DIY Contact Printing Frames for Alt Photo

Contact printing frames are essential tools in alternative photographic processes such as cyanotype, platinum/palladium, gum bichromate, and more. The processes rely on materials with low light sensitivity, and direct contact between a negative and the sensitized paper, usually under UV light. Paige Billin-Frye and Mac Cosgrove-Davies explore a range of contact printing frame options, from simple DIY solutions using household materials to more advanced, purpose-built frames. Whether you’re a beginner experimenting with cyanotypes or a seasoned alt-process printer, this guide offers practical, cost-effective ideas to match your needs and skills.

Writer and illustrations / Paige Billin-Frye and Mac Cosgrove-Davies, Photoworks Glen Echo

Contact printing frames are standard equipment for historic/handmade/alternative photo processes and for some alt photo processes, such as cyanotype, it is useful to be able to inspect the print in progress. Split-back frames are the best option for this purpose.

Contact printing frames are available for purchase from a variety of sources, both new and used. Vintage split-back printing frames, available through various on-line auction sites or at some cameras shops, are a good option. Note that vintage frames typically come in standard sizes (4″ x 5″, 5″ x 7″, 8″ x 10″). As a practical matter, if you want to have borders on your prints, you will need a frame at least one-size bigger than the negative size. Thus a vintage 8″ x 10″ frame is perfect for 5″ x 7″ and smaller, but tight for 8″ x 10″ negatives. Modern contact printing frames are frequently sized a bit larger to accommodate standard negative sizes with some border. Don’t be afraid to buy a used frame without glass. You can have the glass cut at a hardware store at a nominal cost.

**Note that vintage and new commercially available frames are designed so the glass is unattached to the frame. This increases the likelihood of glass breakage without any offsetting benefit that I know of. In all but the simplest of my designs, given below, the glass is captive. With the frame designs given below, the glass is held either by tape, glue, or a keeper. This captive-glass design is both safer and easier to use. If you opt for a vintage or new split-back frame, I suggest using a small amount of glue (e.g. silicon glue) to adhere the glass to the frame.

Depending on one’s needs and budget, there are a variety of options for DIY contact printing. These are discussed below, starting with the simplest/least expensive option.

Note that my DIY practice relies as much as possible on available materials, meaning scraps or castoffs or otherwise of marginal cost (but not marginal value!). All of the materials described below can be purchased. Just don’t tell me about it.

Also, the designs presented in this article require progressively more woodworking, glass handling and cutting, and other skill/experience. I have mentioned how I handle various tasks in the process, but please be sure you have the requisite skills and experience before embarking on one of these. Neither Paige nor I nor the AlternativePhotography.com website can take any responsibility for any mishaps along the way.

Note also that the comments preceded by ** are general comments that apply to any of the frame designs. They are embedded in the discussion where the particular topic first arises. Please review these comments regardless of which frame you decide on.

Unbound Glass with Backing

The simplest contact printing option is just a sheet of glass, sized larger than the piece of sensitized paper, with some form of flat backing. The backing can be another piece of glass, a flat piece of wood (plywood works well), or any other flat surface.

To use, place the sensitized paper on the backing, place the negative on top, and then place the glass on top of the negative, and then expose. Binder clips can be used to hold everything together.

**Note that some wood will warp so that it is no longer flat. This can be a permanent condition or can temporarily result from changes in humidity. Either way, if the backing is warped the glass will not lay flat. At a minimum, this will result in an ineffective sandwich of negative and paper, resulting in a soft image. If the glass is forced to sandwich with a warped backing, for example by using binder clips, the glass could break, causing a hazard.

**Furniture-grade plywood is a good choice for the backing. If you don’t mind scouting other people’s trash, this high-quality plywood can be easy to find when old cabinets are discarded in a kitchen renovation.

Pros:

• Least expensive: Often these can be made from materials available around the house. Alternatively, glass from a thrift-store picture frame could be used. Most hardware stores will sell glass, cut to your specifications.

