Building a Simple 8"X10" (4X5 - 5X7) Contact Print-Box

(For Paper Negative Printing of Positive Prints)

(D.I.Y. Project)

About a year ago I bought, from e-Bay, a 5X7 contact print box.
After repairing the electrical parts I tested it - It worked well enough, but, of course,
would not make 8X10 prints from paper negatives of my Ansco 8X10. Looking at the
simple design of the box I was very confident that I could do the build of one that would
take 8X10 inch paper negatives as well as film negatives. Also I incorporated ideas of
my own - to take 5X7 and 4X5 as well. And - another idea came with the use of
“Light-Cropping” inserts that would block light from the edges of the images produced.

The construction would be of one quarter inch thick plywood, with reinforced
sides to give a more ridged structure. I wanted the power of the lights to be that of 12
Volts Direct Current, which would power a “string” of L.E.D.’s on “sticky-back” tape.
This proved to be way too much light emitted to the “ground glass” image surface. I
took a light reading from a luminometer of the working 5X7 box, for getting some idea
as to what light would be required. That reading was only 7 LUX. The reading I was
getting on the L.E.D. trials was 1140. That, of course, would be way too much. So -
The use of the 12 VDC L.E.D.’s was out. I decided to go with two 120 VAC 7.5 watt
incandescent bulbs, with a 6 foot cord and a “rotary-switch”.

In the lid of the box there will be a 1/4 inch felt pad to hold the negative and print
paper flat to the surface of the “ground glass”. The lid will be in two hinged parts so the
negative and the print paper will not move when closing the lid, with a latch to hold the
lid tightly down.
 After some thought about the dimensions of the size of the main part of the
containment, I drew up a dimensional drawing and cut some thin plywood (1/4 thick)
and glued in some side supports. After the glue was cured I took some 12 VDC “tape-
lights” and powered them up. Wow! Much, too much light. I took a reading with the
luminometer to find that it read 1140 LUX. (I only could use 7 LUX to make a contact
print, that would be only take from 4 to 10 seconds of time to expose the paper from a
paper negative. So I decided to just use something that I knew worked.

I went to the hardware store and bought two 7.5 Watt 120VAC incandescent
bulbs, two sockets. The wire, cord, and switch I already had from other stuff I kept from
salvaged items. So all I needed to do was install the lamp sockets and wire them up
to the power cord and switch.

After The wiring and testing, I took another reading with the luminometer and
found that the reading was that of 750 LUX. I knew that I could get this number down
to acceptable levels with diffusers from the light in the box.

Now comes the point where making the top and support for the area where the
negative would be placed. This would be a 8X10 inch cut in the center of the top of the
box. And recessed to hold the negative with the paper positive. Also - I knew that
other sizes would require different size framing cards as “inserts” to hold them without
moving, while they were being exposed. With this type of print-box, the negative will
be on the bottom, the emulation side up, and the print paper placed on top of it - with
the paper’s emulation down in contact with the negative’s emulation. (Hence the
name = Contact Print.)
 After cutting the 8X10 opening in the top of the box, I glued and screwed a sheet
of Plexiglas onto this of the underside. (This would give one quarter of an inch space
for the Felt Pad to make contact with the paper and negative to hold firm when
exposing the print paper.

I glued support rails on the parts where the top frame made contact. (No glue or
screws on this part - as to gain access to the replacement of the bulbs.)
(I forgot to mention that I used 300 grit sandpaper
to totally rough up the surface of the Plexiglas to
have it perform like a sheet of ground glass.)

Now comes the cutting for the “Diffuser Card Slot”, with the attachment of the
hinges and latch. The latch chosen for this design is a “window lock”. I choose this
because of it’s ability to pull down on the lid - and thus, hold firmly the negative to the
positive during exposure. I covered the “slot” with a flip up door to gain access to the
diffusers and the “Cropping Cards”. (These cropping cards can be any shape of hole
that each photographer wishes - it all depends on what they want.)
 The size framing cards would go on the top of the “ground glass” - so as to make
5X7 and 4X5 prints. The “Cropping Cards” (template inserts) are three - but can be as
many as fits the likes of the user.

The different size framing cards (4X5 & 5X7) as well as the diffuser cards, and
made from heavy cardboard. The are made in such a manner as to “shield out” the
light from the sides and let the light through the openings.

(As with all of the items that I build - it is a “design-on-the-fly” sort of thing. I have made
photos of each step to make it easy to follow, if anyone would want to build their own.
And if you feel that you may have a better idea as to how you want your design.. By
all means - Do your own. You have my blessing to modify, and change.)
 Now comes the testing of how the box will work in the real-world.

After taking a few test paper negatives, and developing in the usual manner, It
should be noted that I have selected the best image that I thought well and good to
make a print from. (No editing in any digital software.)

Depending on the density of the paper negative, exposure time in the box will
very from ten seconds to that of two minutes.

Another very nice thing about a contact printing box is that you may take your
digital images and print from a digitized positive and invert to a negative to print a
chemical positive. (And it is more simple that one may think.)
 Take any photo that was made with a digital camera (any camera) And with any
type of digital imaging software, take the color situation to Zero. Edit the now gray
tones anyway you want. Then invert to a Negative and print on any printer that can
make good quality shades of gray (B&W) prints. Place the - now Paper Negative - on
the contact light box (as you do with “normal” paper negatives) and place a sheet of
regular chemical print paper on top - “emulation” to emulation. Expose for about 2 to
6 seconds (depending on the density of the negative) and take it out and chemically
develop in the normal manner. That’s it. Now you have a chemical positive from a
digital negative. (Below are examples.)

(As always - Stay Safe = Be Healthy - And Make Photographs: “May The Light Be W ith You”!)

James R. Kyle - Photographer - Saint Louis, Missouri, U.S. of A.

(10-11-2020)