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The purpose of this assignment is to present students with information about the 4x5 camera, to familiarize them with the parts and features of the camera, and to give more practice in using the camera. It is very important that each student follows instructions in its use and work carefully. Never use force, otherwise serious damage may be done to the working parts. Your instructor will demonstrate its proper use and point out the parts and features mentioned.

The following outline will help to learn these things. Press cameras have a wide variety of features and advantages that are not characteristic of most other types of cameras. Among these are more than one type of view finder, shutter, and methods of focusing. On any one camera the photographer can select for instance, from a choice of three types of view finders, one which will be most suitable for the particular shooting situation. The same type of choice can apply to other parts of the press camera. Another important advantage of the 4x5-press camera is the fact that it produces a large size film image. The size is 4x5 sheet film or 120 roll film. By using a 120 roll film adapter, roll film can be used. The roll film adapter can be removed from the camera after the pictures have been taken, the film is now ready to be developed.

Press cameras are made to take a wide variety of attachments such as interchangeable lenses, filters and flash units. It is for these reasons that many photographers prefer to use this type camera. Perhaps the two greatest disadvantages of it when compared to smaller cameras are (1) the large film size is more costly and (2) it is rather heavy, and bulky in size.

The Graphic grew to meet the exacting demands of the press photographer. The news cameraman had to get what he saw, when and where it happened, and on a moment's notice. The Graphic has become so closely associated with the work of the press that it is practically a symbol for the news photographer. This does not mean that it cannot be used for purposes other than press photography. It is a most flexible and versatile camera, well suited to other types of work. It can easily be used for copying, portraiture and numerous laboratory jobs. There are several different models and sizes of the Graphic camera, however, the 4x5 model is the one used in this laboratory. Other sizes are 2 1/4x3 1/4 and 3 1/4x4 1/4. Two models will be used which are the Crown Graphic and Speed Graphic. The Crown Graphic differs from the Speed Graphic in that it does not have a focal plane shutter.

The camera body is made of well-seasoned Honduras mahogany, rigidly reinforced with metal brackets and plates. It is covered with black plastic to give it additional protection and a neat appearance. When opened, the front of the box drops down to become the camera bed. The camera can be opened and readied for picture taking so quickly that it truly has earned the name Speed Graphic. Outlined here are the main features of the camera. Parts of the Camera

Lock screw

1. Ground glass--best to use for composing. Most accurate for focusing.
2. "Peep type" Viewfinder--use when there is not time to use the ground glass, however it is not as accurate.
3. Sportsfinder--for fast action. Not very accurate.

1. Between the lens--this type is used on most occasions. On the Speed Graphic set trip on the "front" position.

2. Cable release--"screw in attachment" on top or the side of the lens. This is the best method when the solenoid is not available.
3. Body trip--on side of the body or case. Not good to use because of the danger of moving camera.

1. Rising front--allows lens to be raised to prevent distortion caused by converging parallel lines--i.e. shooting upward at a tall building.
2. Lateral shift--allows lens to be moved from left to right for centering image without moving the camera. To use unlock standard lock and depress lateral shift catch.

3. Tilting lens board--used to correct distortion and to bring greater amount of subject into sharp focus. To use loosen lock nuts on side of lens board. Return to normal position before closing the camera.

3. Drop bed--allows bed to drop below view when using a wide angle lens. To use depress bed braces and push down.
4. Bellows extension--allows bellows to be extended to 12 inches for extreme close-up 1-1 ratio focusing. Also permits use of long focal length lens. When using infinity stops must be pushed down--also must focus on ground glass. F/stop values no longer correct--must compute correct exposure.

1. In order to focus the camera, set f-setting knob at f4.7, which is the widest opening, and push the shutter release to make sure the shutter is not cocked.
2. Open the shutter by locating the press focus knob by pushing it up. (The press focus knob is located to the right of the lens.)
3. Open the back of the camera by using the focusing hood latch so that he ground glass is visible (the lens inverts the image).
4. Now use, the focusing knob with lock off, on the front of the camera bed and focus the image--always focus on the subject.
5. When focused, push the press focus knob down to close shutter.
6. Set the proper f setting and shutter speed. (Always have shutter released before adjusting the shutter speed.)
7. Place the film holder in camera and remove slide nearest lens.
8. Cock the shutter, and use the cable release to take the picture, when the subject is ready.
9. Listen for click. (If you do not hear it there is a good chance that the press focus knob is open and the film is ruined)
10. Replace film slide (black side out) and remove film holder.