Cons:

• May not be perfectly flat: Sometimes the weight of the glass is insufficient to flatten the negative against the paper, resulting in a soft image.
  **As mentioned above, this can sometimes be corrected by using binder clips to hold the glass snugly against the backing, which usually will firmly sandwich the negative and paper.
• Glass can be sharp: Without careful handling, sheet glass can cause cuts of varying severity. Broken glass is also a hazard.
  **For this reason, it is strongly recommended that all edges of the glass be smoothed with sandpaper. A few passes of a medium/fine grit paper will dull the glass’s sharp edges, rendering them harmless. It is also good practice to seal the edges with tape, e.g. electrical tape to further protect from accidental cuts. In the case of glass breakage, the tape can help contain the fragments.
• Glass can break: without a frame, glass can be more vulnerable to breakage.
  **Broken glass is a safety hazard, and of course, breakage will spoil it for contact printing. Glass should be used and stored with this in mind.
  **Also note that if something other than a negative is used, it should be very flat. Leaves, lace, paper cutouts, etc. work well for shadowgrams. However, attempting to flatten the glass against a three-dimensional object such as a twig, wire, marble, etc. can result in glass breakage.
• Cannot inspect prints-in-progress: For some alternative photo processes such as cyanotype, it is helpful to be able to inspect the progress of the print during exposure. Ideally, the inspection should not disturb the position of the negative on the paper (i.e. the ‘registration’ of the negative and paper). This is not easily achieved with this design.

Bound Glass and Backing

This design is similar to the previous option, except here the cover glass is hinged to the backing. A durable tape, such as duct tape, works well for the hinge. As for the design above, the glass should be sanded on the edges and/or taped to reduce the risk posed by sharp edges. A small tab of tape on the side opposite the hinge makes it easy to lift the glass. To use, lift the glass from the backing, place the paper on the backing, then place the negative on the paper, close the frame and expose. As for the design above, binder clips can be used to more firmly sandwich the glass if needed.

Pros:

• Convenient: This design is more convenient and generally faster to use than the unbound version above.
• Safer: If the backing is flat wood and larger than the glass, the glass will be somewhat protected and less likely to break. Storage of the frame is also safer and more convenient.
• Great for shadowgrams: We use this design for shadowgram (sun printing) sessions. It is inexpensive and very easy to use. Since progress inspection is not required for shadowgrams, the lack of a split-back is not an issue.

Cons:

• Many of the disadvantages of the unbound glass/backing approach apply also to this one, although perhaps to a slightly lesser degree.

Bound Glass with Split Backing

This design is an evolution of the previous. It uses the same glass-with-tape-hinge-on-backing design, however, in this case the backing is cut, then hinged again with duct tape or similar. Binder clips are used to hold the frame together. For this design, binder clips are a must.

To Make:

1. Decide on glass size to use. The glass should be at least a few inches larger on all dimensions than the size of sensitized paper you plan to use.
2. Cut a piece of plywood (at least 1/2” thick) the same size as the short dimension of the glass. The plywood should be at least slightly longer than the long dimension of the glass.
3. Cut the plywood about 2/3rds the length of the glass.
4. From the remainder of the plywood, cut a piece 1/3rd the length of the glass. The two pieces of plywood when put together should be exactly the size of the glass.
5. With duct tape, hinge the two pieces of plywood together
6. On the side opposite the taped hinge, use Elmers glue or similar to glue felt on each of the two pieces.
7. Trim felt to the edges of the frame back
8. Once the glue is dry, use duct tape to hinge the glass to the plywood
9. Place a duct tape tab on the end of the glass opposite the hinge.

Pros:

• Split Back: The key advantage of this design over the previous is the split back, which allows inspection of the print-in-progress without disturbing the positioning (i.e. registration).
• Inexpensive: This is easily the least expensive and simplest to build of the split-back frame designs.

Cons:

• Fragility: The open-glass design still results in the glass being more vulnerable than the framed options discussed below.

