From: Etienne Garbaux (photographeur@softhome.net)
Date: 07/12/03-09:23:29 AM Z
Ray wrote:
> Recently I obtained what I imagine is a contact printer...
These were used primarily from the '40s through the '60s, and less
regularly into the '70s. The four frosted glass "shelves" serve two
purposes. First, even diffusion of the light to eliminate hot spots.
Second, a place to set tissue paper to dodge areas of the print (the
farther down the dodge mask is, the more gradually it works). The
safelight is designed to allow viewing of the effect of the mask.
The bulbs would typically be argon discharge lamps with high actinic
output, not regular incandescent bulbs (argon lamps are like neon bulbs,
but glow purplish-blue instead of orange).
You will probably find that exposures on enlarging paper are very short --
too short for easy control. But conversely, exposures on most alt
materials -- POP, Pt, etc. -- would be much too long to tolerate. These
were made for slow chloride DOP, which is much slower than enlarging paper
but much faster than alt processes. Perhaps substituting small
incandescent lamps would slow it down enough for enlarging paper. Or, get
yourself a big stack of Azo and use it as it was intended to be used. :-)
Best regards,
Etienne
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