Panchromatic film is sensitive to all colors of light, therefore when processing pan film there must be total darkness. Since there is no light and no one can see the film as it develops, it must be developed according to time. The development time is determined by the temperature of the developer. To aid in calculating the development time, a developing computer is used. In order to correctly use the computer, two variables must be known. They are: (1) the kind of developer and (2) the speed of the film. By using the computer chart, match the kind of developer with the speed of film (ASA 400) and the result is the computer number (34). This number should then be lined up with the temperature of the developer at the top of the wheel. Look at the bottom of the wheel under average contrast and the result is the development time.

It is very important for the beginning photographer to become at home in the darkroom. The chemicals are always used from left to right. In order to control the temperature to keep it equal, the processing tanks are placed in a water jacket. A water jacket allows the water to flow freely in between the tanks.

The agitation for the developer is very important-agitate for the first 30 seconds (removes bubbles and allows developer to soak equally into entire emulsion), and then agitate 5 seconds every 30 seconds. To agitate properly, always lift the hanger out of the developer and let it drip into developer tank for approximately 3 seconds throughout development.

The clock is a Gra Lab Timer. Every click of the minute hand is one minute. The on-off switch is located in the upper right hand corner. The buzzer on-off switch is located on top of the clock. The switch in the upper left-hand corner should not be adjusted. The dial is a radium dial and can be changed with white light; it will glow in the dark.

The film is developed in a film-developing hanger. Before turning off the light, set clips in an open position. This will make loading easier. Also as a film developer hanger is loaded, place it in the drying rack in the developing room before processing. This practice will keep the film from getting stains and dust. An empty film-developing hanger can be used to check the chemical height. It should be higher than the film.

The thermometer is another important tool. The most common recommended temperature is 68 degrees. The thermometers used in the lab are Celsius and the temperatures are given on the centigrade scale. The temperatures are in the 20's and 30's (which may seem strange). The temperatures are in the 60's and 70's Fahrenheit. This is the reason it will always have a separate designation on the dial. Be careful to read the temperature correctly.

If for any reason you must leave the room during processing there is a lid, which fits on the tank. Be sure to use it, otherwise the film will be fogged or ruined. When finished, place lid on tank to prevent oxidation of chemicals.

If the film has a milky appearance after it has been taken out of the fixer, it was not fixed long enough, or the fixer is contaminated. If the negative is clear, the negative was underexposed or underdeveloped. If the negative is dark it was overexposed or overdeveloped. Let the film dry in the drying rack for your class for at least one day before touching it.

There are numerous ways of reproducing visual images. One of the more frequently used methods is that of producing images by the action of light on a light sensitive surface. This is known as "photography" which means to write with light. The two kinds of light writing with paper are contact and projection printing. Contact printing is the making of a print or paper positive the same size as the negative by bringing the emulsion side of the negative into contact with the emulsion side of the paper.

NEGATIVE--The negative has the black and white reversed while a positive looks like the original scene or picture. In order to determine the emulsion side of a negative, compare both sides and the emulsion is the dull side.

POSITIVE--The emulsion side of paper is the curl, glossy or shiny side. The paper will usually curl in the direction of the emulsion. Another method is by comparing both sides and the emulsion side is the glossy or shiny side. However some papers are matte finish or dull and it is hard to tell the difference between the paper backing and the emulsion side.

EXPOSURE--When the paper and negative are placed together, emulsion to emulsion, light is passed through the negative to the sensitive side of the paper. This is called exposure.

