DIY negative carrier?

[chioque]

May be not exactly on topic, but related. I was watching the "Silver Footprint" DVD on Robin Bell last night and saw that one of his tricks was using used 4x5 negatives as masks by cutting the openings for the format required and black-taping the rest. He then sandwiched it between the negative to print and the carrier glass. He says it gives the 'dirty border' whilst preventing newton rings. Has anyone done something similar?

[paul ron]

Well if he hasn't taken advantage of the generous offer in the post above....

then a good quality acid free matt board is what I've used for many years till I finally scored a great deal on an original.

Cut the opening with a scalple or razor knife, paint the edges with Krylon ultra flat black to harden the board n make it a more pro looking job.

[Mainecoonmaniac]

I remember in photo school, the cool students made their own negative carrier because they wanted a full frame and the "dirty" edge in of the photo. Nothing wrong with a DIY carrier. You can get solid black mat board made by Bainbridge. http://www.artsuppliesonline.com/cat...m?cata_id=5186. If you're cheap like me and don't want to spend the money on a full sheet, find a local art store that will sell you some scraps big enough for your carrier.

[Jim Jones]

. . . I've found that 1/8" tempered Masonite works very well. It's cheap, usually available in small two by two foot sheets at home centers, and is easily sawed and drilled by common wood-working tools. Be sure to get the tempered kind, because the standard kind leaves rough, "fuzzy" edges when cut and drilled. . . .

I used tempered Masonite (or perhaps another tempered hardboard) to make a 35mm negative holder for an ancient DeJur 4x5 enlarger. It has worked perfectly for 36 years.