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Fibre Paper Curling Problem
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I want to make some 16×20 fibre prints and I have a bit of a conundrum. I hate using easels. So, when I make prints I usually make my own cardboard mask. This might for example be a 12″ by 16″ piece of cardboard with a 9″ x 12′” opening on it. I would also have a corresponding 12″ by 16″ piece of cardboard with no opening. I stick that down on the baseboard first. Put paper on top of that – if it’s 12″ by 16″ paper it simply lines up with the edges of the cardboard. Then I put the cardboard with the opening on top of that. Expose the picture.
I then get a 9″ by 12″ print on a 12″ by 16″ piece of paper with a nice straight border with minimum hassle. Of course, if I want to make a different sized print I have to make another mask but I tend to stick to the same print sizes so that’s not too much of a problem.
Now I want to do some 16″ by 20″ prints. I could simply use 20″ by 24″ paper and make a mask that will give me a 16″ by 20″ image on that paper. However I don’t want to do that as I then have the extra expense of buying 20″ by 24″ paper. No way.
What I would like to do is simply lay the 16″ by 20″ paper down on the baseboard and print the image right to the edge of the paper (I will then stick it in a mount which is marginally smaller than 16″ by 20″). I have been doing this with RC paper and it works fine, as RC paper lays nice and flat when you take it out of the box. However this is not going to work with Fibre paper because (in my experience at least) it curls a lot so it won’t lay flat on the baseboard unless you hold the edges of it down with something, in which case I am back to using a mask or an easel.
What to do? Is there a solution?
Only thinking out loud but what about double sided sellotape around the edges underneath the paper?
or very small bits of blue tac around the edges and use a larger aperture in the lens to keep everything sharp…That’s not a bad idea (the double-sided tape). I wonder it any nasty stuff would come off the tape though onto the paper and mess with the developer …
I wouldn’t think the gum from the tape would effect the developer at all
Id be more afraid you would have problems getting it off the back of the print without it ripping. After the print was though the different baths, in the middle of washing I am sure it would just fall off anyhow…You can get magnetic boards so that the paper is magnetically held to the base board, but im sure these cost allot of money…
thefizz wrote:
Why the dislike of using easels Hugh?
There’s no real logic to it. I just hate them. I should probably try and get over it I suppose …
Hugh, I found allot of cheap easels out there are crap and are just a pain to use…
I use a Beard Easel at the moment and its just magic, worth looking at, they are over 100euro 2nd hand though so not cheap…. I have a a 16×20 one and its the dogs…would recommend itI suggest the metal squares used in building/ carpentry one at each edge, they are cheap and quick to use. I use the heavy black ones, you can get them in any hardware. The image below will give you some idea.
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