Picture Frame

Picture frames come in a wide variety of sizes and frame materials. For purposes of contact printing, a stronger frame material is preferred. This could be solid wood or metal. While selecting a frame, inspect the corner joints carefully. These should be strong and robust since a printing frame can receive heavy usage. The example below uses the Neilsen style frame, which is a popular and widely available metal frame design, easily obtained in almost any size. The plywood back is cut from 1/2” or thinner plywood.

To Make:

1. Remove the spring clips, hanging hardware, and framed artwork from the frame
2. Cut wood shim blocks and glue in place on all four sides (see drawing), this keeps the frame back from sliding under the metal frame. It also keeps the glass in place. This will not be needed if using a wood frame.
3. Cut the frame back into two pieces from a flat piece of plywood. Cut carefully to fit the frame. The fit of the frame back must be slightly loose to allow half of the back to open while the other half is held in place.
4. Hinge the two frame back pieces with duct tape and lightly sand the edges to remove sharp corners.
5. Check the assembled split back for fit and function in the frame and adjust as needed.
6. Place duct tape tabs at the top and bottom to facilitate the removal of the frame back.
7. Glue felt to the frame back using Elmer’s Glue or similar, and trim carefully with scissors.
8. Cut two spring metal leaf springs wide enough to fit under the frame to hold the back in place. The leaf springs for the example shown were cut with a hack saw from the spring steel in discarded windshield wiper blades, and the edges were ground smooth (I used a grinding wheel, but sandpaper should also work). They must be sized to fit inside the frame edge. Note that the frame cross-section limits the total thickness of the frame back plus the leaf springs.

**I source my used windshield wipers from the trash bin outside the local auto parts store. Windshield wipers vary in the thickness of the spring metal used. If the one you found is too thick, try another brand.

**In addition to spring metal from windshield wiper blades, other workable options I have used for the leaf springs include wood strips, broken springs from old wind-up mantle clocks (should be available at your local clock repair shop) and the metal from an old playground slide (when they used to be made of steel).

**Normally, I like to make a center hole in the leaf spring to secure the leaf springs to the frame back. I have done this with the other materials, however, for this particular windshield wiper metal, I couldn’t get the drill to bite. As a result, the leaf springs in this case are not attached to the frame back.

**I used duct tape as the hinge material on this design to keep it simple. Metal hinges can also be used.

**The split in the frame back should be given some thought. The split could be in the middle or off-center. I have made both, but have grown to prefer the off-center split, as I find print inspection to be easier with this approach.

**I recommend that the glass be fastened to the frame to avoid it falling out during use. This can be with glue or other means. If using a Neilsen-style frame, the glass will already be captured in the frame, although it may still need to be glued to prevent rattling. With the design presented here, the wood shim blocks also serve to secure the glass.

Pros:

• Split Back: This design can produce a fully-functional split-back printing frame.
• Available, low cost materials: Uses readily available tools and materials that can be inexpensively sourced (or had for free!)
• Captive Glass: In this design the glass is fully protected.

Cons:

• Frame Depth: The depth of the frame may be a limiting factor as it determines the maximum thickness of the frame back plus leaf spring. See note below on thickness for a reliably flat frame back. Also take a look at the ‘fender washer’ design below. A thinner frame may be workable using this approach.
• Sizing: If sourcing the frame from a thrift store, the selection may be limited, thus limiting the final dimensions of the frame. Of course picture frames can be ordered in any dimension desired, but this would run contrary to the DIY/low cost theme of this article.

**For a nominal 8″ x 10″ frame, the frame back should be at least 3/8″ thick so it is solid enough not to bend under the tension of the leaf springs. For larger frame sizes the thickness should be progressively thicker.

**Normal window glass is adequate for printing frames up to 8″ x 10″ and I have used it for larger frames as well. Be aware that glass can bend, which can be an issue with larger frame sizes.

**The quality of the joinery on a picture frame can be quite variable. Be sure you are comfortable that the joints are solid before spending the effort on making this frame.

**If you opt for a wood frame, consider reinforcing the corners with corner braces. This is illustrated above. Note the fender washers that act as catches for the leaf springs, which in this case are made of wood. Finally, note the shim between the frame and the back. This is screwed to the frame and serves to hold the glass in place.

