Adam Kimball (akimball@finebrand.com)
Wed, 30 Jun 1999 16:05:37 -0700
David,
I recently acquired a Nuarc 26-1k plate burner. I have to say, in my
experience, finding these thing cheap (not to mention free) is difficult in
some parts. Here in the Bay Area California, I searched high and low for
more than a year before I found one at a reasonable price - $550 in good
condition. MOST (90%) were around $700.
If you search the archive there are some good posts relating to this issue.
Some quick thoughts:
* they are big, and very heavy- if space is limited, I'd reconsider.
* stay away from flip-tops and carbon arc burners. Burning/Dodging on a
flip-top isn't possible. Carbon arc's are, I've been told, more dangerous.
* check on the availability of bulbs before you buy.
As for aesthetic tastes - you'll have to find out for yourself. I can
positively tell the difference between prints I've made using fluros and
prints on the plate burner. Maybe it is because I am not used to seeing
prints from a point-source light, but I honestly prefer the fluro look at
this point. Likewise, using a vacuum frame results in another look too, even
comparing prints from my very well made split-back frame.
I bought this one because I love using a vacuum frame, and like having an
integrator to compensate for light output fluctuations. However, fluro's
have their own great set of characteristics.
Maybe the best advice is get both.. or get some super actinics, some bl's, a
Nuarc, and use the sun... space, time, and money providing ;)
-Adam
Carl Fransman wrote:
> Hi David,
>
> printing with plate burners works fine in most cases - be careful to
> check the lamp, some processes (also with plates) require different
> wavelengths to be optimal. You can find cheap plateburners through
> graphic arts dealers - they udually have customers wanting to get rid off
> them; I know of at least three people that got their plateburner for
> free. They have little or no secondhand value in the graphic arts circuit
> where most people are either installed or need big formats, we can
> usually settle for what printers call small formats; A3-50x70 cm...
> If you want to try digital negatives, the plateburners have the
> additional advantage of behaving like a pointlight.
>
> Good luck,
>
> Carl Fransman
>
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> Printing & Lithography
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b3 on Thu Oct 28 1999 - 21:39:38