Square photographic paper

Andreas_23 · 2009-04-22T14:02:48+00:00

Hallo zusammen, seit einiger Zeit bin ich dem Charme einer mechanischen TLR (Lipca Rollop) erlegen und erzeuge jetzt quadratische Negative, die ich überwieg...

Andreas_23

Hello everyone, For some time now, I’ve been captivated by the charm of a mechanical TLR (Lipca Rollop) and now produce square negatives, which I mostly enlarge into square prints. As a result, depending on the format, I end up cutting off and discarding 20–25% of the photographic paper every time (of course, I could cut it off before the exposure and use the residue as test strips, but I don’t like fiddling with the roll cutter in the dark). Is there actually such a thing as square paper? Best regards, Andreas

uworischki

No, not as far as I know. Just leave the border on. Regards, Uwe

bernhardmangelsgmxde

Cutting under red light isn’t really a problem. If I don’t have the right size to hand, I cut a small supply with the trimmer before a session. Or, if I need to do it quickly, I use scissors, keeping a safe distance. The only real arguments against ‘just leaving the edges on’ are stinginess and the fact that the fixer will run out faster. (On the one hand, there’s more photo paper surface area to fix; on the other (at least that’s what I’ve heard, and it sounded logical enough), white apparently depletes the fixer faster than black. (OK, that’s actually stinginess too.) Regards, Bernhard

hansschneider

Is there actually such a thing as square paper?

Of course, for example from Ilford. Best regards Hans

rmrts

Hello, Just to add my two cents: I’d buy a roll of photographic paper (e.g. from the host <<HERE>> ) and cut out a whole boxful when I’ve got a quiet moment. That’s probably the cheapest option. Best regards, Reinhold

cfb_de

Hi Andreas, A beam cutter with a 35cm cutting width cost me about ten euros at Aldi Süd years ago. What’s more, buying paper by the roll can work out cheaper (price per m²). This makes 30x40 baryta paper a cost-effective option. Just snip a suitable piece of paper from the roll, pop it in a bag and you’re sorted. Only every other cut edge needs to be straight; the residue can be done with a lever cutter once it’s dry. The Versamask needs three contact points. Not four. But it can only handle fixed formats via masks. I cut test strips from the roll in exactly the same way. Quickly, crooked and uneven, about 2cm wide. These are then placed at an angle in the negative (sharpness doesn’t matter here) and simply subjected to exposure without a frame. Why does everyone actually think that roll film is great? Why does hardly anyone think it might be just as good with paper? Sometimes I really do think that today’s average amateur photographer mostly runs around with their brain switched off. Roll paper is significantly cheaper per square metre. Best regards, Franz

TR

Why does hardly anyone think that it might work just as well with paper?

Rolled paper? I prefer flat paper :rolleyes: . On the subject of trimming 6x6 sheets: I always make sure to cut enough paper (about 5 sheets on top of each other) with a pair of large scissors when the light is red. But, as mentioned, I leave a gap. Once dry, I trim the (now minimal) residue neatly with a lever cutter. The advantage of the uneven scissor cut: you can feel the trimmed edge and thus place the paper correctly in the cassette (with the untrimmed edges against the edge). I always have enough test strips in stock without having to sacrifice extra paper! :) Regards, Thomas

bernhardmangelsgmxde

Why does everyone think that buying film by the metre is such a great idea? Why does hardly anyone consider that it might be just as good for paper? Sometimes I really do get the impression that most amateur photographers these days are running about with their brains switched off. Buying paper by the roll is significantly cheaper per square metre.

That might not just be because the other amateur photographers switch off their brains, but could also have other reasons. Thomas mentioned one, for example. Another would be that roll paper isn’t necessarily significantly cheaper than sheet paper, as is sometimes the case with film sold by the metre. In that case, the fiddling around offers hardly any advantages. And even if it were cheaper: perhaps I don’t want 84 metres of photo paper lying around at home, and just want to take my paper out of the box, into the cassette, perform exposure, development – done. And cutting it with the €10 roll cutter from Aldi: right angles aren’t really possible (at least when I’m using the thing) -> I don’t necessarily get a right angle every other cut, which the enlarger frame would appreciate. After all, you might buy a sandwich from the baker’s even though it would be much cheaper to make your own, or drive to the supermarket even though it might be much cheaper to walk or cycle; some people even have a pizza delivered. And that’s not necessarily just because they’re not as clever as Franz. Best regards, Bernhard