't worry about pin registering or any of that nonsense.

I rarely ever need to do this though. Usually if I have to resort to it I have failed miserably at something else, like development.

 

[Vaughn]

I have used a Sharpie on the glass of the contact printing frame.

 

[removed account4]

i've never done anything on acetate but blended &c right on the negative
with pencil lead and a retouchng desk

 

[Bob Carnie]

Sounds like contour masking, there is a section on this in The Darkroom book - I talked to a person yesterday who did an internship in Karsh's studio.
He used Pencils on the negs, Red Coccine and he was even trying to describe a method of using broken glass to create etching ..

 

[Bob Carnie]

There is nothing new under the sun it seems, contour masking has been around for over 80 years, well before the photoshop workers discover tonal mapping.

 

[ChrisBCS]

Thanks folks. I truly love this place.

I am going to make some straight prints with just the acetate on the negative and compare the results with straight prints minus the acetate. It does seem very very fine texture in the matte.