RRB enlarger easel

[dcl]

Hello,

I've now spent a couple of months in the sulphur mine searching for diamonds (VDGG). - But now I'm getting back in touch...

I'm looking for information about RRB easels. They're supposed to be quite good, and I'd like to acquire one (about 70 francs) in the size 30x40 centimetres. My venerable and reliable Durst 10x12 inch easel can't manage 40 centimetres print width. The other easel for 50x60 centimetres isn't suitable for average use. It is simply too big.

Is there anything to be aware of regarding RRB easels? Are there any special tricks? How does one produce a particularly narrow margin of only 2–3 millimetres?

Many regards from Bern!

W.

 

[Ian Grant]

Just checked, the narrowest margin with a Beard is 5mm. I have 3, one is spare 20"x16"

Ian

 

[dcl]

Thank you, Ian,

I had suspected that the RBB easel wouldn’t allow less than 5 mm, because of the two rails at the top left of the slots. I will try to make two new paper stops with thicker heads.

I am always unhappy when I produce an edition of small prints in formats from 13 × 18 to 18 × 24: 7.8% of the image (1 cm on 12.7 cm) is lost to the white margin. When there is too much distance between the print and a readymade passepartout I have to cut them by hand.

The new old easel should arrive soon.

Kind regards

W.

 

[Ian Grant]

In general the convention has been 1½" to 2" (3.8mm to 5.1mm) borders for exhibition or sales, to allow for archival tape etc when framed. When I bought prints from photographers like Fay Godwin, John Blakemore, etc, they had similar borders.

Of course when I printed commercially on RC papers it would be ¼"b(6.3mm), sometimes borderless.

Ian