EMULSION--In order to record an image on a piece of photographic paper the light rays pass through the negative onto the paper and the highly sensitive emulsion responds by turning into metallic silver. The silver salts of this emulsion consist chiefly of silver nitrate with some silver chloride or silver bromide. The image is made because the negative is a series of tones. Hold a negative up to a light and look through it. Notice that there are dark or black areas, medium or gray areas, and light or white areas in the negative. It is impossible for the human eye to see all the gradations of tones--only a portion of them can be seen. When the light starts to pass through the negative, the dark areas will let a small amount of light pass, the medium areas will allow more light to pass, and the light areas will allow the most light to pass. The dark areas of the print will be the lighter areas of the negative, which allowed more light to pass. It is the recording of these rays that make any photograph.

CHEMICALS--The chemical solutions used in processing are listed as follows, by name, time, and function. Processing chemicals for paper:

NAME TIME FUNCTION

1. Developer 90 Seconds Brings out the latent image

2. Stop Bath 10 Seconds Stops action of developer

3. Fix 5 Minutes Makes image permanent

4. Wash 10 Minutes Cleans off all chemicals

All of the times listed are minimum times. If the paper is left in any of the chemicals longer than the required time, the print will be all right. However, if the chemical times are shortened, there are many "things" that can go wrong.

AGITATION--During processing the trays should be rocked back and forth, this is called agitation. Constant agitation during development is essential. Correct agitation will cause fresh chemicals to be placed on the paper, which will mean no stains and equal development.

PARTIAL PROCESSING-- Photographic paper may be partially processed after it has been placed in the fix. If the class period is about over and after development, stop bath, and fix. Dunk the print in the wash, set it on a paper towel and place it in the locker. The next day add five minutes to the time of the wash and finish processing.

SAFELIGHT--For many, this will be the first experience of working in a darkroom under safelights with an enlarger. Safelights, which are dim colored filtered lights, must be used in the darkroom since ordinary "white lights" would expose the paper immediately thus ruining the possibility of making an image on it. The unwanted exposure is called fog. The emulsion on photographic paper is not highly sensitive to the yellow or red safelights, but even so avoid such a light that is too bright or exposing it for long periods of time. It is a good practice to place any sheet of paper that is not being used in a drawer or box that will shut out light. If the paper is left near the enlarger during exposure it will be fogged.

CONTACT FRAME-- a contact printing frame is used to hold the negative and positive together. It is a simple device involving a wooden or plastic frame, a sheet of clear plate glass for the front, and a hinged and padded spring tension backplate.

The negative and paper are sandwiched, emulsion to emulsion, between the glass and the backplate, which holds them in uniform contact by exerting pressure against them and the glass front. The negative is placed emulsion side up on the glass inside the frame. The paper is placed emulsion side down over the negative. The backplate is placed upon the paper and its springs are secured to the frame.

This invisible image is called a latent image. Both contact papers and enlarging papers are classified as DOP. Developing out paper is used for most all of the photographic printing.

The enlarger will be used for a light source. The following parts will be used:

Focus Switch - Used for setting up enlarger, on/off switch on timer

Time Indicator – Used to set exposure time

Exposure Button – Once time indicator has been set the light will automatically go off

Enlarger Base - The bottom of the enlarger

Enlarger Lock - When the height has been set the lock is tightened.

Never raise and lower enlarger with lock tightened.

Raising and Lowering Knob - This raises and lowers the enlarger for height.

Aperture - Controls the amount of light by altering the size of the opening

Focusing Knob - Controls the size of the light

Until now all the prints have been mainly black and white with a few grays. However now that a panchromatic negative is being used, the exposure time of the print must be determined.

In order to determine the exposure time, a test strip must be made. A test strip is simply a piece of photographic paper, which has been cut into strips. By cutting it up, many test strips can be made from one sheet of paper. It is very wasteful to use a full sheet of paper for a test strip. Usually the first test strip will not work until you have some experience. Test strips are good only at the time they are made and cannot be used from one day to the next or even from one enlarger to another. Follow the directions listed in the procedure for making a test strip. The exposure time must be controlled and the development must be exact--90 seconds.

Check out a sheet of photographic paper. Cut the paper into 3 or 4 equal parts. Cut the long way. Find the subject in the negative and place that part of the negative's emulsion against the emulsion of the test strip. Place both in the contact frame with the negative touching the glass.

