Your Typical Print Size

[thefizz]

The majority of my prints are 12x9.5 from 120 film with the occasional 16x12.

 

[Willie Jan]

11x14 can be handled easily. Larger is often a problem.
Besides that for an exhibition i own 40x50cm frames, buying 50x60cm frames costs a lot more.

I enlarge both from 120 and 4x5 to 11x14.
The 120 is enlarged 11x11 (hassy) or somewhat smaller to fit nice in a 40x50 frame.

So max size depends on:
1) what you can handle in the darkroom
2) what frame size is the destination

 

[Chris Nielsen]

8x10 is the largest I have printed but have got a stack of big trays now and some 12x16 paper ready to go, can't wait!!!

Prolly get a MF capable enlarger before I venture into 16x20, it might be a tad large for 135...

 

[Mick Fagan]

I use paper ranging from Ilford postcard stock, 10x15cm through to 12x16", but the majority of paper used is 8x10".

The ratio so far this year, January to July, 2½, 100 sheet boxes of postcard paper. Nine, 100 sheet boxes of 8x10" paper. One, 50 sheet box of 12x16" paper.

All RC.

One box of 100 sheet fibre paper and half a 50 sheet box of 12x16" fibre paper.

Mick.

 

[RPippin]

I shoot 4X5, and medium format both 6X6 and 6X7. I print on 11X14 paper in my own darkroom. It works great for the square format. I do my own matting and framing and 6X6 gives me a finished, framed and matted piece 16"x16", and for 4X5 and 21/4" X 31/4" framed and matted gets 16"X18". I go for the larger size mostly because my eyes are not as young as they used to be, and I don't have to squint as much to see what I've done.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I use paper ranging from Ilford postcard stock, 10x15cm through to 12x16", but the majority of paper used is 8x10".

The ratio so far this year, January to July, 2½, 100 sheet boxes of postcard paper. Nine, 100 sheet boxes of 8x10" paper. One, 50 sheet box of 12x16" paper.

All RC.

One box of 100 sheet fibre paper and half a 50 sheet box of 12x16" fibre paper.

Mick.

Mick

You are a high-voluem printer! How many good ones do you get out of this and how many are duplicated prints?

 

[2F/2F]

Mick

You are a high-voluem printer! How many good ones do you get out of this and how many are duplicated prints?

I'm more curious to know how he got the little "1/2"! Preeetty slick...

 

[Jeff Kubach]

I go 8x10 or 11x14 depends on what is on hand and what my wallet says.

Jeff

 

[Bob Carnie]

48x96 inches is the largest size I do * client needs big budget**
30 x40 inches on a weekly basis
20x24 most common size
11x14 common for portfolio reviews
8x10 prints * I will do only if hot pokers threatened to eyes*

 

[pentaxuser]

8x10 is the biggest I will do but the bulk of prints tend to be 5x8, 5x7 and postcard size. The poll seems to ask for the biggest size so I have answered it this way and ticked 8x10 but in terms of volume the smaller sizes outweigh the 8x10

pentaxuser

 

[Travis Nunn]

I wish I could print bigger, but 11x14 is the largest paper my darkroom can handle.

 

[MattKing]

48x96 inches is the largest size I do * client needs big budget**
30 x40 inches on a weekly basis
20x24 most common size
11x14 common for portfolio reviews
8x10 prints * I will do only if hot pokers threatened to eyes*

I could be wrong, but I think Bob might just be the statistical anomaly in this sample .

I'm more curious to know how he got the little "1/2"! Preeetty slick...

When I want to do this, I compose the post in my word processor (WordPerfect) using the "Insert Symbol" function and then copy it over like this: "2½"

Matt

 

[c6h6o3]

I'm more curious to know how he got the little "1/2"! Preeetty slick...

On a Windows machine turn on Num Lock, hold down the Alt key and key in 171 on the number keypad, not on the main keyboard.

 

[c6h6o3]

BTW, Alt 172 yields ¼.

 

[Sirius Glass]

What would yield "3/4"? "7/8"? "15/16"?

Just askin'.

Steve

 

[Alan W]

8x10 mostly,my darkroom's so small 11x14 is a challenge and anything bigger is impossible.

 

[c6h6o3]

If your machine supports Unicode fonts, the code for 3/4 is 243, but it doesn't work on this interface. Some other ones which do, though, and are very useful:

251 √
252 ⁿ
253 ²
246 ÷
247 ≈
248 ° Now you know how to make a proper superscript degree sign.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

8x10 mostly,my darkroom's so small 11x14 is a challenge and anything bigger is impossible.

Small is beautiful. Actually, a small print in a large mount can look very special and precious!

 

[2F/2F]

Small is beautiful. Actually, a small print in a large mount can look very special and precious!

...as well as very arty and pretentious!

 

[Martin Aislabie]

Special and precious v arty and pretentious - LOL - they are two sides of the same coin

It just depends on how well you can carry it off in front of a given audience

Martin

 

[Wade D]

If your machine supports Unicode fonts, the code for 3/4 is 243, but it doesn't work on this interface. Some other ones which do, though, and are very useful:

251 √
252 ⁿ
253 ²
246 ÷
247 ≈
248 ° Now you know how to make a proper superscript degree sign.

I always wondered how to get the degree symbol, now I know. Thanks

 

[ozphoto]

I too print all sizes, but my regular printing size would be 8x10 or 8x12.
11x14 is the largest I like to go due to space and print washer limitations, but if pressed, I can go to 12x16 - 16x20 at a real stretch.

