Uneven Focus

[thisispants]

For some reason Im finding my prints losing focus towards one end of the print.

It's in ficus at the bottom and middle of the enlargement, but it loses focus at the top.

What are possible causes for this.

Thanks in advance, I'm keen for a comprehensive list of possible reasons so I can fully troubleshoot the situation.

Thanks

 

[Rick A]

Stop using your fig tree(ficus) for an easel. Check that the base and negative stage are parallel in all directions.

 

[guitstik]

What Rick said. If the column is out of whack so will your prints be.

 

[Steve Smith]

It's more likely to be a problem with the relationship between the negative and the lens board. These must be parallel.


Steve.

 

[Monito]

It's more likely to be a problem with the relationship between the negative and the lens board. These must be parallel.

There is a step by step procedure for this, perhaps posted in APUG, but I'm unable to put my finger on it just now. I'm at the stage of having done a few prints with new darkroom and then got a second enlarger for parts, merged the best into one enlarger (B23CII) and now I'm ready to tune everything from soup to nuts, may drive me nuts, from exposure through development through enlarger alignment through print development. One film, one developer, one paper (till mastered).

Something about making a scratch ruled negative, and something (separate) about using two mirrors with a hole scratched out in the mirror in the negative stage. Maybe one after the other or one instead of the other.

A step by step guide or link to such would be greatly appreciated by me and the OP I'm sure. Thanks!

 

[jeffreyg]

A quick easy check of parallelism is to get a few bubble line levels attach to the film plane, lens plane and easel plane. If one is off you will see immediately and can then more accurately adjust.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/