Dolcedo
Hello,
A quick question: if I want to enlarge a print without a border on the paper... would a thin glass plate do the job? Or would the image quality be significantly reduced by refraction, dust or similar factors?
What alternatives are there?
One more thing: does anyone know where I can find out which Duka lighting I need for which type of paper? Is it on the packaging?
Many thanks and happy printing,
David
cfb_de
Hi David,
A glass plate will do, as long as it’s not the kind of streaky skylight glass. It’s easier, though, with a frameless enlargement frame, as it’s much simpler to position the paper correctly. The glass should be heavy enough, though – museum-grade cardboard packs quite a punch. And the edges should be neatly sanded (no need for bleeding fingers in the darkroom).
Dust is a real nuisance, of course; you’ve just got two more surfaces to collect dust on.
Alternatives: ‘Borderless frames’ with magnetic strips; PE paper can be stuck directly onto the base board with a drop of water; have a look in the competition forum for ‘sticky easel’; or – for the posh option – the brilliant vacuum suction plate.
The latter are often traded on eBay and usually come from dismantled enlargers. Think about whether you want a 50x60cm “enlargement frame” weighing about twenty kilos. The suction pump also makes noise and needs to be vibration-isolated.
So I’m still sticking with the good old water drop method. Or the least cool option: enlarging with a border and then straight into the paper cutter. The advantage of this is that I end up with clean edges. And since I dry baryta paper using the tape method anyway, there’s no other way.
Best regards,
Franz