 

[Mick Fagan]

Ralph, I typed this up in bits and pieces during the day.

I wouldn’t call myself a high volume user, perhaps some people don’t realise how much consumables they actually use, years ago I was a high volume user.

I have participated in a couple of postcard exchanges this year, with an average print run of 55 cards each, these are from the same negative. Then there are family print runs where I often will print 7 or 8 postcards from a single frame, from a family gathering. Being a member of a largish family means that I often will make ½ a dozen postcard prints of a niece or nephew and give them to my siblings and their partners, who in turn will post the cards to their extended family. On top of that, I also do quite a few 8x10” prints for family members and the very occasional 12x16” print

So far this year I have exposed and processed 114 rolls of 36 frame 35mm film, this means there is a minimum of 114 8x10” sheets used for contact prints. Of these 114 rolls, 24 of them were rolls where I was shooting a model; I always give my models a contact sheet of each roll, so another 24 sheets used. Wastage with contact sheets is usually 5%, as in too light or too dark, in either a partial section or the whole of the contact sheet.

I do not pay my models with money; they get prints, lots of prints. It is not uncommon for the model to be in the darkroom giving their interpretation of a final print, which often ends up hanging in their house.

Generally I will shoot up to four 35mm rolls in a session with a model, from this there are usually around 10 or so good images from the various poses each session. These will be enlarged, usually full frame, onto 8x10” paper, one for me and one for the model. The average usage here is 30 sheets of 8x10” paper.

Later, models usually receive, around 15 to 25 good prints from a session. These prints are usually chosen during sessions around our dining table with input from the model, the missus and myself, discussing the pros and cons of each potential enlargement and the cropping. Wastage from these prints is minimal, to almost nothing.

With selected frames I enlarge onto 12x16” paper, usually two or perhaps three frames will be enlarged from a session. The average usage here is 3 sheets of paper, to get to the first correct print. I rarely print more than two good prints at 12x16” so the average here is 5 sheets, per frame enlarged.

Then there are family events, social events and some themes I have happening in the background, plus some extended holidays where photography is the sole or main reason for the trip.

I’ve attended two weddings this year, one of which I had a bonanza of good pictures, I used a 100 sheet box of 8x10” paper for that wedding, actually there were three sheets left over. The general guide here was about 20 frames enlarged onto 5x8” using half of an 8x10" sheet in a Jobo Varioformat easel; with about 15 or so cropped 8x10” prints. Then there was a special order from the bride (who is a next door neighbour) for 130 (trimmed slightly) 5x8” prints of her and her beloved to go out made up as thankyou cards, in a folding arrangement.

Then there is my 4x5” stuff. This year I have exposed and developed 113 sheets; I have two sheets awaiting development this evening or tomorrow. I often give a set of contact prints to the subject, or the owner of the subject, this happens about 50% of the time, so far this year, the dedicated box for the 4x5” contact sheets has 53 sheets used.

I do a very small amount of commercial work for a friend who approached me 1½ years ago; he manufactures small steel and/or milled alloy components for various industries. For this I use 4x5” and last financial year (start of July to end of June here) I used close to a 100 sheet box of FP4+ film.

All prints from this are 8x10” showing important detail in the components such as stress points, milling marks, etcetera.

Two negatives are taken of every set-up, I keep one negative, and he takes the other one with him to meetings with potential customers. The reasoning behind this is to quell fears that pictures he may be showing are doctored. He is able to show clients a detailed picture, with extremely good clarity at ½ life size, whilst at the same time he can show proof that the picture they are looking at, is not a doctored image. He is a 9001 certified manufacturer; it appears that it is important to prove he can manufacture what he says he does and how he says he does.

I used 4 by 100 sheet boxes of 8x10” paper, of which about half was counted in this years total I mentioned, previously for him.

When I go into the darkroom to print, which is usually a couple of times a week, I manage to get a good straight print using two sheets of paper, I assess it under my lighting set-up, sometimes consulting the missus. If I take more than two goes to get a finished print requiring dodging and/or burning, I take that as a failure.

This is a game I have with myself, that started about 20 odd years ago in a commercial darkroom. If work was a bit slow, we sometimes gave each other a negative and three sheets of paper, headed off to our respective darkrooms then whoever produced the best full 8x10” print, had a cup of coffee made by the others. We also did this with colour, which interestingly, is generally easier to get a good print from. I had my fair share of, made for me, cups of coffee.

I usually use dishes/trays for print developing, but whenever I have a quantity of prints to do in a session, anything over 30 or so 8x10” prints, I fire up the Durst Printo. There are some reasons for this, speed and efficiency is important, but consistency, print after print, is the main reason.

I don’t watch too much television!

Mick.

 

[colrehogan]

I typically contact print, and now most often shoot 5x7, 6.5 x 8.5 or 5x12. So I voted "smaller". But when enlarging from 35mm/120, I usually worked 11x14-ish, sometimes going as big as 12x18/16x20.

I also contact print using alt-processes, but I voted 11x14, because my print frame is only 11x14. I can't go any larger than that. If I want bigger, I take it to a lab and they print it in the darkroom at whatever size I pay them to make.

Wow, Mick! I just read your reply above. That is a lot of printing!

 

[rst]

Small is beautiful. Actually, a small print in a large mount can look very special and precious!

And in my opinion a small print invites the viewer to get closer to the image and in most cases this is not only a distance-wise closer.

I voted for 11x14, my usual paper size is 9½x12 but the biggest I can go right now (and sometimes do) is 12x16.

Cheers
Ruediger