My question is, how do you make your own texture screens on a negative that you sandwhich with another negative in your enlarger? I have purchased a few from freestyle sales co. and they work really well, but there must be a way to make your own. I really hate to use a computer for all that stuff, it's much more fun in the darkroom. I am specifically interested in making some of see through things like tissue or parchment or something like that. I have an idea that you must photograph the surface somehow. But I don't know what's nessasary. Also, I would like to make some that are edgers, like ripped paper or scratched looking edges, soft grainy edges etc. I have seen these too, but want to make my own. Any ideas would be great. I didn't think this qualified as alternative. So here my question stands. Thanks for your help, from a student photographer

-- jane (jmngold@aol.com), March 15, 2000

Answers

Just stretch out your cloth, or whatever, on a copy-board and take a shot of it using Technical Pan film. Underexpose by about a stop so that the negative is mainly transparent, and develop normally i.e. to get the high contrast that Tech Pan was designed for.

The lighting can be a bit of a headache, as it needs to be at an acute angle to the surface to emphasise the texture, and equally bright across the copy board as well. You could try one light at a considerable distance from the board (the sun!).

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), March 16, 2000.

thanks so much, I will deffinetly try that. What do you think about transparent things like vellum or glass coasted with petrolium jelly or something??? And how do think I would make edges? What I mean is, to simulate the appearance of say, soft edges, or grainy, short of a sloppy negative carrier? Or venetting. Thanks again

-- jane (jmngold@aol.com), March 16, 2000.