Now turn the contact frame with the gloss down and prepare the enlarger. Set enlarger height, and size of light. Set timer at 5 seconds. Turn on light and set the size of light and set aperture by opening the aperture all the way and then close down 3 stops. When enlarger is set, turn over contact frame. Cover the test strip and negative so that one-inch is not covered with the test card. Push exposure button.

When finished, move test card another inch and expose for 5 more seconds. Keep doing this until one-half inch is left which has not been exposed. Remove test strip from contact frame and develop for 90 seconds. Do not take out of developer early. Stop for 5 seconds, fix for one minute, then dunk in water and go under white light.

Determine the best exposure. If the test strip is all black, turn light dimmer and do it again. If the test strip is white, open aperture and give it more light. (For example, if you choose the 3rd step from the whitest, this would be approximately l5 seconds, push the exposure button 3 times.)

Place the test strip back in wash for 5 minutes and then place on paper towel in your locker. Never run test strips through the dryer. If your test strip turned out, then check out a full sheet of photographic paper and place in contact frame. Expose for the time, which looked the best on the test strip. (If the fourth from the highest looks the best, and each strip is 5 seconds then set the time for 20 seconds.) Push the exposure and the paper should be exposed for 20 seconds. Process for 90 seconds development, 5 seconds stop, 5 minutes fix, 2 minutes hypo eliminator, and 5 minutes wash.

5.4 - ENLARGING

Enlarging, also called projection printing, is the process of making a photographic print larger or smaller than the image on the negative. This is made possible by the fact that the negative and the photographic paper are placed at a distance from one another, rather than touching as in the case of contact printing. This space between the paper and negative allows the light rays to spread out, thus covering a larger area on the easel where the image is printed. The higher the enlarger is raised the more area the light rays will cover and consequently a larger picture will result. These spreading light rays are brought into sharp focus by placing a lens between the paper and negative. This device called an enlarger. Actually it is a projector, much like the kind with which you project slides on a screen, except it is usually used in a vertical position.

PURPOSE-The enlarger must evenly illuminate and precisely project an image without any movement.

The diffusion enlarger scatters or scrambles the light. This is done in a mixing chamber or by passing through an opal glass before it passes through the negative. Diffusion type enlargers tend to give a rather soft image. In portrait photography tiny skin blemishes and wrinkles tend to get hidden because of the "soft-focus" treatment of the speck of the grain. Light is scattered very inefficiently in a diffusion enlarger and a high-output bulb is commonly used to keep printing exposure times within reason.

Most all dichroic enlargers are diffusion enlargers. The dichroic enlargers are used to make color enlargements because of the clear freshness and non-tint of the light source. In other words it is color balanced.

The cold-light enlarger is mostly favored for larger portrait type negatives. Instead of the usual opal tungsten bulb it uses a broader coiled fluorescent light source. This is a diffusion type enlarger.

Today's trend is concerned with sharpness and clarity. This makes the use of a condenser enlarger mandatory. The light from the bulb, which is an opal light bulb, is aimed by a series of condensers through the negative and focused near the lens, which in turn focuses the image on the baseboard. The result is a slightly higher contrast than that which the diffusion enlarger produces. The condenser type of enlarger is the sharpest and makes crisp enlargements.

Point-source enlargers differ from regular condensers in that they use a very specific type of clear bulb. Because the light is very highly defined and very highly concentrated in a relatively paralleled beam it produces extremely sharp and clear images. It is best used when high definition work is desired.

SIZE-Each enlarger is rated by the largest negative size it will accept. A 4x5 enlarger can use all negative size up to 4x5 (this is including 35mm and 120). Conversely a 35mm enlarger can only accept negatives of 35mm and smaller. It would not accept 120 and 4x5 negatives.

LENSES-The enlarger lens is very important in ensuring sharp prints. The lens in the enlarger can be compared to a motor in a car. The better the lens, the more elements it has, results in higher quality enlargements. Do not purchase a cheap lens to save money. Placing a cheap lens on an expensive enlarger is like placing a Volkswagon engine in a Cadillac body. To test the sharpness of an enlarger lens use the Kodak black and white focus test negative. After a print is made with the test negative, the overall sharpness, and any aberrations or hot spots can be seen.

