contact print a normal, positive print onto a fresh sheet of printing paper, using
your enlarger as a light source. Light passes through the top paper just as it
would through a film negative, though you need more exposure because paper
holds back considerably more light than film would. Since you are starting with
a positive image, the result will be tonally reversed: a negative on paper. Follow
these directions:
1. Lift the enlarger head high enough to evenly expose the entire sheet of
paper.
2. Open the enlarging lens to its widest aperture. You can use any lens aperture,
but the stronger light from a large aperture helps keep exposures from
becoming too long.
3. Position a fresh, unexposed sheet of paper under the enlarger, emulsion
side up, as you would when making contact prints. Make sure the paper
you are using had no brand identification or any other type of writing on
the back, as such markings will show visibly when the negative print is
processed.
4. Position the positive print face down on the unexposed paper so that the
emulsion of the print is flat against the emulsion of the blank paper.
5. Place a piece of glass on top of the positive print to press it firmly against
the unexposed paper. Make sure the glass is clean, scratch-free, and heavy
enough to hold the paper flat.
6. Turn on the enlarger and expose the paper. It’s best to make a test strip first
to determine the correct exposure and adjust when you see the results. Often
exposure will range between 10 and 20 seconds, but the actual time will
vary widely depending on many factors, including the intensity of the light
(brightness of bulb, f-stop of lens, distance between light source and paper)
and the density of the positive print (dark prints require longer exposure
times). Also, fiber-based papers require more exposure than RC papers.
7. Process the exposed paper normally. The resulting print will show a negative
image. If it is too light, make another print with a longer exposure
time; if it’s too dark, make another print with a shorter exposure time.
These instructions are basically the same as those for making contact prints
from film negatives, so you don’t really need an enlarger for your light source. A
simple low-watt (15–25 watt) lightbulb pointing down at a countertop will do
the trick. If you do use an enlarger, you can use variable-contrast filters or built-in
filters with variable-contrast papers or graded papers to change image contrast.
Placing the two pieces of paper emulsion-to-emulsion yields sharp results,
but also flips the image laterally; for instance, words print backwards and what
is on the left side of the positive print ends up on the right side of the negative
print. For some images, this reversal does not matter. If it does matter, however,
you can expose the fresh paper by placing the positive print facing up, rather
than down. This will correct the flipped orientation, but may result in decreased
image sharpness.
It’s a simple matter to print two or more negatives together, one on top of the
other, as you would a single negative. This technique, called sandwiching negatives,
can lead to some odd, surreal results. Follow these steps:
1. Place the two negatives together, both emulsion side down, in the negative
carrier. In theory, you can use as many negatives as you like, but using more
than two will make exposures considerably longer.
2. Turn on the enlarger, adjust the combined image to the desired size, and
focus. Then proceed as you would when printing a single negative: Make a
test strip to determine the needed exposure, then process and wash the
print normally.
Two negatives sandwiched together block more light than a single negative,
so you will need longer exposure times. Burning-in and dodging, which you are
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