INTRODUCTION TO DARKROOM

Contact Printers

A contact printer is a kind of easel that enables you to make a sheet of thumbnail prints from an entire roll of negatives. The value of a contact printer is that once you have a contact sheet, it becomes easier to evaluate which negative (s) to blow-up into larger prints. Using a contact printer is simple. In the dark, take the proofer and put it under your enlarging lens. Place a piece of photo paper on the proofer's base pad. Then, take your negatives and lay them out in order in rows on the paper. Once this is done, close the printer and make an exposure. Then, develop the paper. You now have a piece of paper with lots of little images on it.

Some proofers have grooves in them to hold the negatives in line. Most of the good ones will have a sheet of glass that closes over the negatives and holds them flat against the paper. Some of them leave spaces for the frame numbers to print through. Some are slip-in style where the negatives are slid in from one side and the paper slipped in underneath. Choose the style you feel most comfortable with. Contact printers are not expensive but are a worthwhile purchase. Some photographers have even made their own versions. After all, all you really need is a pad and a sheet of glass.