I need to make positive negatives from transparencies printed on an inkjet printer. Size and registration is important as the final output is printed circuit boards for prototype equiptment. I need to do this at home for security and speed. This is a black and white aplication Thanks Terry Lingle

-- Terry Lingle (tlingle@mail.wellsgray.net), September 10, 2000

Answers

Sounds like you need to contact print your transparency onto the same size negative film under glass. Your enlarger can be the light source. Stop way down and make a series of short exposures by moving a card across the image in steps to find the correct exposure.

-- John R. Fowler (cpci@fox.nstn.ca), September 10, 2000.

HM this isn't quite the correct way to do this but yes that is what I want to do except that I don't have an enlarger- I am not a photo buff just an electronics tech with a need and some experience in a large photofinishing lab. I can cope with most of this . my main need is contrast not depth of field. So I should not need too critical an exposure just a consistent one and I can control that with a shutter and a timer.

-- Terry Lingle (tlingle@mail.wellsgray.net), September 10, 2000.

You don't need an enlarger, a light bulb will do. If you want pure black and white contrast, use lith film for the copying and develop it in a hard developer, such as Tetenal Dokumol, or a lith developer.

-- Thomas Wollstein (thomas_wollstein@web.de), September 11, 2000.

Let's see, what you are asking is that your printer puts out a transparency with the traces in black, and you are trying to make the transparency with the traces as clear.

If so, then you want a contact printer (basically a hinged piece of glass on a board) and some lith film and developer. Also stop and fix. You sandwich the lith film under the printer output and expose to room light. You can work under red safelight with lith film. Lith developer is two part, which you mix together just before using. You will get only black or white, nothing in between.

Using this method you probably don't even need to print onto transparency material, white paper will do as well.

Another way, can your software invert the image? This would print the traces clear in the first place.

-- Terry Carraway (TCarraway@compuserve.com), September 11, 2000.

Yes that is what I want and yes I can get either from my printer but I will get a lot of pulling from the ink if I print "negative" -as it cools it shrinks and puts a belly into the media so the less ink the better. I do want a positive black where the traces are clear every where else but I can two step this. Now for details I need a specificfor the film , then I can just order it and the necessary chemistry without having to listen to a salesman telling me that I can't do that. Thanks guys you have been lots of help Terry Lingle

-- Terry Lingle (tlingle@ mail.wellsgray.net), September 11, 2000.

I have determined that ortho film and developer will work. Now which film, what developer,where do I get It and how do I expose and process it? Ie. what type of light how powerful and for about how long for the recomended film? ditto for the chemical end. By the way I have directly contacted all of the major suppliers both by phone and Email they all want to suggest million dollar solutions also a professor of photography was unsure of what I needed. Well I have already done this 25 years ago so I know It can be done. and I know the level of equiptment needed its just that then I had a large photo finishing lab and allthe people and trimmings directly at hand so I did not have to concern myself with details. Also products dissapear ,new ones appear so I need to find the currently appropriate supplies. I need to have this up and working soon. Thanks Terry Lingle

-- Terry Lingle (tlingle@ mail.wellsgray.net), September 16, 2000.

Note: Some off-topic posts have been removed from this thread.

-- Mason Resnick (bwworld@mindspring.com), September 16, 2000.

Thanks Mason.

-- Terry Carraway (TCarraway@compuserve.com), September 17, 2000.

Terry, A couple of things. Mason's post about deleting off-topic post probably have some relation to me. I received an e-mail from him stating that he considered my response to be some sort of personal attack. My response was definately on-topic, but if I offended anyone then I sincerely apologize. I do stand by my original comments! Find the nearest graphic arts supply store or supplier and talk to someone knowledgeable in the use of ortho materials. If you did this 25 years ago then you were not dealing with ink-jet transparencies, but with film positives and negatives. The exact same materials should be available now as were available then along with some new ones which (in my experience) are much better. The digital age has changed the way we do everything--I have absolutely no use for ortho-chromatic materials any more, but I still know how to use them.

Fred Imaging Services NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, Alabama

-- fred (fdeaton@lycos.com), September 19, 2000.

Fred,

You original post was inflamatory and without use. This one is better.

What is different about an ink jet transparency and a film negative? If you are working from a pure opaque black and clear media, it is the same. Contact printing is contact printing.

There may be some new stuff out there, but like TriX and D-76, Kodalith and Kodalith developer are still around and will do the job.

-- Terry Carraway (TCarraway@compuserve.com), September 20, 2000.