How to Make Real Wet Process Copies of Old Photographs
Scan your precious family photos., Move the file to the computer you'll be working at. , Open the image file with the photo editing program., Make sure the "color setting" or "mode" is set to gray scale (in Photoshop, it's under Mode). , Use...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Scan your precious family photos.
Crop it and do whatever else you want to make it look nice and the way it does in real life. ,, In Photoshop, there's an Invert option. , Even if the original real photo was 4x6, you can make this an 8x10.
The only upward size limit is the size of the transparency you'll be printing on, which for most of us is
8.5x11. , This is really IMPORTANT. , They have to be loaded into your printer in a certain way, so that the ink prints must be on the rough side not the slippery side, in this which case you will have a huge mess. ,, If your dialog box that comes up before you print has an option for what sort of paper you are printing on, choose "transparency."
You will need not to touch the printer area, and you will need to store the print in an undisturbed place, sticky/rough/inky side up for a few minutes to let everything dry.
Even after everything is dry, be very careful not to get the print wet.
This will cause the print to run, and you'll have to start over. , You have now created a giant "negative" that you can use to make a contact print, just like you do with your sheet of cut-up developed negatives.
Go to the darkroom with all your materials and set up as if you were making a regular contact print.
A sheet of glass (clean and unscratched) is helpful for keeping the print-negative flat against the paper you want the new image to show up on.REMEMBER, this is a contact print, so you don't have to lay the computer-printed image backwards. , You will almost certainly have to adjust the exposure to get a print with the same darkness and tones as the original photograph, but you can do it.
I would suggest trying a very low light exposure and working your way to a higher light or longer exposure., Do your developing thing.
If it turns out rubbish, try again.
The rest you already know if you're a photographer. -
Step 2: Move the file to the computer you'll be working at.
-
Step 3: Open the image file with the photo editing program.
-
Step 4: Make sure the "color setting" or "mode" is set to gray scale (in Photoshop
-
Step 5: it's under Mode).
-
Step 6: Use whatever feature your program has to "invert" the light and dark spots of the image.
-
Step 7: Size the image to the size you want.
-
Step 8: SAVE YOUR FILE.
-
Step 9: Read the instructions on the transparency sheets.
-
Step 10: Load the transparency into your printer.
-
Step 11: Print your image.
-
Step 12: When the printer is done
-
Step 13: very carefully remove the print from the printer.
-
Step 14: Hooray!
-
Step 15: Now expose!
-
Step 16: Develop!
Detailed Guide
Crop it and do whatever else you want to make it look nice and the way it does in real life. ,, In Photoshop, there's an Invert option. , Even if the original real photo was 4x6, you can make this an 8x10.
The only upward size limit is the size of the transparency you'll be printing on, which for most of us is
8.5x11. , This is really IMPORTANT. , They have to be loaded into your printer in a certain way, so that the ink prints must be on the rough side not the slippery side, in this which case you will have a huge mess. ,, If your dialog box that comes up before you print has an option for what sort of paper you are printing on, choose "transparency."
You will need not to touch the printer area, and you will need to store the print in an undisturbed place, sticky/rough/inky side up for a few minutes to let everything dry.
Even after everything is dry, be very careful not to get the print wet.
This will cause the print to run, and you'll have to start over. , You have now created a giant "negative" that you can use to make a contact print, just like you do with your sheet of cut-up developed negatives.
Go to the darkroom with all your materials and set up as if you were making a regular contact print.
A sheet of glass (clean and unscratched) is helpful for keeping the print-negative flat against the paper you want the new image to show up on.REMEMBER, this is a contact print, so you don't have to lay the computer-printed image backwards. , You will almost certainly have to adjust the exposure to get a print with the same darkness and tones as the original photograph, but you can do it.
I would suggest trying a very low light exposure and working your way to a higher light or longer exposure., Do your developing thing.
If it turns out rubbish, try again.
The rest you already know if you're a photographer.
About the Author
Brenda Cox
Enthusiastic about teaching creative arts techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: