The negative and printing glass must be cleaned before you place the negative on the printer. Place the negative  emulsion-side  up  on  the  printing  glass  and arrange  them  under  the  mask  until  the  desired composition is obtained. When you must make more than one print from the same negative, tape the negative (at the corners only) to the printing glass. If the negative is completely taped down, air can be trapped between it and the glass. When the platen or pressure cover is moved into the printing position, the air does not escape. This results in an unsharp print. When you use a hand-cut mask, tape the mask to the glass along one edge before  positioning  the  negative. Printing  Filter  Selection The first requirement for you to make a good print is a clean negative. The negative must then be examined to determine the contrast (flat, normal, or contrasty) and the approximate exposure time required to produce a quality print. As a beginning darkroom worker, you may not be able to make these determinations accurately; however, in a short time and with a little experience, you should  overcome  any  trouble. In analyzing a negative to determine the most suitable printing filter, be careful not to confuse contrast with density. When in doubt, make test prints. If the test print is contrasty, you should make another test print with a lower numbered filter to lower the contrast. If the original test print lacks contrast, change to a filter with a higher number to increase the contrast. This is a good time to review the information on printing filters and printing papers in chapters 2 and 3. Test Print The printing exposure is the operation most likely to  cause  trouble  for  an  inexperienced  darkroom technician. Unlike most films that can tolerate some overexposure and underexposure and still yield usable photographs,  printing  papers  must  be  exposed  correctly to  produce  good  prints. Experience  and  familiarity  with  printing  equipment does help; but for a beginner, the correct exposure for prints from most negatives is best determined by making test prints. The factors that affect exposure are as follows: The  intensity  of  the  printing  lights The   distance   between   the   printing   lights and  the  printing  glass The  sensitivity  of  the  printing  paper The density of the negative The  first  three  factors  are  standardized  and, therefore, eliminated as variables by using the contact printer and by printing with the same type of paper. The only  remaining  variable  is  negative  density.  You  can determine  negative  density  by  making  a  few  test exposures.  The  exposure  time  for  a  negative  of  average density may be about 1 to 3 seconds. When the negative is large, avoid the expensive and wasteful temptation of using a whole sheet of paper; instead, use a strip about 2 inches wide and as long as the negative for the test exposure. For example, an 8x10 sheet of paper can be cut into three or four small strips. After  you  have  determined  the  filter  and  the test-exposure time, set the timer accordingly. Place the paper test strip over the negative in the printing position. Place the test strip on the negative so the test exposure includes some highlights, midtones, and shadow areas. Hold the paper in position with one hand and lower the platen. As soon as the platen grips the edge of the paper, move your hand away. When the platen is fully lowered, turn  on  the  printing  lights  for  the  test-exposure  time. When the test strip has been exposed, develop it for the recommended time. If the image is too dark, the exposure was too long. If the image is too light, the exposure  was  too  short. It  is  difficult  for  even  an  experienced  photographer to judge the contrast of an under- or overexposed print that has been under or overexposed. Before attempting to judge the contrast of a print, you must change the exposure until the proper density is reached. A normally exposed  print  develops  gradually,  but  steadily-shadows first, then midtones, and finally highlights. The image should appear in about 30 seconds, providing the developer is at the proper strength and temperature. If the image develops very quickly with a general mottling, it is overexposed and the next test should be given less exposure. An overexposed print develops in a very short time,  and  the  common  temptation  is  to  “pull”  (remove) it from the developer. This prevents the image from getting too dark, but results in a flat, muddy, uneven, tone  image.  On  the  other  hand,  when  the  recommended development does not produce a print of the proper density after 2 minutes, the print is underexposed. After you have successfully exposed and processed a few prints, you will rapidly gain enough experience to estimate, closely, the density of negatives for contact printing  exposures. 11-5