Making / Printing inkjet "Contact Prints"....advice??

[Guest]

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I am looking for a good way to be able to printer out on A4 paper "contact" prints / "proof prints" from my 35mm negatives and I would like to know if anyone has come to the best way of doing this. I am using film and processing that at home in a small darkroom but I want to stay with final printing digitally on my Epsom printers, I don't want to go back to "wet" printing which would obviously a way to contact print in the regular fashion.............So is there a good way to do this and what gear might be needed?

Thanks in advance........

[pedaes]

42 minutes ago, petermullett said:

A4 paper "contact" prints

Simple in Lightroom (Lrc) Print Module. From what you say you obviously have a scanner. Just make a print template for how many 'contacts' you want. Easy to set 1:1 contact size if that is what you want.

I feel I must be missing something.

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[Guest]

1 hour ago, pedaes said:

Simple in Lightroom (Lrc) Print Module. From what you say you obviously have a scanner. Just make a print template for how many 'contacts' you want. Easy to set 1:1 contact size if that is what you want.

I feel I must be missing something.

Maybe I am just looking for the most difficult route!............Yes I do have an Epson 700 scanner, so of course I should use that in the way you suggest. Self inflicted Dope slap!

I would like though to find a A4 printer that I could task with the contact printing rather than fire up the P800 or the 3800 everytime just for smaller paper, any suggestions or am I being stupid still?

Thanks!!!!

 

[pedaes]

Fire up the P800! There is no way there would be financial benefit in buying a A4 printer to avoid doing so - even before we get into the debate on print quality!  I personally often print (Epson for me too) for the sake of it as I think it is not good to leave them unused for long periods (to avoid 'clogging' etc,)

Seems you are good to go on all fronts!

Edited June 30, 2021 by pedaes

[Jeff S]

If you scan into a program like LR, easy to print from there using print module (or other print software like IP).

I don’t make digital contact sheets, but I routinely use my P800 to make A4 size work prints for viewing prior to final print stage. That’s what the machine is designed to do… better than sitting idle.

Jeff

[Guest]

14 hours ago, pedaes said:

Fire up the P800! There is no way there would be financial benefit in buying a A4 printer to avoid doing so - even before we get into the debate on print quality!  I personally often print (Epson for me too) for the sake of it as I think it is not good to leave them unused for long periods (to avoid 'clogging' etc,)

Seems you are good to go on all fronts!

 

14 hours ago, Jeff S said:

If you scan into a program like LR, easy to print from there using print module (or other print software like IP).

I don’t make digital contact sheets, but I routinely use my P800 to make A4 size work prints for viewing prior to final print stage. That’s what the machine is designed to do… better than sitting idle.

Jeff

Thanks pedeas and Jeff S, good advice as ever!.......So as you both suggest I'll utilise the P800 for this task, the older, ( but still going very well ), Epson 3800 is in the process of being drained of it's full spectrum inks and converted over to use Piezography Pro B&W inks, so it'll be best to give the contacting task to the other machine. I like to keep a sheet of contacts filed with the sleeved negatives, roll by roll. So much easier to review and find the neg' you want to work with that way.

[robert blu]

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I put the 35mm negatives on a LED light table and take a photo of them, all film 36 exposures with the iphone. Later I import in LR, invert it in Ps and reimport in LR adjust luminosity and. contrast and print in Lr on a A4 paper with the old P600 (which I plan to change with a P700/900 soon).

Easier to do than to describe and it works for archival purpose.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, robert blu said:

I put the 35mm negatives on a LED light table and take a photo of them, all film 36 exposures with the iphone. Later I import in LR, invert it in Ps and reimport in LR adjust luminosity and. contrast and print in Lr on a A4 paper with the old P600 (which I plan to change with a P700/900 soon).

Easier to do than to describe and it works for archival purpose.

Yes I've read of this, thank you.......and it's something I do intend to try out. I'd rather take one shot of all the frames at one time than scan individual frames and combine them in PS. Not after great quality, it's just a reference to be filed with the negs. Thinking to task my little used GH4 for this "scanning" work. I can never find my iPhone when I need it anyway, it just spent the past week dead under the car seat, who knew?

But first I still have to finish building the darkroom.............

 

Edited July 1, 2021 by petermullett