What size paper do you use for 35mm contacts?

eric · May 13, 2005

Just wondering, I've been using 8x10 paper to contact 35mm 7 strips of 5 for a long time. 8x10 just barely fits. I used to do that cause my trays were 8x10. But now, I have a large Nova. Is 8 1/2 x 11 a common size for contact printing strips of 35mm? Or is this an outdated size paper?

3 strips of 120 fits 8x10 pretty good though.

Ole · May 13, 2005

I have always used 9.5x12, or 24x30 as it's called in Europe. A whole negative sheet fits nicely.

gchpaco · May 13, 2005

I tend to use 8.5x11 for contact sheets since I found out I could order it. Really I would rather have something like Ole's 9.5x12, because in 35mm in particular the frames at the edges tend to get chopped off--8.5x11 is long enough but not wide enough for what I want. It's great for 120 tho.

ooze · May 13, 2005

I use 8x10 paper. 35mm film I cut into 6 strips of six, which just fit onto the paper. If I have a 37th or 38th frame, I contact print them on small cut pieces of paper, which I glue to the back of the 8x10. 120 film I cut into 4 strips of 3, which again fits nicely onto 8x10. By the way, I don't use a contact printing frame or whatever they are, I just lower a big piece of glass onto the negative and paper. I have put some black tape along one edge of the glass; this I use to cover the "negative-less" areas of the paper. Thus, I get a nice white space after developing, where I can write relevant stuff (I got this tip from the David Hurn book, "How to become a photographer").

Konical · May 13, 2005

Good Morning, Eric,

A couple of years ago, I happened to spot a 250-sheet box of 8 1/2 x 11 inch Kodabrome II RC on E-bay and successfully bid on it. I've been using Kodabrome II RC for contact sheets for several decades, but in the 8 x 10 size. The slightly larger size makes things a lot easier whether you go with seven strips of 5 or six strips of 6. With a little cheating, it's also possible to get a usable partial contact of frame 10 from a roll of 120 film with 6 x 7 negatives. Standard 3-ring binders still work just fine, of course, for the processed sheets.

Konical

Lee Shively · May 13, 2005

I never make contact sheets. I can judge a negative better than a contact sheet.

sparx · May 13, 2005

I'm the same as Ooze. Negs cut into strips of six and printed onto 8x10. I guess it must be a fairly standard way of doing it 'cause my evening class had contact printers that took negs in strips of 6 and were just big enough for a sheet of 8x10!

Flotsam · May 13, 2005

I have a confession.
If I can find a dirt cheap, old, outmoded flatbed scanner with a full trasparency lid, I'd just throw my negs down on that simply to see a whole roll reversed to positive and for judging basic composition and content. I would probably never print them out but mark the negs for my next darkroom session.

Bob Carnie · May 13, 2005

We only use 8.5 x 11 paper for contacting (colour or black and white)
All manufactures stock it , bit more money but worth the price by being easier to handle in the darkroom

rogueish · May 13, 2005

I'm with Lee. Home darkroom time is limited and I never feel like wasting it on poof sheets. I've gotten pretty good at judging negs for the most part.
One nightcollege I attended used a dry to dry machine. These are fantastic for contacts. In one class I processed 47 proof sheets. I also rarely do test strips for proof sheets.

stephen · May 14, 2005

I've used a Paterson contact proof printer since the 1960's for 35mm, and this takes 10x8 paper. I use the resulting contacts as part of my filing system.

adrian_freire · May 15, 2005

20,3 x 25,4 cm = 8 x 10

titrisol · May 16, 2005

I used 24x30 when I lived in Ecuador, here n the US 8x10 is what I have.....
Sometimes I have to attach an extra strip or two though

pentaxuser · May 16, 2005

Paper size for contact sheets

eric said:
Just wondering, I've been using 8x10 paper to contact 35mm 7 strips of 5 for a long time. 8x10 just barely fits. I used to do that cause my trays were 8x10. But now, I have a large Nova. Is 8 1/2 x 11 a common size for contact printing strips of 35mm? Or is this an outdated size paper?

3 strips of 120 fits 8x10 pretty good though.

When on a college darkroom course, contact sheet printers were scarce so a sponge sheet to lod the negs and glass on top was the order of the day. Not easy and the negs were never parallel. However when I set up my own darkroom I got a secondhand Paterson contact printer and have never looked back. It will hold 6 strips of 6 and show neg numbers and there is a contact printed two line area for information on technical detailswhich can be written on neatly after printing the film.

Negs are now all parallel. I find it much easier to judge which negs to print and get an indication of grade needed and any dodging and burning that might be required. If you ever revisit old negs for additional prints then looking at a series of contact sheets is a lot easier.

Pentaxuser

Fotohuis · May 17, 2005

I am using 24X30 (cm) for contacting. It fits simply on the whole sheet and there is some room for making notes.

Robert

modafoto · May 17, 2005

24 x 30 paper

I lay the negative sleeve on top of it - 6 strips of 6 negs. In the 7th row I write some details on the film, dev et.al. with a marker. This is then transferred to the contact print.
It works great.

Woolliscroft · May 17, 2005

I use european A4 size when I can get it. It leaves a bit of spare room. I then leave a cigarette pack over this to keep it unexposed and so white so that I can write in the film details. I too don't use the contacts much to judge the negs, only for identification.

David.

Ole · May 17, 2005

It seems to be qute common that Europeans use 24x30cm, while those who can't get that size use 8x10"...

geraldatwork · May 17, 2005

I cut my film in to strips of 5 photos and can get 7 rows on an 8X10 sheet of paper. However even if I am shooting a 36 exposure roll I rarely shoot more than 30 shots as when I have problems developing film it is usually on the outer layer on the spool in the last 5 or 6 shots. I'd rather waste film than waste shots.

Joe Symchyshyn · May 17, 2005

8.5 x 11 only...

(8x10 is too tight...)

joe

What size paper do you use for 35mm contacts?

eric

Ole

Moderator

gchpaco

ooze

Konical

Lee Shively

sparx

Flotsam

Bob Carnie

rogueish

stephen

adrian_freire

titrisol

pentaxuser

Fotohuis

modafoto

Woolliscroft

Ole

Moderator

geraldatwork

Joe Symchyshyn

What size paper do you use for 35mm contacts?

Moderator

Moderator

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