Purpose-Built Contact Printing Frame

This is very similar in design and construction to the picture frame design above. The primary difference is that the frame itself is purpose-built. My standard design has evolved over time and is shown above. Key features include:

• The glass is fastened to the frame using wood shims at the top and bottom. This keeps the glass from falling out during use. The wood strips are screwed in place so they can be easily removed in the event of glass breakage (which has not happened in the several decades I have been using these frames.) In my earlier design, I cut a slot in the frame to hold the glass. This also has worked well, although if the glass ever broke, replacing it would be a more involved process.
• Robust joints at the corners
• Sufficient depth to accommodate the width of the chosen frame back
• Slots or washers as catches for the leaf springs
• Frame back uses metal hinges

To Make:

1. Decide on frame dimensions, keeping in mind the size of sensitized paper you plan to use as well as the size of the negative.
2. Choose frame cross-section design (see drawing). This boils down to a choice of the type of catch for the leaf spring. It is either a slot-in-frame approach or a fender washer. I prefer to use the slot-in-frame design (top drawing). This design avoids having metal protruding above the frame, reducing the likelihood of the frame causing scratches. A downside to this design is that the leaf springs, if not carefully used, can wear away the wood, eventually cutting through the slot. The fender washer approach avoids this problem. I use the fender washers if the wood I am using isn’t thick enough for a slot.
3. Choose leaf spring material (see note for previous frame design); leaf springs can be made from metal or wood. Perhaps the most accessible source would be the metal in used windshield wipers. I source these from the trash bin outside my local auto parts store.)
4. Cut frame stock to match the cross-section for the selected design (see drawing). The total length of the frame stock must be sufficient for the desired frame dimensions, including the joints. I recommend starting with at least a 1” x 1” cross section, but thicker is okay. Leave at least a 1/8” lip to hold the glass. The leaf spring slot should be at least 1/4” deep and must be thick enough to accommodate the selected leaf spring material.
5. Cut lengths of frame stock for the selected frame dimension. I prefer miter joints, but other robust joinery will also work.
6. Glue up the frame for the selected dimension. I prefer to use 1/8” dowel pins to improve the strength of the joint, but again, other joinery methods will also work.
7. Cut the glass to fit in the frame.
8. Cut shim stock ~3/8” thick and wide enough to fit comfortably in your frame when glass is in place.
9. Cut two lengths of shim stock to fit in top and bottom of the frame. Fix these in place with two wood screws each. They should snugly hold the glass.
10. Carefully measure the space for the split back, and cut the first piece out of 1/2″ plywood.
11. With the first piece in place, carefully measure and cut the second half of the split back. As mentioned above, give some thought to the placement of the split. I have come to prefer a ~1/3rd – 2/3rds split as I find this facilitates inspection while printing. That said, a 50-50 split also works well.
12. Use two hinges (or a piano hinge) to attach the two parts of the split back
13. Check the assembled split back for fit and function in the frame and adjust as needed.
14. Measure and cut the leaf springs, ensuring they will be long enough to span the split back and engage the slot or fender washer. Depending on the leaf-spring material, cutting it could be a challenge. I suggest consulting other sources for advice if this is an issue.
15. If possible, drill or punch holes in the center of each leaf-spring and loosely secure with screws. If you have selected a non-symmetrical split back design, be careful to position the springs so the split back can be inserted in the frame in either orientation. If using the fender washer design, these must be placed to engage the leaf spring. A spacer may be needed to allow the leaf spring to properly engage with the fender washer. This spacer could be made from smaller washers.
16. Sand and finish the frame as desired. I use polyurethane, but other finishes will also work.

Pros:

• Control: The builder has complete control over frame design including dimensions, materials, finish, etc.
• Flexible: The frame can be modified based on skill level. The first frame I made used simple butt joints, with one screw at each corner. It is not the prettiest frame I have ever made, but still works fine.
• Choose your size: This design can be modified for any size within reason. I have built frames with 9”x52” printing area for negatives from a 5” Circut camera. I have seen 11×14 frames of this design.

