Easels and Templates

Recently I used a template to set up my prints and after printing out 1 or 2 pictures with even borders the easel moves and my border on my print comes out crooked and a piece of paper is wasted. Is there any effective techniques to keep the borders from moving other than taping the easel down?

Make a crisscross of architects tape (or permanent marker) corner to corner on the enlarger base plate (or corner to corner on the light from the enlarger if different) , position your template / easel and add a tick mark at each corner. you can do this for several different sizes of easel or template. Can also be used with paper alone.

Most often, I reposition the easel for each print.

 

Some are heavy enough to almost stay in position, so just be a little careful

opening and closing. Otherwise, I hold the base down with one hand while

opening and closing.

 

I think my first one had rubber feet to keep it from moving, but rubber feet

dry out after a while, and so don't stick so well. Maybe peel and stick

rubber feet to replace them.

 

I normally do at least a little cropping, so the position won't stay the same

from print to print.

 

I never tried this, but you might put tape in parallel lines on the base, which

would help line it up, assuming no tilt in the negatives.

 

My enlarger is currently mounted on bare plywood, which might not be the

best surface for keeping things from moving.

 

I think most times that it moves, I know that it moves, so put the paper

away and reposition it.

 

One that I have never done is to use a red filter (some enlargers have them)

to position while viewing on the paper, but not exposing. That is what

the red filters are for, though.

My enlarger is currently mounted on bare plywood, which might not be the

best surface for keeping things from moving.

Actually, if you have the luxury of a permanent setup, mounting directly to a solid counter top is excellent. All kinds of materials can be used to prevent the slip - I used a light colored, heavy duty plastic contact paper - easy to clean, had just enough texture.

A better easel like a Saunders 4 blade easel is heavy enough and has a lot of rubber padding on the bottom so that it stays put. I haven't used anything else for the last 30 years precisely because it provides predictable, even borders.

Actually, if you have the luxury of a permanent setup, mounting directly to a solid counter top is excellent. All kinds of materials can be used to prevent the slip - I used a light colored, heavy duty plastic contact paper - easy to clean, had just enough texture.

 

Our house has a tiny darkroom built by the previous owner. Not like the way I might build one, but ...

 

One corner, which seems to be where an enlarger should go, has a plywood shelf.

(Actually two, so there is storage space below.)

 

I got this enlarger when someone was giving it away, and then found no baseboard like one might expect.

 

So, a few holes in the plywood and it is bolted down. It seems that it was given to the person who

gave it to me, and who never got to using it. I also found that it didn't have condenser lenses, but

someone on eBay sells them for a reasonable price.

 

Yes, the easel can probably move, so I have to be a little careful using it. I haven't tried a new

surface on top of the plywood.