MAINTENANCE-The regular maintenance program should be followed to keep the enlarger in perfect shape. Keep the condenser clean, the light bulb aligned, and the condenser matched to the focal length of the lens.

Make it a practice to clean carefully, using lens tissue and a light touch. Use pressurized air to remove the larger particles of dirt from each negative. Make it a habit to check all light transmitting surfaces every time when starting to make an important print. Check alignment periodically and adjust if necessary. Cropping is simply doing away with or not printing parts of the image on the negative.

LAMP HEAD-The lamp head, condenser housing, negative platform, lens board and baseboard must all be securely lined up parallel. The head must be held securely in place and in accurate alignment to the baseboard over its entire range of height.

ENLARGING PAPER-Enlarging paper is designed for producing an image from a projected light source so it has a faster emulsion than that of contact papers (silver chloride). Enlarging paper has an emulsion made chiefly of silver bromide which is more sensitive or "faster" than contact paper.

CLEANLINESS-It must be remembered that any defect such as a spot, scratches, smears or dirt will show up in enlarged detail on the print. Thus, it is extremely important to take extra precautions in selecting a good negative so as not to have any poor results caused by such faults. Always keep the negative in an envelope when not using it and check to see if it has any dirt, dust or smears that can be removed. When handling a negative, always use the edges. Dirty lenses can also cause a blemish in the picture.

DO NOT clean the enlarging lenses. If cleaning is necessary, tell the instructor. Even though enlarging may bring out the best in a picture, it necessitates using the best working and processing techniques. Work must be done carefully. Remember that the emulsion of the negative and positive are always facing each other.

It is very important to learn the name and function of the parts of the enlarger:

Lamphouse - A frosted light bulb is located in the Lamphouse.

Condenser - In this enlarger, there are three condensers. Located above the two condensers is a variable condenser, which can be adjusted for different lenses. The purpose of the condenser is to spread out the light rays and make the light equal through all parts of the negative so that there are no hot spots.

Film Stage - The negative carrier is placed here. There are pegs so that the carrier will be located in the same place.

Bellows - The bellows make up the difference between the film stage and lens.

Lens - We have three lenses. A 50mm for 35mm and l26 film; 75mm for l20 film; and 135mm for 4x5 film. The f setting controls the amount of light, which passes through the lens.

Focus Knob - This knob varies the distance between the lens and film stage.

Lock - To prevent the enlarger from moving when enlarging. Always check the lock and make sure that the lock is off when adjusting the height of the enlarger.

Base - Keeps the enlarger steady and the easel are placed on it.

Condenser Lift Knob - On our enlarger the condenser lift knob is located on the left side. This knob is used to lift the condenser for placing the negative carrier in the enlarger. Never have the light on when raising the condenser.

Hand Crank - Used to raise and lower the enlarger.

Easel - The positive is placed in the easel. There are four different sizes on our easels : 2 1/2x3, 4x5, 5x7 and on the other side 8x10. The easel is opened by pressing in the silver buttons located on both sides of the easel in the front.

Timer - There are two different kinds of timers. The digital type-the time is adjusted by inputting the time in a memory indicated on the dial in digits, this type is more accurate. The mechanical type-a pointer indicates the time, which is adjusted mechanically by physically moving the pointer.

All enlargers have a focus switch (on/off switch) which will turn on the light for focusing, and an exposure button which will turn on the enlarger on for the exposure time indicated. Do not use the exposure button for focusing, never push the exposure button or adjust time when the enlarger is on. Remember when using a mechanical timer that, if the timer is set at 5 seconds for a test strip, it is better to push the exposure button 3 or 4 times rather than adjusting the time. This is because at the lower times the timer may be off 1 or 2 seconds.

PROCEDURE FOR ENLARGING-Select a negative which is clean and free from smears, scratches and spots. If necessary, remove dust or lint with a brush by lightly brushing the negative in one direction.

Place the negative in the proper size negative carrier with emulsion side down. Make certain that the prongs on the carrier are facing up. Also place the image upside down so that when it passes through the lens it will be right side up. Place the negative carrier in the enlarger. Make sure condenser lift is closed.

Turn on the lamp switch and open the lens as far as possible to allow a maximum amount on light. Take easel from drawer and place on enlarger base. Adjust the size of the image by raising or lowering the housing. Bring the image into sharp focus by adjusting the lens up or down with the focus knob. Close down lens until all the middle areas appear the same and shut off enlarger or turn down 3 stops if unsure.

Make a test strip with enlarging paper at 5 second intervals for 4 or 5 steps. Process for 1 1/2 minutes in developer, 10 seconds stop bath, 1 minute fixer, dunk in water. Take the test strip into white light and choose the best step. When looking at a test strip always begin counting from the white when figuring the seconds. Then place test strip back in fixer for 3 minutes, wash for 5 minutes, and place on a paper towel in locker. The step on the test strip that looked the best should be used (if the third from the whitest looked the best, then expose for 15 seconds). Place full size sheet of enlarging paper in easel. Expose for the time that was determined and process.

Dry mounting is a process by which photographic prints and other materials can be mounted. Dry mounting means that the materials are mounted by dry materials and not by using messy glues or pastes. Rubber cement is considered a dry mounting process because the cement is applied to both surfaces and let dry.

The materials that are needed to do dry mounting are: mounting machine, a tacking iron, dry mounting tissue, a mounting board, and something to mount. The dry mounting press applies heat and pressure at the same time when in operation and is simply an electrically operated press. The following is a diagram of a dry mounting press with the purpose of each part listed.

1. On-Off Switch--This is a toggle switch used to turn the dry mount press on and off. It allows electric current to pass through the heating elements to warm the platen. This switch lights a green lamp, which stays lit until the press reaches the desired temperature, which is adjuted on the temperature control dial.

2. Temperature Control Dial --A dial used to adjust temperature settings for the dry mounting press. This knob can be adjusted from 100 degrees to 350 degrees with three settings between these extremes. The green light automatically goes out and the press is ready to be used at a particular temperature when the press reaches the temperature for which it was set. If the temperature is to hot the emulsion on the print will crack, which is over 200 degrees.

3. Bottom Board--This is a felt covered sponge rubber pad, which compensates for the thickness of materials being mounted. Thin or thick materials may be mounted without press adjustments.

4. Platen--The heated top pressure plate which transfers the heat and pressure to the mounting board, print and tissue. Use a folded protective sheet to protect the face of the print.

5. Platen Pressure Arm--This is a lever, which lowers the platen to the bottom board. It can be locked in the lower position to keep a constant pressure while dry mounting.

Advantages of Dry Mounting

Speed-Dry mounting is the fastest way to mount. It takes about five seconds to perform this process. Compared with the long, messy procedure of gluing, dry mounting is much more practical in the time available.

Safety- The dry mounting process is by far the safest method of mounting materials of value. It does not distort the materials, as gluing tends to do by causing wrinkling and warping of the paper. There is also no chance of getting glue or paste on the fact of the materials and damaging it.

Versatility- Dry mounting is the most versatile way to mount. Every kind of material imaginable can be mounted. Prints, documents, maps, water paintings, canvases and cloths, and other specimens can be mounted by the dry mount method.

MT-5 Dry Mounting Tissue--This is a thin tissue .002 inches thick and is thermosetting--which means it can not be reused or removed after mounting. MT-5 tissue adheres while in the press. Being thermosetting, MT-5 tissue is a permanent way of mounting materials and can be used for mounting all types of photographs and prints. Displays can be mounted excellently using MT-5 tissue. This tissue has been formulated to accommodate a temperature range of 200 degrees to 275 degrees for a period of five to forty seconds, or slightly longer for more difficult work.

Resin Coated Photographic Paper—RC paper will crack at temperatures greater than 210 degrees. The mounting tissue is designed to work between 200 – 275 degrees. This leaves a margin of 10 degrees below 200 the paper will not mount or hold and over 210 degrees the photographic paper will crack.