Cons:

• Skills: Requires a level of skill and equipment that is not universally available.

Registration Contact Printing Frame

In some cases there is a desire for layering multiple emulsions on the same print, also known as multiple printing. A key example is gum bichromate over other emulsions (gum, cyanotype, platinum, etc.). In this instance the artist may wish to have the negative returned to its exact position on the print for subsequent printings. This is known as ‘registration.’

There are numerous strategies for registering the negative with the print. I generally use a ‘registration frame’ as described below. This is essentially a Purpose-Built Contact Printing Frame (above) which uses needles to align the negative with the print.

For this design, I make a separate frame for each size of negative I work with (e.g.
4″ x 5″, 5″ x 7″, etc). The design calls for needle-diameter holes in the frame back, positioned on diagonal corners of the negative. Corresponding holes in the glass are then drilled. The needles are positioned so the negative will be centered in the frame, allowing the frame back to be placed in the frame in either orientation.

I print exclusively with in-camera negatives and have made registration frames of this design for negatives from 120 roll film through 5” roll film (5”x50” long). I usually print with negatives of 5”x 7” or smaller.

**Note that this design relies on the sensitized paper remaining the same size from the initial printing through subsequent printings. Pre-shrinking and sizing of the paper are typically needed to ensure its dimensional stability. I use gelatin for sizing. Also, the degree of drying of the paper (i.e. the paper’s ‘humidity’) can also affect its dimensions, so consistency here is also important, especially for larger prints.

** The design drawing is from 1994 and shows a slot to hold the glass. This is a very workable approach, but would make glass replacement more difficult if ever needed. My more recent design (see Purpose Build Contact Printing Frame above) uses a wood shim at the top and bottom of the frame to hold the glass.

To Make:

1. Start with a normal split-back printing frame. For example, either the picture frame or the purpose-built frame designs above.
2. Decide on the size negative you will use for this frame. I print only with in-camera negatives, so these instructions are for the frames that I use. I am okay with making needle holes in the negatives, since they are in the margin area, outside of the image area. If you would rather not do this, one option is to put tape around the negative and put the holes in the tape. This could create complications for negative storage, but that is a separate issue. Another option would be to create digital negatives, which you may be more willing to put holes in.
3. Measure the diagonal of the negative size and place masking tape on the glass in the approximate locations for the two glass holes. Note that ideally the holes will be located so that the frame back can be inserted in either orientation.
4. Carefully mark the location of the glass holes. Use a negative to confirm that the spacing is correct. The needles will pass through the wooden frame back, go through the holes in the print and the negative, and extend through the hole in the glass. Note that the hole in the glass will be considerably larger than the needle hole, so there is a small amount of wiggle room in the placement of the glass holes.
5. Using a commercially available glass drill, carefully drill the two holes at the marked location. This can be tricky. I suggest consulting other sources on this procedure. Another option would be to have a glass shop drill the holes for you.
6. Carefully measure and mark the locations for the needle holes which will be drilled through the frame split back. Again use a negative to precisely locate the holes. Needles come in discreet widths, unlike pins. They can also be sharper. I find hand sewing needles designated as ‘sharps’ in the range of 0.7-0.8mm to work well for this application.
7. Select three same-sized needles. One of these will be used as the ‘needle drill.’ This needle needs to be ground flat near the point on two opposite sides.
8. Use the ‘needle drill’ to carefully drill holes in the frame split back. Make sure the holes pass straight through (90 degree angle) the frame split back.
9. From scrap lumber, cut two 3/4” cubes. These will be the ‘needle blocks’.
10. Use the ‘needle drill’ to drill holes in the center of one side of each ‘needle block’
11. Carefully measure the length of the needle needed to anchor in the needle block, pass through the frame back and slightly extend through the hole in the glass.
12. Break the blunt end of each of the two needles to the length measured in the previous step and push (anchor) the needles into the holes in the needle blocks
13. Check that the needles easily slide into the needle holes in the frame split back. You may need to run the needle drill back through these holes to clean them out. You can also add just a bit of candle wax as a lubricant if needed.

