Digital BW, The Print

when I scan my MF B/W negatives on my 2450 I include the film rebate.

Now when I print these images, is there an easy way to create faux filed 
edges, like you get in the darkroom with with a filed film carrier ?

I have played with the demo versions of Extensis PhotoFrame and AutoFX.  
The problem is both demo versions have limited frame libraries and 
functionality, so I can't determine whether they will produce the desired edge 
effect.  Moreover, these are expensive solutions for a simple problem.  Any 
advice would be greatly appreciated.

Are you using Photoshop?  If you are, while it might be tedious to do this
manually, you can do whatever you want to the edges of the image using
things like the eraser tool with different brush/opacity settings, the
airbrush tool, the smudge tool, etc.  If many of your images are the same
size and shape you could create a master frame as a border into which other
images could be placed.


Stephen Petegorsky
petegorsky@...
web site - www.spphoto.com

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "lawrencetrek" 
<ltitle@h...> wrote:
> when I scan my MF B/W negatives on my 2450 I include the 
film rebate.
> Now when I print these images, is there an easy way to create 
faux filed 
> edges, like you get in the darkroom with with a filed film carrier 
?


Friends don't let Friends make fake borders. Seriously.

Just don't do it. You'll never feel good about that image ever 
again. Every time you look at it, you'll know that you committed a 
grave deed. It'll never sell. People will talk about you behind your 
back. You'll get audited. Your Preferences files will all get 
corrupted. You'll never be able to look at yourself in the mirror 
again. It's just bad karma. For real. Some things have to remain 
sacred, even in the Photoshop era.

MTucker
http://marktucker.com

At 02:58 AM 8/10/2002 -0000, you wrote:
>when I scan my MF B/W negatives on my 2450 I include the film rebate.
>
>Now when I print these images, is there an easy way to create faux filed 
>edges, like you get in the darkroom with with a filed film carrier ?
>
>I have played with the demo versions of Extensis PhotoFrame and AutoFX.  
>The problem is both demo versions have limited frame libraries and 
>functionality, so I can't determine whether they will produce the desired edge 
>effect.  Moreover, these are expensive solutions for a simple problem.  Any 
>advice would be greatly appreciated.
>

Why not scan a print made with a filed carrier and put it on a layer? drop
the scanned image into that. 

Just for argument's sake, why do it at all? I know - filled edge prints have
a graphic/format-centric purpose but it doing it digitally seems kind of a
mixed metaphor. It's like faux Polaroid goo edge.

I liked the filled edge look because it emphasized the 35mm aesthetic.  It
helped tie up a loose 35mm compositional style plus it was a conceit -
nose-thumbing large format. I have a lot of filed edge prints that I have
re-done digitally and they loose their character, it seems, without the
border. Is the solution just a plain 2-4 point rule border or a light
drop-shadow?  

AZ

Maker of Lookaround panoramic camera.
http://www.panoramacamera.us
         or
keyword.com lookaround

Lawrence,
Here's the best "homemade" approach I've been able to come up if/when I want
subtle sloppy borders (for 35mm in my case). This was arrived at by
experimenting with Photoshop 5--not sure if newer versions have tools to
improve on it. 

1. ideally, include some film rebate in scan; otherwise add a black border
2. expand canvas size ~1/4" all sides (white)
3. marquee select original pic, including the rebate or black border
4. create border selection of about 50 pixels (or extending halfway into
black border)
5. palette knife filter (~10/2/10 seems to work okay) to rough up edges
6. gaussian blur that
7. plastic wrap filter (~18/5/8 or 20/12/3) to get "flare"

It ain't exactly elegant in its simplicity, but it works. Can't speak for
any karmic side effects, however. ;-)

Hope this helps,
Doug

> Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2002 02:58:15 -0000
> From: "lawrencetrek" <ltitle@...>
> Subject: printing faux "filed edges"
> 
> when I scan my MF B/W negatives on my 2450 I include the film rebate.
> 
> Now when I print these images, is there an easy way to create faux filed
> edges, like you get in the darkroom with with a filed film carrier ?
> 
> I have played with the demo versions of Extensis PhotoFrame and AutoFX.
> The problem is both demo versions have limited frame libraries and
> functionality, so I can't determine whether they will produce the desired edge
> effect.  Moreover, these are expensive solutions for a simple problem.  Any
> advice would be greatly appreciated.