A good printing frame can make or “break” a print, but should you splash out and get the top of the line, or should you scour the thrift stores and find a bargain? What works and what does not? Just to be very clear, we are not receiving any kick-back for writing about these frames; we recommend what we like. To keep this site independent, consider becoming a supporting member.
Vintage Kodak Mask Printing Frame for Negatives
Malin Fabbri uses a vintage Kodak mask printing frame for any contact printing process. It is made for the classic analogue darkroom setup with rulers to mask off the printing paper.
Pros: Holds the negative or any objects in place like a dream, it has a soft felt material between the wood and the object that ensures contact. Possible to open up “half” the back to check the exposure without shifting the negative. They are also aesthetically pleasing. Worth the money.
Cons: The rulers are in the way, making the print rather small, they also collect dust making it a little harder to clean.
Cost: Around 20-40 dollars on eBay (got mine on a market in London).
Good for: Small prints for any contact print process.
Analogue Lab Contact Printing Frame
Rosie Horn uses a printing frame from The Analogue Laboratory in Australia for printing her Chlorophyll prints. Analogue Lab make their own contact printing frames from recycled timbers. It is very good quality construction with robust materials. There is felt attached to the split back. The split is at about 2/3 of the height of the tallest side. A simple and effective design. Comes in two sizes based on paper sizes: 8”x10” and 11”x14”.
Most suitable for prints on paper or if using for Chlorophyll prints good for very flat leaves, I also use a thin piece of wadding, extra clamps and strips of wood to provide a bit more pressure and ensure the positive is nice and firm against the leaf. I really enjoy using this frame knowing someone has made it by hand from recycled wood.
Pros: Easy to check on prints, nice and rigid. I got the bigger frame to give me more flexibility for
printing larger prints/leaves.
Cons: Most suitable for paper based printing mostly. Rear panel could be slightly thicker back. Can be hard to get the placement of the positive on the leaf correctly when putting the back in.
Cost: $170-210 AUD
Good for: Paper-based processes.
Oakwood split back frames
From Richard Ray: I have and use three very nice oak wood split back frames I’ve had for 10-12 years now that were sold through the now-defunct Calumet Photographic company. They are similar to those currently sold by B&H Photo Video in New York City USA, USA by Photographers’ Formulary.
Pros: My frames measure 13 x 15” outside dimensions (33 x 38 cm) and have a printable area of 10 x 12” (25 x 31 cm). Each half of the back has its own spring to secure it; the inner face is felt-lined. The glass is simply a piece of window glass, having replaced the original that may have been slightly thicker originally (students and teachers occasionally have mishaps).
Cons: From the image below, the units from B&H/Bostick and Sullivan seem to have a more consistent spring clamping method, applying pressure more evenly around the perimeter of the unit, and are sized to make an 8×10” image.
Cost: They are currently priced at around $60 USD plus shipping.
Collodion frame from John Brewer
Malin Fabbri: A recent purchase. A beautiful, well-crafted frame. It’s beautifully made and can be used as a picture frame when not used for printing. Available at John’s eBay shop and ships to Europe.
Pros: Sturdy, well-crafted and beautiful to look at. Many sizes available.
Cons: Like all professionally made frames, they are expensive, though I find it worth it. It’s quite heavy.
Cost: An 8″ x 10″ frame starts at £90 and a 12″ x 16″ is £200 pounds.
John designed them for any contact printing process.
Lotus frame from Lotus View Cameras
Robert Poole (see Robert’s gallery here) uses the beautiful contact printing frames from Lotus View Cameras in Austria. They are also available from Linhof Studio in the UK.
Pros: The frames are truly beautifully made from waxed cherrywood, and the two longer side pieces have metal channels inset within them to allow the spring clips to engage. The springs are very strong indeed! The laminated split back is 8 mm thick and covered in dense green felt. Thoughtfully, two screws allow the frame to be opened up should the glass need replacing (highly unlikely). They are available in three sizes. I use the 10×12” and 12×16” frames.
Cons: There are no cons with these frames, except perhaps the cost. These frames should be perfect for all alternative printing processes.
Cost: 400 Euros / £429 for the 10×12″ frame. Lotus View Camera ships to Europe. Prices (Aug 2025) range from 400 Euros for an 8×10″ to 800 Euros for a 20×24″.
Contribute? Do you have more tips? Which frame do you use? Please send us your review!
Please use this format:
Name of frame
Your Name uses this frame. A brief description of the frame, what kind it is, where you got it etc.
Pros: What do you like about this frame?
Cons: What could be better with this frame?
Cost: How much does it cost to buy, or if homemade, how much to make
Good for: Which process is this good for? Are there any processes it is especially good for or does not work for? Or does it work for all contact print processes?
Add PICTURES OF BOTH FRONT AND BACK, preferably with a print exposing so it’s easier to see and captions to the images if you like too.
Good luck printing!
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