Duplicates and enlargements of negatives made by this process and with dry plates need be in no particular inferior to the originals, if care and skill are exercised in their production.
DUPLICATE NEGATIVES BY CONTACT.
When it is not desired either to enlarge or reduce the size of the duplicate, a more direct and simple method is to make the positive by contact printing.
Place the negative in a printing frame, and upon it lay a dry plate so that the two film surfaces are together; use a thick pad and see that the pressure is strong enough to force the two surfaces into intimate contact; now expose to a gas flame for four to six p192 seconds and develop. This will make an admirable positive or transparency if properly done. The same process repeated, serves to make a duplicate negative from the transparency.
It is advisable to make a positive by this method from every valuable negative. This positive will serve to make duplicates from, should the original be lost or broken.
Enlarged prints from small negatives can be made by the use of Anthony's enlarging camera, and their gelatino-bromide paper by artificial light, so that when one or more or only a few large prints are required from a small negative it would perhaps be more advantageous to make them direct from the original negative by the use of this instrument than by making an enlarged negative and printing by contact. However, the latter method would be the best in cases where many prints are required.
PRINTING PROCESSES.
The amateur who has secured a fine negative of some choice bit of scenery, or has made a "hit" on any subject interesting or beautiful, will naturally desire to secure prints or impressions from it, that he may gratify his friends with a copy or supply the demand for exchanges with the members of his camera club.
The accomplishment of this desire is neither difficult nor expensive, as there are several processes by which the amateur may print for himself as many impressions as will suit his purpose. If silver prints are preferred, any photographer will produce them at small expense; or if the amateur is sufficiently posted in this branch of the art, and has the facilities, he can easily p193 make them himself. The matter is much simplified by procuring from the nearest stock dealer or photographer, ready sensitized paper. Few amateurs, however, I imagine, would care to incur the expense of a silver-printing outfit. Those who would will find in the first part of this book full instructions in the article on silver printing.
The processes by which the amateur may most easily produce prints from his own negatives by his own skill and labor are: