I was just curious as to how many people printing don't mind having uneven white borders? I use a premier easel, I don't suppose it matters though. Thanks

-- Dan Bruner (dab08147@aol.com), May 24, 2000

Answers

What do you mean by "uneven white borders"? If you mean not getting the image aligned in the centre (or wherehaveyou), then yes, this kind of unevennes drives me nuts...I'll re-print if it's off by more than a couple of mm in a small print...

-- shawn (shawngibson_prophoto@yahoo.com), May 24, 2000.

I too will reprint if the borders are off.

-- Bill Shaden (bshaden@rocketmail.com), May 24, 2000.

I'm obsessive about keeping my borders even.I'm using a Saunders easel.

-- Robert Orofino (rorofino@iopener.net), May 24, 2000.

I've been printing for over 30 years, and uneven borders continue to vex me!

I usually start by putting a finished print into the easel face up and trying to match the borders as closely as I can, then turn the print over to the back to use for composition and focus.

But inevitably, my first full-sized print (after the couple of small-piece test exposures I do first) ends up having at least one border that's too large or too small. Usually, I have to make at least one more print to adjust filter, exposure, or do some dodging/burning, to get a near-right print, so I adjust the easel based on an examination of the first print in the fixer. Often, this second print is better, but still slightly off border-wise, but more often then not, I still don't have it quite right in terms of darkness or eveness either. So I adjust again...

Once I get the easel right, I try to stay at the same size (4x5, 5x7, 8x10) for as long as I can... because I know it's going to take another 2 or 3 pieces of paper to get it right if I change it!

Typically, I keep the uneven border (and incorrect exposure, darkness, etc.) prints for my own records of "everything I printed from the roll" and give away or frame/put into an album the final good ones. I also sometimes give the intermediate prints to extended family members or friends who are FAR less critical than I am - they NEVER care that the borders are off, because a custom b/w print is such a treasure in today's 4x6 color machine-print world!

But no question, getting even borders is tricky, and I rarely manage it on the first or even second try...

-- Michael Goldfarb (mgoldfar@mobius.com), May 24, 2000.

I'm pretty critical about borders ect. Get yourself (at least) a Saunder's 4 bladed easel that or just trim your prints out to make borderless. Scott

-- Scott Walton (scotlynn@shore.net), May 25, 2000.

Good grief!

Here's a crazy suggestion for all you obsessives. Make the borders oversize and trim 'em down on a guillotine afterwards.

Hint. No normal person is gonna check that your 11x14 is slightly undersize.

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), May 26, 2000.

Pete, what's obsessive about sticking your print into a portfolio, where trimming and un-even borders will drive all who look at it crazy?

-- Snoopy (Snoopy_Freer@Yahoo.com), May 26, 2000.

I see no reason why trimmed borders should drive a viewer crazy? If all of the prints have been trimmed down to the same size and all of them are centered, then there should be no problem. I think consistency is the critical point. There's nothing sacred about the 8X10 or 11x14 (etc.) paper size.

-- Christopher Hargens (ldmr@cruzio.com), May 29, 2000.

I don't worry much about borders. I figure if the picture is that important it will be in a matte, and the actual borders on the paper won't matter that much.

-- Pete Su (psu_13@yahoo.com), May 29, 2000.

I guess the term "normal person" is relative.As far as mounting and matting even borders make those calulations so much easier. BTW I've been using a Saunders "Slim Track" 11X14 easel for about a year. My uneven border problems have disapeared.

-- Robert Orofino (rorofino@iopener.net), May 29, 2000.

Well for standard sizes (5x7, 8x10) I use those speed easels with perfect 1/4 inch borders everytime. Yes I have a 4 blade too and it works fine but for big jobs with lots of 5x7s 8x10s the speed easel is very helpful...good luck!

Garry Segal

-- Garry Segal (bluesngr@ix.netcom.com), June 01, 2000.