Quick Question about Color Printing

[apconan]

I'm looking at this link:
http://www.ehow.com/how_1356_make-color-print.html
And step 6 says:
"Switch on enlarger light to make the print. Place a piece of used print paper white-side-up on the easel and focus the image. Create a border around the image by sliding the easel arms up to the edge of the image so it just overlaps."

I'm a total newbie, could someone please let me know if this is accurate? Do you turn on the enlarger light? (I thought paper was sensitive to all light), and is this totally wrong when it says place a piece of used print paper on the easel? Why used?

 

[nickandre]

ahhh,
The idea is that the paper has some thickness to it, so if you focus with the grain scope on the easel itself you will be off my several microns. In practice this is normally negligible. However, I still generally use an old piece of paper to be accurate. Yes, if you use a new piece of paper you will waste it but don't worry, you'll have plenty of wasted paper soon enough.

 

[Neal]

Dear apconan,

I think the idea behind the suggestion that you use a used piece of paper, white side (opposite the emulsion side) up is that the writer feels that it is easier to compose and focus on a white surface rather than on whatever the easel color might be. After a quick read of the page I can see why the sequence is difficult to follow. While well meaning, it is not well written.

Neal Wydra

 

[cbphoto]

You use the waste paper to focus BEFORE you put the real paper in the easel.