The procedure for using the frame:

1. Carefully place the negative in the frame so the needle holes align with two opposite corners of the negative
2. Close the frame by engaging the leaf springs, then insert the needle blocks into the holes in the frame back. These should pierce the negative, and protrude through the holes in the glass
3. Remove the needles, disengage the leaf springs, remove the negative, and insert the sensitized paper, carefully positioning where you want it
4. Again close the frame and insert the needle blocks, piercing the paper
5. With the needle blocks still in place, disengage the leave springs and CAREFULLY remove the frame back. Do not let the back flex at the hinge as this would cause the needles to tear the paper. (I usually hold the frame back waiter style, with a finger and thumb holding the needle blocks in place)
6. With the needles still protruding through the paper, align the pre-punched holes in the negative onto the needles, place the frame over the frame back and re-engage the leaf springs
7. Remove the needle blocks. The negative and paper are now registered.
8. For subsequent exposures, place the needle blocks in the frame back, position the re-sensitized paper on the needles using the previously made holes, then position the negative again using the previously made holes, being careful to ensure the correct orientation. (I have on occasion placed the negative 180o out of alignment, definitely not the effect I was going for)
9. Assemble the frame and engage the leaf springs.
10. Remove the needle blocks.

As mentioned above, I work with in-camera negatives and typically use these frames for 5”x 7” and smaller. With these image sizes this design works well as long as the paper has been pre-sized. Using this registration method with larger prints can be tricky as paper dimensions can vary depending on paper humidity, even with sized paper. I have on occasion needed to slightly dampen the re-sensitized paper for it to expand to match the needles with the holes.

Pros:

• Register prints: This is the only registration frame design presented here, so a big ‘pro’ is the ability to register prints with negatives.
• Small negs: For smaller negatives this design works beautifully. As long as you only make one set of holes and the paper is well sized, the number of multiple printings is effectively unlimited. I have made prints with 10 or more layers without difficulty.
• Secure: The holes in the glass allow for the registered negative-and-print to be firmly fixed in the frame before removing the needles. This ensures the registration remains true through the entire process.
• Many sizes: If the frame is made to not hold the glass captive, then the same frame could be used for multiple negative sizes. This would only require a different piece of glass – with suitably drilled holes – for each negative size. The frame back could have multiple needle holes corresponding to each negative size.

Cons:

• Not always suitable: This design works well if you wish to register the same negative and print multiple times. However, if you are doing 3-colour work, with three (or more) negatives, this design may or may not be suitable. You would need to work out a way to punch all negatives in exactly the same alignment. This should be doable, but I have not done it so I can’t offer advice.
• May tear the negative: If the split back frame flexes while the pins are engaged, the print and/or negative will tear. Care must be taken to avoid this.
• Inverting possible: It is possible to inadvertently invert the image by 180 degrees. Care must also be taken to avoid this.

Some of my students have succumbed to the temptation to create multiple holes. This of course negates the benefit of the frame design.

Good luck printing.

Paige Billin-Frye, an artist and photographer based in Washington, DC, delves into 19th-century photo processes like cyanotypes and salt prints, often toning them with plants from her yard. She intertwines her interests in illustration, hand-bookbinding, and urban landscapes into her work. See Paige’s gallery.
Mac Cosgrove-Davies is a self-taught photographer who since 1978, has been practising historic photographic processes including gum bichromate, cyanotype, Van Dyke, palladium, carbon printing, oil printing, and wet plate collodion. Using antique and self-made film cameras and equipment in various formats (21/4×31/4, 4×5, 5×7, 6×8, and 8×10 inches as well as 5-inch panoramic), he seeks to make unique prints which match his images to the beauty and elegance of the selected photographic process. He is represented in museum and personal collections internationally, and currently leads the Hand Made Photo program for Photoworks at Glen Echo Park, Maryland. See Mac’s gallery.