Best enlarger for making contact prints from digital negs?

[B-3]

I'm constructing a new darkroom and making choices regarding equipment.

In addition to enlarging from 6x6 and 6x4.5 negs, I'd like to try to make contact prints from digital negatives made with an inkjet printer.

While I've done enlargements before, I've never made contact prints of any sort, so I'm not sure about the standard requirements, let alone any differences for digital negs. Is there a certain minimum size requirement? Will a condenser head work, or would a diffusion head be better? I have the space (and the funds) for both, if necessary.

Thanks for your help.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Contact prints only require a moderately controllable light source that puts out enough light in the right spectrum for the print process. They don't require an enlarger at all. Weston used a light bulb with some cloth over it that could be adjusted to different heights for more or less exposure.

[L Gebhardt]

A light bulb will work just fine for contact prints. If you are using variable contrast paper you might want an enlerger so you can color the light to fine tune the process. Or better yet tune the digital negatives to the paper and light source you have.

For the enlargements it really doesn't matter much which enlarger type you get. I sometimes think my condenser is sharper, but it could be that it is just higher contrast. I usually use a color head (diffuser) for my black and white and it works well.

If you want a free enlarger let me know. I have a 6x7 Honeywell Nikkor that is collecting dust. It is a color enlarger, but I think the color filters have faded because it didn't work well for color, but I had good luck with it for black and white. I used Kodak or Ilford filters under the lens though. I am in New Hampshire, so you could do a pickup if you want.

[B-3]

Thanks for the help, I obviously have a lot to learn (recommend any good books?).

And such a generous offer! Thank you!