Pre-heat the press, which takes approximately 11 minutes. Then using the temperature control knob dial the correct temperature for the tissue which is 200 degrees. Check to see that the press is plugged in, turn the "On-Off" switch to the "On" position. A green light comes on and stays lighted until the press reaches the dialed temperature, then it goes out. This shows that the press has reached the desired temperature.

Now that the press is pre-heated, pre-heat the print to make sure it is flat and thoroughly dry (not with the tissue attached). Large wrinkles and waves in the print should be pressed out prior to applying the tissue.

To take out wrinkles--To do this, moisten the backside of the print with a damp cotton pad and place it in the heated press with a sheet of clean paper over the face of the print for about 10 seconds, or until the print is perfectly dry. When minor wrinkles occur they can be removed by placing the print in the closed machine dry for approximately 10 seconds. The print should now be flat and ready for mounting.

Mounting--Attach a sheet of dry mounting tissue to the back of the print by aligning the edges of the tissue and the print as close as possible and tacking them together in a center spot with a hot tacking iron. This allows the corners of the tissue to be loose, thereby freeing them from wrinkling or waving. With the tissue attached to the print, trim the tissue and print, if needed. Remember that the tissue should be exactly the same size as the print. After tacking and trimming, the print is ready to be placed on the mounting board. The mounting board should be pre-heated to drive off excess moisture and should be about the same size. Now place the print onto the mounting board in the position it will appear on the finished product. Once the exact location of the print has been determined, place a clean sheet of paper over it, being careful not to move the print. Using the tacking iron, apply pressure and heat to one or two corners of the print.

The print is now secured by one or two corners to the mounting board. Now place the assembled mounting board, tissue and print onto the sponge bottom board of the press with the print facing you on top. Place a sheet of clean paper on top of the print to protect it, and close the press to the locking position with the platen pressure arm. This will cause the automatic timer (flashing red light) to flash every second. Count these flashes to 10, and then remove the mounted picture by opening the machine. Visually check to see if the surface of the print lies flat, and also to see if the entire tissue is adhered. If not, repeat the process again. It takes from 5 to 30 seconds for the print to adhere to the board. Remember, always protect the surface of the print--do not use the tacking iron directly on the surface of the print; always use a clean sheet of paper.

Mounting on larger board--In positioning the print, pay particular attention to the margins that will result. The side margins should be of equal size, and the bottom margin should be larger than the top margin. Centering the print exactly on the mount is a very "static" approach and should be avoided if possible. Position the print, it must be square, all edges must be parallel. Once it is tacked down check again, then final mount.

Flush Mount--Place print face down on clean surface, put mounting tissue of the same size over the back of the print, and tack it in the middle with the tacking iron. Put mounting board in mounting press for a few seconds to drive out any moisture. Lay print with mounting tissue back side down on mounting board. Lift up corner of print and tack corner of mounting tissue to mount board. Then tack opposite corner the same way. Place print, mount tissue, and mount board in clean paper and place in mounting press and clamp down for 45 to 60 seconds. At end of time remove from mounting press and put on table. Place clean cardboard on top of print and put weight on top of it until it cools for about 2 minutes. When cool, take print to paper cutter and trim off white borders and crop print if desired. Remember to put down a piece of cardboard under cutter blade before cutting.

Rubber Cement--Rubber cement is a dry mount method when the cement is allowed to dry before placing the two surfaces together. The only prints that will be mounted by using the heat dry mount method are the 8x10 prints. All other assignments and labs will be mounted by using the rubber cement method.

Neatness in mounting is very important. A well-done assignment mounted poorly will ruin it and lose points. Begin by trimming the paper or print that is to be mounted so that all the edges are straight. Place the sheet on the mounting paper where you want it located and trace lightly with a pencil around the borders. Lay the mounting sheet and print you want mounted on a piece of newspaper. Place rubber cement on both pieces. When both pieces are completely dry, place them in contact with each other by starting at the top and working to the bottom. Rub firmly to get rid of all air bubbles. If any rubber cement is on the edges, rub lightly with your finger to remove the excess.